RE: introducing steps

["Mark Baker" <mbaker -at- analecta -dot- com>]

Kevin McLauchlan wrote:

> So if there are a several prerequisites, you make them 
> steps 1 through 4, before step 5 gets to the meat of the 
> current procedure? 

Indeed. I have always thought the idea of stating prerequisites to a
procedure is asking for trouble. If there are things you have to do before
step 1, then is isn't step 1, is it? 

Numbered steps are like catnip to an impatient reader. We should write
procedures as if readers do not read anything between the topic title and
the first numbered step.

Mark

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