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Subject:Re: Identifying Tables in Manuals From:"Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher -at- EXPERSOFT -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 13 Nov 1998 11:03:03 -0800
At 09:04 AM 11/13/98 -0800, Deborah Cooper wrote:
<snip>do you refer to the table in the text as "the
>following table" ... or Refer to the table ... as
>"Table 1-1" ...
And the answer is <drum roll, if you please> --
It depends!
If it's a very technical document for a very technical
audience and you'll be referring to the table repeatedly
and you need a table of tables so users can find the
info rapidly, lable the table (option 2).
If it's a not-so-technical document for a not-so-technical
audience and using table format just helps you provide the
information more simply and you won't necessarily be referring
to the table from elsewhere in the text and you won't be
creating a table of tables, stick with the simple solution
(option 1).
There's seldom any pat answer to questions like these (never say
never, right???). Just do what seems appropriate for the type of
document and the target audience.
-Sue Gallagher
sgallagher -at- expersoft -dot- com
