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You have a few options here, but one comes to mind:
You can dedicate a different subsection (or paragraph) for each single
option. Then create a table. The column headers might list the selection
that makes the option differences, and the rows titles might list all
possible options. You might then mark the intersecting "cells" with an "X"
where each option is available for the selection named in that column.
You could also show the paragraph number that covers that item right in the
row title cell along the left side.
If you contact me I'd be happy to send you a sample as an attachment
(something I'm sure the rest of the readers on this list would NOT
appreciate!).
Just a thought.
Best of luck to you.
Karen M.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chris Tolliver [SMTP:Chris2 -at- IMPACT-TECH -dot- COM]
> Sent: Monday, July 19, 1999 5:22 PM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: Documenting dialog box selections
>
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> Dear TECHWR-Lers,
>
> How do you document a dialog box where your selection for the main field
> (control, prompt) determines what other fields are available? Is it better
> to have one section describing all possible fields or to have multiple
> sections documenting each "set" of fields? (My search of the archives was
> fairly fruitless. If this question has been discussed before, please
> suggest
> keywords for searching.)
>
> Here's a specific example. On the Trust Information dialog box, the first,
> main field is a drop-down box titled "Trust Type." For Trust Type, you can
> select: Grantor Retained Trust, Charitable Remainder Trust, or Qualified
> Personal Retained Trust. The remaining contents of the dialog box change,
> depending on what you select.
>
> My colleague prefers to document this dialog box in one section titled
> "Adding Trusts." This section would document all possible fields with a
> note
> saying some fields are not available, depending on what you select for
> Trust
> Type.
>
> I prefer to document this dialog box in three sections titled, "Adding
> Grantor Retained Trusts," "Adding Charitable Remainder Trusts," and
> "Adding
> Qualified Personal Retained Trusts." To me, this method puts the burden of
> interpreting the interface on us writers rather than on the users.
>
> FWIW, most of our users are successful salespeople who are comfortable
> with
> computers but who may not know all about the domain -- life insurance. I
> have not polled users about this question, but I could.
>
> Christina Tolliver
> Manager, Publications
> Impact Technologies Group, Inc.
> Charlotte, NC
> chris2 -at- impact-tech -dot- com
>
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>
> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
> <HTML>
> <HEAD>
> <META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; =
> charset=3Diso-8859-1">
> <META NAME=3D"Generator" CONTENT=3D"MS Exchange Server version =
> 5.5.2448.0">
> <TITLE>Documenting dialog box selections</TITLE>
> </HEAD>
> <BODY>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Dear TECHWR-Lers,</FONT>
> </P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2>How do you document a dialog box where your selection =
> for the main field (control, prompt) determines what other fields are =
> available? Is it better to have one section describing all possible =
> fields or to have multiple sections documenting each "set" of =
> fields? (My search of the archives was fairly fruitless. If this =
> question has been discussed before, please suggest keywords for =
> searching.)</FONT></P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Here's a specific example. On the Trust Information =
> dialog box, the first, main field is a drop-down box titled "Trust =
> Type." For Trust Type, you can select: Grantor Retained Trust, =
> Charitable Remainder Trust, or Qualified Personal Retained Trust. The =
> remaining contents of the dialog box change, depending on what you =
> select.</FONT></P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2>My colleague prefers to document this dialog box in =
> one section titled "Adding Trusts." This section would =
> document all possible fields with a note saying some fields are not =
> available, depending on what you select for Trust Type.</FONT></P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2>I prefer to document this dialog box in three =
> sections titled, "Adding Grantor Retained Trusts," =
> "Adding Charitable Remainder Trusts," and "Adding =
> Qualified Personal Retained Trusts." To me, this method puts the =
> burden of interpreting the interface on us writers rather than on the =
> users.</FONT></P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2>FWIW, most of our users are successful salespeople =
> who are comfortable with computers but who may not know all about the =
> domain -- life insurance. I have not polled users about this question, =
> but I could.</FONT></P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Christina Tolliver</FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Manager, Publications</FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Impact Technologies Group, Inc.</FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Charlotte, NC</FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>chris2 -at- impact-tech -dot- com</FONT>
> </P>
>
> </BODY>
> </HTML>
> ------_=_NextPart_001_01BED22C.B7677ADE--
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> From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=
> =
>
>
