Re: Writing procedures that aren't so straightforward

Subject: Re: Writing procedures that aren't so straightforward
From: Stuart Burnfield <slb -at- westnet -dot- com -dot- au>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 10:22:32 +0800

You could just document each individual screen as a standalone task. If
I've just logged in, supplied my password, successfully done steps A, C
and D, then had a problem with step F, I'd just open the guide and skip
straight to the topic that explains F. I wouldn't need to read about all
my preceding steps in order.

Think of it like a command reference for a programming language. The
commands might be used in almost any combination. We just document each
command in a separate topic, so coders can jump to the command they're
interested in.

Another thing you could do is put the scope at the top of each topic.
For example you could have a mini-checklist saying:

This topic applies to:
Roles: Supervisor, Administrator, Operator
Modes: online, offline
Tasks: M, N, P

Stuart

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