RE: suggestions on how to "hide" UI-based topics in online Help TOC?

["sbuckley" <sbuckley -at- onlinewriter -dot- com>]

For such a quick turn around, I'd try grouping by "About" and other overview
type topics that are based on workflow.  Then the screen type pages can be
slipped in as seeming task topics.

Another approach, that takes more time, is to crate task topics that then
link to the page topics.

For example, "Step 2 - Set the blah, blah, blah settings.  For more
information, see [link to old page/screen topics]."


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+sbuckley=onlinewriter -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+sbuckley=onlinewriter -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Donna Barbieri
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 8:38 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: suggestions on how to "hide" UI-based topics in online Help TOC?

Here is the situation - I am working as a contractor
at a company that had a Tech Writing intern (who is
related to someone in dev). This intern produced an
entire WebHelp system for the application. However,
the Help system is 100% UI specific. Topics such as
"using XYZ" really include information about what is
on a particular screen.
I have been tasked with creating "usable" Help for
first time users AND with keeping the existing Help
for a release in the next two weeks. 
 
Since, apparently, this HAS to be there I'd like to
minimize it's impact on users. I am thinking of
introducing the task-based topics as one normally
would and then renaming all the existing topics and
including them in a logical hierarchy (oh, I didn't
mention the current TOC has two levels - which could
be bc there are no keywords and the index suxs - but I
digress yet again...)...anyway, so I want to create a
hierarchy so these topics aren't cluttering the TOC -
question is - what should these "topics" be called I
really want to steer away from "using XYZ Page" and
was thinking "XYZ Options" "XYZ Page" "About XYZ"? Any
suggestions?




 
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