RE: Help file TOC Sentence VS Question

Subject: RE: Help file TOC Sentence VS Question
From: "Leonard C. Porrello" <Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com>
To: "Robert Lauriston" <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>, <TECHWR-L -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, "Robert Courtney" <bobsc1 -at- earthlink -dot- net>
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:03:30 -0700

What Lauriston says. Otherwise, the reader has to scan a gazillion instances of "How do I." AND, be careful not to mix verbs and nouns. Some people would say you should use either ...

Understanding Time Cards
Creating a Time Card
Viewing a Time Card
Finding a Time Card

or ...

Understand Time Cards
Create a Time Card
View a Time Card
Find a Time Card

You might also consider the following:

Time Cards
Understanding
Creating
Viewing
Finding


Leonard


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Robert Lauriston
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 12:12 PM
To: TECHWR-L -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Help file TOC Sentence VS Question

I prefer to put the relevant verb first:

Time Cards
Understanding Time Cards
Create a Time Card
View a Time Card
Find a Time Card

On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 12:02 PM, Robert Courtney <bobsc1 -at- earthlink -dot- net> wrote:
> I have usually used questions in my help files on how to do things. I
> use sentence headings for some things such as objects that I need to
> discuss. Such as:
>
> Time Cards
>    What is a Time Card?
>    How do I Create Time Card?
>    How do I View A Time Card?
>    How do I Search a Time Card?
>
> VS
>
> Time Cards
>    What is a Time Card?
>    Creating a Time Card
>    Viewing a Time Card
>    Searching a Time Card
>
> Is there really a preference to using a sentence TOC and headings vs
> questions to accomplish tasks?
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Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
2009 tips, tricks, and best practices.
http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/

Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/

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Follow-Ups:

References:
Help file TOC Sentence VS Question: From: Robert Courtney
Re: Help file TOC Sentence VS Question: From: Robert Lauriston

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