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If the version number of the manual is unrelated to any sort of version number of the product, I'd go with re-starting at 1.0. You're in effect creating two brand-new manuals, so the rev number should restart.
If you assign part numbers to your manuals, I'd retire the part number for the original manual and go with two new ones for the two-volume set.
Rick Lippincott, Technical Writer
American Science and Engineering, Inc. | www.as-e.com
829 Middlesex Turnpike | Billerica, MA 01821 USA | Fax +1-978-262-8702
Office +1-978-262-8807 | rlippincott -at- as-e -dot- com
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+rlippincott=as-e -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+rlippincott=as-e -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Jim Witkin
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2013 8:32 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Version number question
I'm working on a manual that contains two primary sections: a technical description of the product and an installation section. The manual has gotten quite long and we've observed that the audience for each section is somewhat different. For example, installers don't need the 80 pages of technical description to install the product. Our plan is to split the manual in half and move forward with two manuals each with its own revision track. The current version number for the manual is v2.4. Question: When I split the manual should I start the version numbering at 1.0 for each of the two manuals? Or should the technical description manual maintain the previous numbering track and the installation manual start with new version numbering? Or vice versa? Or should both new manuals start with the previous manual's numbers and increment from there? Thx, Jim
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