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Subject:Re: page breaks From:"Less is more." <yvonne -at- VENUS -dot- SMARTSTAR -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 13 Jan 1995 09:03:19 -0800
Sherri asked about forced page breaks in technical manuals.
I agree with the other situations mentioned. In addition, I tend to force
page breaks more often in a printed tutorial. Pleasing and convenient
page layout is more important in tutorial material than in reference material,
IMHO. The user is going back and forth between the paper and the screen
(already a less-than-perfect solution), so it is important that individual
steps be kept together with relevant figures, that the flow of the text with
figures be pleasing but have some variety to make finding one's place easier.
Also, I find it useful in tutorial material to think about the layout as a
two-page spread, rather than as a single page. My goal is to minimize the
user's need to turn back a page to review.
The problem, of course, with forcing page breaks is that when things change,
you have to check your page breaks again. I usually leave that level of
formatting until shortly before we release a new version.
