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Those are not release notes, they are a features list for the next release.
Release notes are the last-minute documentation that covers, among other
things:
1. The items delivered with the release, files, books, etc.
2. The name and version number of the product
3. Changes that did not make it into the documentation.
Bill DuBay
Technical Writer
Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
email: bill_dubay -at- phoenix -dot- com
(714)790-2049 FAX: (714)790-2001 http://www.phoenix.com
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Original Text
From: Julie F. Hesselgesser <jhesselgesser -at- OXMOL -dot- COM>, on 7/8/97 10:05 AM:
Are there any standards or rules about what constitutes release notes? My
boss wants to create a hard copy Word document that outlines the new
features of our next release. He is planning to include screen shots and
procedural instructions. He's calling this document "release notes." I've
always seens release notes produced as ASCII text files. I've never seen
screen shots in release notes. He feels the changes are substantial enough
to warrant this level of documentation. (Obviously, I'm not in agreement.)
We just finished producing a nice set of hardcopy manuals for the current
version. Has anyone ever had to document new screens right after producing a
manual? How have you handled this? I always thought users were sort of on
their own with interim releases like this. I was planning to document the
new screens and features in the documentation for the next major release.
Julie Hesselgesser
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