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Subject:Re: Contents at a Glance From:"M. Dannenberg" <midannen -at- SI -dot- BOSCH -dot- DE> Date:Wed, 16 Jul 1997 11:31:08 +0200
Salan Pazurik schrieb:
> Is there any merit to providing two tables of contents--a "Contents at
> a
> Glance" and "Contents in Detail"?
> I notice that many software manuals do this, and am wondering if it
> actually adds to usability or adds to confusion.
> I have a 300-page procedures manual. It contains about 200 procedures
> divided into four tabbed sections in a ring binder.
> The table of contents extends over six pages. Should I place a
> one-page
> Contents in Brief before the Contents in Detail?
> (My first question to the list after seven months of listening.)
>
I don't like having several TOC's in one document, for one thing, the
readers will never know what to look for in which TOC. I think in your
case some kind of additional navigation feature would be useful, I just
wouldn't call it a TOC. Instead I would provide a procedures index that
contains the procedure name and some additional information on when it
may be appropriate (and the page number, of course). For the TOC itself
I would maybe cut one hierarchy level, to make it a bit shorter. That
way, if a reader wants to find general information they can look in the
TOC, if they are looking for one particular procedure they can check the
proceudres index.
Mike
--
Mike Dannenberg
ETAS GmbH & Co.KG
midannen -at- si -dot- bosch -dot- de
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