Estimating time to author software help manual?

[Geoff Hart]

Jennifer C. Bennett wondered: <<I've been researching ways to estimate 
the time it will take to write a software user manual.  I thought I'd 
ask this question here on TECHWR_L>>

It's actually pretty simple: you count up the number of things you need 
to do in each category (e.g., number of icons, number of dialogs, 
number of data-entry or selection areas per dialog...), figure out how 
long it takes you (on average) to do any one thing in each category 
(e.g., document a checkbox), multiply the number of items in a group by 
the average time per item for that group, and total up the results. 
Piece of cake. Everything else is just details. <g>

A search of the techwr-l archives using key words such as "estimating", 
"time", and so on will turn up plenty of useful information. Some of 
the useful details can also be found in more condensed form at: 
http://www.geoff-hart.com/resources/2006/estimating.htm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --
Geoff Hart   ghart at videotron.ca
(try geoffhart at mac.com if you don't get a reply)
www.geoff-hart.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -