atw: Re: Steps and consequences
- From: "Peter Fagan" <peterf@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 15:11:38 +1000
Naomi Kramer wrote:
I'm needing thoughts and opinions. When writing steps to be followed, and
the consequences, what format should be used? eg. -
1. Click OK
A new screen will be displayed.
2. Enter the details
OR
1. Click OK
2. A new screen will be displayed.
Enter the details
OR other options? An 'official' way to do it, perhaps? I'm severely
lacking in proper tech writing tools here! :)
Naomi
I don't think the consequence statement ("A new screen will be displayed.")
should be numbered. Only number the steps (and do number _all_ of them).
Instead of "A new screen will be displayed", I have long preferred the more
direct "A new screen displays."
For Windows GUI documentation, I follow the Microsoft convention for Windows
Topical Help (.chm) "How to" topics and leave out the result statement
altogether. If the user is working at the GUI, Microsoft concluded
(correctly in my opinion) that the result statement is redundant, as long as
you give a precise location for the next step. So just:
1. Click OK.
2. In the Address field, enter the details.
Peter Fagan
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