RE: Software User Guide as Specifications Doc - Anyone tried it?

Subject: RE: Software User Guide as Specifications Doc - Anyone tried it?
From: "Harold B. Gill" <hal -at- web500 -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 14:41:14 +0200


Hi Badri and all,
We generally have taken both approaches which we find necessary since
our software product is very extensive. Our "Functional Approach"
documentation we refer to as the "Reference Guide" whereas the
"Task-Oriented Approach" is called the "User's Guide". We also produce
smaller Tutorials that don't attempt to provide all the procedures but
focus on the most common tasks. These can be used for the education of
our end-users by our partners.

We have developed these paths through the process by experience since
the technical writers also end up doing the QA Testing and often have to
cover for the Support Department. I think being tightly woven into the
process and wearing multiple hats is quite helpful in this regard. The
balancing of the stress and development of systems to juggle all of
these roles though is an ongoing job.

That's the view from here,
Hal Gill
Technical Editor
Web500 A/S
www.web500.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Badrinarayanan_Srinivasan
[mailto:Badrinarayanan_Srinivasan -at- satyam -dot- com]
Sent: 22. april 2002 14:26


Hi Jennifer

There are essentially two approaches that we can adopt while writing a
User
Guide.

The Functional Approach is a product oriented method where you describe
in
detail every feature that the application has. You could describe the
menus,
the fields, the buttons and what have you. You start with the product,
list
down all its features and explain those.

The Task-oriented Approach on the other hand is a much better way, where
you
have the user as a focal point. You start with the user, consider the
various tasks that he has to do and then produce your User Guide based
on
the sequence in which the user is going to go about the application.

Badri Narayanan

Satyam Computer Services Limited,



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