RE: [stclwrsig-l] Re: Numbering Headings

["Shultz, Beverly" <c-bshultz -at- state -dot- pa -dot- us>]

Great distinction, BJ. I can't imagine working with internal documents, such as technical specifications, business design documents, etc., without numbered headings. 
And in writing test scripts for complex software, numbered headings are extremely useful, if not necessary, because you have to write the test scritps so they can be traced to the specific requirements. 
One of the applications that I wrote scripts for had technical specification documents that stacked over a foot high. The specs documents really needed to have numbered headings.

I don't see any reason for numbered heading in end-user documentation, though.

Bev

-----Original Message-----
From: BJ Foster [mailto:bfoster -at- vertexsoftware -dot- com]
Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 12:42 PM
To: STC Lone Writer SIG
Subject: [stclwrsig-l] Re: Numbering Headings


You've pointed out benefits for internal documents, but for a end-user
document, the focus should be on what makes it easy for the user to find
what they need.

Kim, if your boss is insistent on using numbers, will she compromise and
allow you to use numbers and text labels in the sideheads? Then you have her
numbering system and labels that users can scan. I can see the benefit of
using numbers as reference, but the ability to scan for information is more
important.

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-stclwrsig-l-54035 -at- lists -dot- stc -dot- org
[mailto:bounce-stclwrsig-l-54035 -at- lists -dot- stc -dot- org]On Behalf Of
AMaynard -at- ingenico-us -dot- com
Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 11:25 AM
To: STC Lone Writer SIG
Cc: STC Lone Writer SIG
Subject: [stclwrsig-l] Re: Numbering Headings



When I started at my company, I had to "rebrand" all documentation and come
up with a new template. Our Canadian office insisted on section numbering.
I was very resistant at first - mainly because I thought it made the
document look ugly - but complied.

After having changed all of our documentation to section numbering, I can
see the advantages of it and why people insist on it. I disagree with you
that it does not increase usability. It is actually very useful in finding
information. I love it when I get an email from a programmer that says
"change section 2.6.3 to  odd parity" or something like that. I know
exactly where to go, I do not need to waste time verifying to which section
he is referring. I have seen coworkers use section numbers to quickly point
to a section, instead of having to write out the chapter number and name of
the section (i.e., see section 2.3.4 instead of see Chapter 4, under
"Updating Users," the "Exceptions" section or something overly wordy like
that).

It is also helpful since with the popularity of electronic documents, we
cannot go by page numbers anymore. If you are looking at an electronic
document, you have the page number at the bottom of the program window and
the page number you put in, which are often different due to the cover page
and other introductory pages.

Aline Maynard
Technical Writer
Ingenico
Roswell, GA
(678) 795-2426
amaynard -at- ingenico-us -dot- com



                    Kim Kapron
                    <kapron -at- bauercontrols -dot- com>         To:     "STC Lone
Writer SIG" <stclwrsig-l -at- lists -dot- stc -dot- org>
                    Sent by:                           cc:
                    bounce-stclwrsig-l-98977 -at- lis       Subject:
[stclwrsig-l] Numbering Headings
                    ts.stc.org


                    06/07/02 10:38 AM
                    Please respond to Kim Kapron






Dear Fellow Lone Writers,

I am looking for any style guidelines regarding the use of outline type
numbering in documentation.  I am currently fighting a bit of a battle over
the documentation template I designed for our company which includes
chapter
numbers and uses side heads for all subsections within the chapter.  I like
the look and feel that the sideheads help the reader find the section they
are looking for.  My boss, however, is hooked on numbered sections
(probably
because of her accounting background) and has demanded that we use numbers
for all subsections (outline form) like we do in our proposals.

After looking at a variety of other software documentation, I have found
that the currently trend is to use chapter numbers only.  I think all of
the
numbers in the outline style can be distracting and they do not seem to
increase the usability.  Right now, it seems she and I are both arguing
based on personal preference.   I need more facts to present my case.  Does
anyone have any supporting arguments for the chapter number only format?

Please reply directly to me as I am on Digest and don't want to wait until
Monday to get your response.

Thanks bunches,

Kim Kapron

---
You are currently subscribed to stclwrsig-l as: AMaynard -at- ingenico-us -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-stclwrsig-l-93533C -at- lists -dot- stc -dot- org





---
You are currently subscribed to stclwrsig-l as: bfoster -at- vertexsoftware -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-stclwrsig-l-93533C -at- lists -dot- stc -dot- org


---
You are currently subscribed to stclwrsig-l as: c-bshultz -at- state -dot- pa -dot- us
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-stclwrsig-l-93533C -at- lists -dot- stc -dot- org

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  Your monthly sponsorship message here reaches more than
  5000 technical writers, providing 2,500,000+ monthly impressions.
  Contact Eric (ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com) for details and availability.

Check out RoboDemo for tutorials! It makes creating full-motion software
demonstrations and other onscreen support materials easy and intuitive.
Need RoboHelp? Save $100 on RoboHelp Office in May with our mail-in rebate.
Go to http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.