Re: Procedures (OK and cancel)

Subject: Re: Procedures (OK and cancel)
From: "Margaret Secara" <margaret -dot- secara -at- alphather -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 08:56:24 -0700


Are you documenting the interface, or telling the user how to perform a task? If the former, then I guess you should mention the Cancel button every time it appears. I guess. But if the latter, then no. You have already said "To do X, follow these steps" or something like it. If the end of that task is to click OK, then tell them to click OK.

Settle on what you're trying to accomplish. I don't think it's necessary, or adviseable, to try to do everything at once.

Maggie Secara



>>> Salo Karina <Karina -dot- Salo -at- comptel -dot- com> Tuesday, June 18, 2002 >>>

Hi all!
We are having a slight problem in our tech writing team. If you write a
procedure that ends in the user having to click OK to save or has the option
of clicking Cancel to cancel everything, do you include the both in your
instruction?
Example:
1. Blaa
2. Blaa
3. Click OK to save or Cancel to return to the blaa page without changes.

Some think that since the procedure explains how to do something, you don't
need to explain how to not do it (hmmm... am I being clear?)
Some think, that since the Cancel-button _is_ visible in the UI, you should
also explain what it does.
Any thoughts on that?
BR,
Karina





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