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I don't know that there's a blanket answer to your question, because the
length and context could affect how you structure the
steps/explanations.
I tend to make the steps for each item complete, just as a matter of
policy, unless they're very long and complex, in which case I "might"
refer people to a specific set containing the necessary steps.
Preferably, I'd use the technique below for that situation.
Another option that I've found very helpful for repeated parts of
instructions is to break the repeated part out and make it a next step.
So you give people steps 1-3, then say "now go to section x." That
technique doesn't work in all circumstances, but it works often enough
to make thinking about it worth while.
HTH
Kathleen
-----Original Message-----
From: Carrie Baker
I am trying to rewrite some user guides to be more user
oriented/procedures.
In the past we just displayed a table with all the fields in a screen
and what you do with them.
But I have a small question in my rewriting.
The screen concerned shows 4 different ways of saving data collated by
the system.
As you choose options, the one of the panes in the screen changes
accordingly.
However, for 2 of the ways of saving data some of the fields are the
same. How should I relate to the actions performed by the parts of the
screen that are the same for 2 of the procedures?
Repeat the last 2 lines in each of the procedures separately.
i.e. Click Test to test the configuration you defined
Click Advanced to define options for stopping the procedure.
Or is there any way to only write the activities that repeat
themselves once over.
(each procedure has a separate heading 3, so where would this repeated
material go?)
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