Re: Opinions, please: Document by the Component or by the Tab?

["Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>]

Assuming that you have already documented how
to use these components to accomplish the most
important/common tasks, which IMO should be the
first priority, and are now doing the reference info,
then strictly from the viewpoint of a software user
(since I don't write much software documentation)
this is what I would prefer to get:

If the in-common tabs are simple things you can
describe in one or two sentences, document the
components and repeat in-common descriptions.

If the in-common items are complicated and
require extensive documentation, cover them
first, then document the components and where
the in-common items appear just name them
and have a "see xxx" reference to the place where
they are documented.  I don't see a need to
provide a list of everywhere an in-common tab
appears.

I'm sure there will be plenty of people who would
prefer to get something completely different. :)

Gene Kim-eng



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lin Sims" <ljsims -dot- ml -at- gmail -dot- com>
> I'm documenting a software product that has multiple components, each
> of which can be configured individually through an administration
> screen. The administration screen for the individual components is
> divided into tabs. Many of these tabs repeat over multiple components.
>
>>From a user's perspective, would it be better to document each
> component, repeating the information for the in-common tabs, or would
> it be better to document the tabs and list which components they are
> used in?
>
> I'd do both if I had time; but I don't, so I won't. (Next edition!
> This is good enough for now!)

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