Table Formats & Indexing Requirements

[Steve Owens <uso01 -at- EAGLE -dot- UNIDATA -dot- COM>]

Pam Tatge (pamt -at- steinbeck -dot- sc -dot- ti -dot- com) asks:
>  Supposedly, there's an IEEE standard for software users manuals that
>  says an index is mandatory for documents of 40 pages or longer. Does
>  anyone know *which* IEEE standard this is??

        We have a copy of the 1993 edition standards collection on
Software Engineering. It cost something over $100, if I'm remembering
correctly.  The Software User Documentation standard is only twenty or
thirty pages, although the collection is some two inches, 8.5"x11".  I
don't know what just the Software User Documentation standard would
cost, but you may want to order a copy for general reference.  It's a
rather dense document, with some good ideas.

        Here's the entry on indexes:

ANSI/IEEE Std 1063-1987
IEEE Standard for Software User Documentation

"5.12, Index.  Develop an index, based on key words or concepts, for
user documents over eight pages.  Construct this index as follows:

  (1) Indicate importance of information; place minor key words under
major ones.
  (2) Give location references for each entry, to the right of the
entry.
  (3) List location references in one of the following ways:
    (a) By page number
    (b) By section or paragraph number
    (c) By illustration number
    (d) By another index entry
  (4) Use only one level of index reference. (For example, if an entry
points to a sectond index entry, the second entry shall give a page
number, section or paragraph number, or illustration number.  The
second entry shall not point to a third index entry)."


The collection has a note that says ANSI/IEEE publications are
available from:

        IEEE Service Center
        445 Hoes Lane, PO Box 1331
        Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331

or from

        Sales Department
        American National Standards Institute
        1430 Broadway
        New York, NY 10018



Steven J. Owens
uso01 -at- unidata -dot- com