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Subject:Re: Release notes, updates & errata From:"Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher -at- STARBASECORP -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 15 Aug 1995 16:24:01 -0700
Rikki asks...
> A couple of us have been scratching our heads about the meaning of release
notes
> vs. updates. I have seen errata included with a document at the time of
> shipment which includes changes that occurred after the piece went to press.
> Are there working definitions of updates/release notes? Are they the same
> thing?
> I've never done release notes myself and I am curious? Thanks!
I've seen release notes done for an interim release. For
example, a company releases version 1.0 of the software
and produces a manual to go with it. A few months down
the line, they produce version 1.1 -- and instead of
updating the manual, they produce a release notes pamphlet
with what's changed since 1.0. The manual doesn't get
redone until 2.0 hits the streets.
This is not the ideal solution, by any means -- but it's
a cheep 'cya' solution.
The updates I've seen have been actual change pages that
are meant to be inserted into existing documentation --
and the only place I've ever seen them is in the military
contracting world.
Errata can include changes that occurred after the piece
went to press or can point out and correct actual mistakes
in the docs (like a missing line of code or a mislabeled
screenshot).
Sue Gallagher
sgallagher -at- starbasecorp -dot- com
