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>1. Double-click any entry in the Summary window while it is displayed.
>2. The system displays a new Job View window for this job.
>
>I like to number instruction steps, but this will work even without the
>numbers.
Numbered steps are great, but there's a better way to do them: in
the form of action-response pairs. The second step is not an
instruction for the user to carry out. This is a one-step task,
so it should contain one step. The usual practice, which I think
is quite good, is to follow the user's action with the system's
response in each step, as shown below. Since there's only one
step, I use a bullet rather than a number. (For a multi-step
one, see the reply to Deborah Cooper that I just posted.) Also
note the heading. I usually put this in bold to make it easy for
someone to find when flipping through the manual.
> To display a new Job View window:
o In the Summary window, double-click the the job that you
want to examine.
A new Job View window appears.
In addition to being clearer, it also looks simpler. One step
looks like less work than two. In this case, I probably wouldn't
even bother with the response, since it's obvious from the
heading. This would make the task look as simple as it really is.
Here's another way to word it, where a response
paragraph is definitely helpful:
> To see a job in more detail:
o In the Summary window, double-click the the job.
A new Job View window opens.
Here the response is necessary because it explains how the user
sees the job in more detail, and leads the user to refer to the
appropriate section of the manual. This type of heading is much
better than "To display a new Job View window", since it's
expressed in terms of something the user wants to do, not in
terms of actions within the user interface or the software.
