Designing, Writing, and Producing Computer Documentation

If there is any constant in the world of computer technology, it is that computer manuals are of inferior quality to the technology they are supposed to explain. This book is a breakthrough. It is the first hands-on manual that lays out the basic principles and concepts for developing computer documentation and provides step-by-step guidelines for putting a manual together. The authors, both technical writing specialists with extensive teaching and consulting experience, give the reader expert guidance in analyzing the audience for a computer manual; organizing documentation; presenting the content: front matter, body, and back matter; developing usability and retrievability aids; providing online documentation; packaging the document; and ensuring quality. Numerous photographs, diagrams, and charts illustrate each phase of the project.