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Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a user g

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    Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a user g

    My two friends who share the system with me, have challenged me to write a user guide of our Application, which with help from subscribers to this board is nearly ready for them to get stuck into.
    so any hints, tips or ideas as to the best way to do this would be most welcome.
    --
    Support your local Search and Rescue Unit, Get Lost!

    www.westrowops.co.uk

    #2
    RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

    I created a user guide for my 250 users.
    I based it on the Alpha Help documentation that came
    with the Alpha5 installation disk. I used screenshot to
    get actual colored print outs of my screens and edited
    it into the help file and customized the text to work
    with my application. Hope this helps

    Comment


      #3
      RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

      One other thought...make your guide EASY. There are far too many manuals that assume a user knows a certain amount, and they usually don't.

      I always write my user guides so simply that someone who has never used a computer can follow it. I think it's better to assume they know nothing, than to assume some knowledge, and end up confusing them.

      Comment


        #4
        RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

        Aah!! Us Brits are easily confused!
        thanks for the tip.
        --
        Support your local Search and Rescue Unit, Get Lost!

        www.westrowops.co.uk

        Comment


          #5
          RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

          I've usually found it best to make your stuff so idiot-proof (usally x-proof, with "x" being the name of some slow-witted user at the client's site) that they don't need manuals. I find that most end users end up reading manuals about as often as I do, which is pretty rarely.

          Comment


            #6
            RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

            I have a general introduction, generally describing the program, about 2 pages. I have a chapter entering one customer with one hearing aid with one telephone number, step by step. I have a chapter "Working with the Master Form," the primary form in my application. Etc. Each chapter goes step by step describing each of the several possibilities with the screen shots.

            I'm a little over half way through chapter two, of about four chapters. I use two monitors, and on the first monitor, I step through all the several possibilities at each field, to be sure I cover them all, and then write in msword on the second monitor. (I can't stress how wonderful two monitors can be for programming, etc.)

            I use screen shots, with hypersnap.

            What's interesting, though, is so far I have spent twice as much time making changes to the program, when I saw how much better it would be to do it one way than another, and have improved the flow of the program tremendously.

            I also found several bugs, too, believe it or not.
            Cole Custom Programming - Terrell, Texas
            972 524 8714
            [email protected]

            ____________________
            "A young man who is not liberal has no heart, but an old man who is not conservative has no mind." GB Shaw

            Comment


              #7
              RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

              Ingrid,

              Do you still live at 1902

              Jim

              Comment


                #8
                RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

                Hi Martin:

                I actually used two computers when I wrote a help file and manual (reused a lot of the text). And I, too, experienced the benefits of systematically and methodically stepping through my application.

                Bill
                Bill Hanigsberg

                Comment


                  #9
                  RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

                  bill, if you have a free pci slot, you won't believe how handy the second monitor is: e.g.,:
                  1. I make a copy of my current program folder.
                  2. open the main on window1 and the copy on window2
                  3. step through a problem on 2 and make code changes to 1
                  then i can immediately, if desired, refresh the second copy and keep going

                  anyway - i like being a double-monitored, wild and crazy kinda guy.
                  Cole Custom Programming - Terrell, Texas
                  972 524 8714
                  [email protected]

                  ____________________
                  "A young man who is not liberal has no heart, but an old man who is not conservative has no mind." GB Shaw

                  Comment


                    #10
                    RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

                    That would be a bit rad for me. Now that you know me you realize how stogy I am!
                    Bill Hanigsberg

                    Comment


                      #11
                      RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

                      I have found that your "users" are typically better
                      able to write your manual than you.

                      Because Jim was often too busy to write one, we had our
                      users who train new employees write the manual. Then
                      each time a new user is brought on board, the manual
                      gets updated until such time as you have a complex
                      and easily read manual.

                      The new users would read the old manual, then have a place
                      to comment in new sections, or advise where they did not
                      understand. Then, they are given the time and opportunity to
                      update the old manual.

                      Whether Jim knows it or not, we have a complete manual for
                      everything that operations does with his programs...

                      Good luck

                      Comment


                        #12
                        RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

                        That's a brilliant system which I will immediately steal!

                        Hats off,
                        Bill
                        Bill Hanigsberg

                        Comment


                          #13
                          RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

                          Uh oh. There goes my job security.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

                            I wrote the user guide for our application, which is used by people that have absolutely no computer experience or training. It's about 60 pages of pure, unadulterated simplicity.

                            Our primary application is pretty customizable to the user, so I set it up the same way you would if your were explaining to app to the first time user. Don't hesitate to use little tiny words, either. That's what most users understands. As responses to this topic have stated, if your app is simple enough to use, those that are comfortable with computers and software won't need the guide. Those that aren't need a guide that can be read (and understood) by a 4th grader.

                            Finally, if you're not so financially gifted to have a second monitor, do what I did. Use alt+tab to quickly toggle between your application and your Word Processor.

                            Good Luck!

                            Comment


                              #15
                              RE: Tips & Ideas on the best way to write a us

                              Tom's user guide can be downloaded from www.dealershipsoftware.com. It is worth looking at.

                              Comment

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