On Nov 23, 2006, at 12:38 PM, Sean Hower wrote: > > So, I've been playng around with the idea of using flowcharts instead > of numbered steps in documentation. > > It seems like it would make complicated procedures, with multiple > options, easier to follow. The drawback, of course, is that it's not a > tool people would
I have seen some complicated procedures from time to time. Their complexity stemmed from either the complexity of the individual steps, the number of possible paths through the procedure, or the forced recall of statefulness (i.e. "If you did such and such in step B, but not such and such in step C, then in step E, you should..."). If the individual steps are complex, I feel that scrunching them into small flowchart boxes or making the flowchart boxes large would not help. If the steps are numerous but the complexity of each step is small, then a flowchart really shouldn't be used in place of the procedure, but rather alongside it. Some learn visually, and some learn by reading. I imagine that you would frustrate at least 1/4th of the audience by removing the text entirely. Tarage _______________________________________________ Are you a Help Authoring Trainer or Consultant? Let clients find you at www.HAT.Matrix.com, the searchable HAT database based on Char James-Tanny's HAT Comparison Matrix. Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for details. Interested in Interactive 3D Documentation? Get the scoop at http://www.doc-u-motion.com -- your 3D documentation community. _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals To post a message to the list, send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com or, via email, send a blank message [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit the TCP site at http://www.techcommpros.com To find out more about the list, including archives and your account options, visit http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com If you need assistance with the list, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
