Writing an index for your technical documents can be an intimidating task for a new technical writer.
In fact, often we don't include indexes in online help now, instead relying on the search function. But for some audiences, and obviously for printed documentation, a good index is invaluable.
For example, one system I document is an enterprise application. It includes hundreds of code tables, containing codes for customizing which fields are displayed on the screen, which types of invoice...
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For new technical writers
Recipe for writing a task
A task is one of the fundamental building blocks of good technical writing, and one of the first things new technical writers learn. I was reminded of this when I bought a new cookbook at the end of last year.
In my spare time I love to cook. I have several shelves devoted to cookbooks, and I can spend hours browsing through my books looking for a new recipe to try. One of my favorite cookbooks is Jamie's America, written by Jamie Oliver, with recipes he created while he toured the United Sta...
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Tracking technical writing deliverables
Imagine you've accepted a technical writer position in a company that creates enterprise software. You're used to working with a team of writers, maybe even a documentation manager and editor.
Now it's just you. Project manager, writer, and editor. And 50 documents to keep up to date. How will you manage?
The nature of enterprise applications, is that they address the needs of organizations, managing resources, customer relationships, automated invoicing and billing, and business intellige...
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