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We tend to use appendices for lengthy tables, lists, etc. For example, the three
appendices in the manual I recently updated are Transaction Codes, Error
Messages, and Technical Modifications. The manual documents the teller system
for a bank. The chapters in the manual include an orientation to the system, and
instructions on how to use each aspect of the system. In other words, the
chapters are mostly narrative, while the appendices are more likely to be lists
and tables and (in the case of Technical Modifications)
historical/chronological.
I have included troubleshooting materials in the regular chapters in some
manuals because it's often necessary for the operator to refer to the
troubleshooting material to complete a procedure. That probably depends on what
you're documenting.
Jo
--
Jo Baer
Senior Technical Writer
TCF Financial Corporation
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Forget world peace.
Visualize using your turn signal.
Bumper S. Ticker
Gilda_Spitz -at- markham -dot- longview -dot- ca wrote:
> I searched the archives, but didn't find anything on this topic.
>
> At the moment, most of the books in our documentation suite contain several
> chapters, and at least one appendix. But I'm now starting to question
> whether it's necessary to make the distinction.
>
> When I first set up our templates, I decided that Troubleshooting should be
> in an appendix, rather than a chapter. I also created an appendix for
> additional information that was helpful, but not directly a description of
> the tasks in the software. But what's the difference? As long as each
> grouping of information is presented in its own chapter, isn't that
> distinct enough?
>
> I'm curious - what do other people do?
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