Re: "one action per step" in instructions

[John Beatty <jdbeatty -at- EARTH -dot- EXECPC -dot- COM>]

holland -at- cvax -dot- ipfw -dot- indiana -dot- edu wrote:
: Nancy Hayes proposes as a universal standard putting "one action per step" in
: instructions.  Yes, but like most universal rules, there are exceptions and
: complications:

: o Some steps must contain concurrent actions: "While holding down the <CTRL>
:   key, press Z."

: o Sometimes defining what constitutes "one action" can be difficult: Do I
 write
:   "6.  Type your username.
:   "7.  Press <ENTER>."

:   or do I write
:   "6.  Type your username and press <ENTER>."    ?

:   Clearly, in the above example not every keypress is a separate action, but
 is
:   the <ENTER> keypress sufficiently different from the others that I'd put it
:   into a separate step?  (I'd probably base my decision on a judgment about my
:   readers--and I'd be CONSISTENT throughout a given document, of course.)

: o Sometimes a series of actions is so simple that putting each action into a
:   separate step would condescend toward the reader, so lumping them together
:   becomes wise: "9.  Turn the computer, monitor, and printer OFF."

: Perhaps the only universal rule is that there are no universal rules. . . .

One step per RESULT, so:
1) Remove the hex head socket screws on the motor end plate.
2) Remove the motor end plate.
3) Carefully align the armature pulling tool with the armature shaft...

Get the picure?

JDB