TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Standards for pop-up definitions in online help From:Megan Shult <Megan_Shult -at- HYSOFT -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 18 Sep 1996 10:45:27 -0400
What, if any, are the standards for using pop-up definitions in an online
help system? Specifically, if a term is repeated in multiple topics, do
you use the pop-up in each topic where it occurs? Only in the first topic
within a particular browse sequence? I know I should only use it on the
first instance within a topic, but beyond that I'm unsure of the
approach since there is no real linear flow through a help system -- you
don't know the user's exact entry point, so it's hard to determine the first
instance of anything.
Also, is there a maximum of popups one should use per
topic (for different terms)? I've heard with regular jumps that one should
try to stay below five to seven jumps in a topic.