RE: page numbering in software docs

[Mark Baker <MBaker@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Ada,

I think preferences are based on what users are accustomed to in a certain
document. You mention people disliking that the system has _changed_. How
many users complain about numbering formats in first-run, version 1.0
documentation sets?

If you think about it, both methods function the same way. Whether looking
for page 4-27 or 427, we're scanning via a top down (or left to right)
structure. That is, we're looking first for the '4' group, then the '2'
subgroup, then the '7' member. Why some need a hyphen in that is beyond me.
Personally, I loathe having page numbers restart in each chapter. I don't
scan that way as well. Perhaps the hyphen distracts me?

The only argument with merit I've heard for chapter restarts: manuals in
ring binders, where a chapter can be expanded or reduced without messing up
the numbering for the entire document. Typically only the chapter itself,
the TOC and the Index need to be updated. 

Other than that, I think it's all to-may-to/to-mah-to.

Regards,

Mark Baker
Timeline, Inc.




-----Original Message-----
From: Ada Lai [mailto:adalai2000@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2000 3:49 PM
To: 'framers@omsys.com'
Cc: 'Ada Lai'
Subject: page numbering in software docs


Hi, all...

I was curious about opinions or common practice regarding the numbering of 
pages in technical documents produced by a vendor for their software. I 
work for a vendor that produces high-level software (i.e., for application 
developers and web developers, not consumer-level end users) and the doc 
suite includes design guides, reference manuals, installation manuals and 
some user guides.

In the "old days" -- like two years ago ;-) -- the docs for this vendor had 
the page numbers restart with each chapter. However, they recently changed 
to consecutive page numbering throughout each doc. It's okay for some of 
the smaller docs, but some of the other docs are 400+ pages. As a former 
technical support person, I've been one of the users of these docs in the 
past and I think the large docs are harder to use now because of the 
consecutive numbering. However, I truthfully can't give you a good reason 
for that. Somehow, it just seems easier to find things in a large book when 
the pages are numbered chapter-wise, especially when you use the book 
frequently and have come to know it intimately.

Since producing our latest set of docs, I have received feedback from users 
(tech support, QA, Engineering), that they also do not like the book-wide 
page numbering. However, other doc writers (and some of the MarComm folks) 
have argued that it is "dated" (i.e., old-fashioned) to number pages 
chapter-wise.

Any opinions?

Ada Lai

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