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CS 480 / CS 481 ~ PROJECT
USER’S MANUAL GUIDELINES
Use of this Guideline The USER'S MANUAL is the least standardized of the documents. Depending on the type of project and the intended audience, some sections may be greatly expanded or reduced, or even eliminated altogether. Unlike other documents, the users manual does not have to be in any particular order and sections listed below may or may not exist in your manual.
Two separate functions must be accomplished by the User's Manual:
- instructional series of steps for the first-time user;
- reference guide for the experienced user.
Organize the manual so it is useful to both audiences, with the emphasis on the type of user who will consult the manual most frequently.
Decide which sections you need for your audience, and what order would be best for that audience. Assume a careful user will read the User's Manual before attempting to use the program. Assume a normal user will consult the manual only after reaching an impasse while stumbling through the program from the terminal. Construct the manual so either user is well served.
The success of a program depends in large part on the User's Manual. Most users will consult it infrequently, but the typical user will often be in a state of frustration when consulting the manual. A well-written manual will soothe the user and generate positive feelings, while a poorly-written manual will increase the frustration and generate negative feelings and deprecatory comments (which will hinder return business).
Use all appropriate techniques of your word processor and printer. You should make intelligent use of fonts, italic, boldface, and underlined text. Include a title page and table of contents.
1.0 INTRODUCTION AND INTENDED AUDIENCE This section is required for any User's Manual.
1.1 Product Overview Provide a brief summary of what your product does and who the intended users are.
1.2 Product User Characteristics It is important to understand the capabilities of people who will use your product. For each category of user, this subsection should describe the user characteristics. Characteristics such as educational level, experience, domain knowledge, and technical expertise impose important constraints on the system's operational environment.
Clearly state the degree of computer familiarity expected. Describe what the system does, the necessary skill level of the intended user, and the prerequisite knowledge needed to understand the manual. For example, It is assumed that the user knows how to gain access to programs on the U of I's computer network. However, no programming skill or other knowledge is required.
If the program does require some skill level to operate, it is a good idea to state who is not intended to understand this manual. This helps define the intended audience. This section should not be used to state specific requirements or to impose a specific design on the solution, but it should provide justification why certain specific requirements or design constraints are specified in the SRS or SDD.
2.0 INSTALLATION GUIDE If the user has to install the program, the installation procedures should follow the introduction. Even if you plan to install the program for the user, include complete information that would allow someone else to install the system at some future time if the need arises. Use diagrams, sketches, and photographs whenever possible.
Normally, the installation guide includes the following sections:
- prerequisite software (compilers, system utility programs, program packages, data files, etc.) needed before the program can be executed;
- prerequisite hardware, or any necessary hardware conditioning ("Turn on the modem before issuing the command.");
- a list of the program source files, executable files, data files, etc. required during installation;
- "cleanup" procedure to be completed after installation, such as deleting files, or saving the running copy of the program;
- list of probable installation errors, and the appropriate corrective action;
- exact commands needed to perform the installation.
3.0 OPERATIONAL WALK-THROUGH
3.1 User Interface Concepts In this subsection, you should present a tutorial on how the system is designed to implement the scenarios defined above. The user interface was designed after performing work flow analysis based on the scenarios. A good user interface design that allows the user to efficiently and effectively perform the activities should be documented in the usage scenarios.
In early versions of this document, the material presented in this subsection can be thought of as a prototype of what you would actually like to include in your product. A diagram showing the sequence of the major screens or displays will communicate more to the user than many pages of prose. Report formats are also helpful. Unless the user has been very specific about the user interface, you may wish to emphasize that this is
6.0 RELATED DOCUMENTATION
Include an annotated bibliography of the sources a user may wish to consult. Include complete bibliographic data. The annotation should define the aspects of the source which may be most useful to the user.
If the program is intended only for unsophisticated users, this section may be omitted.
7.0 APPENDIX Include any items which will help the user understand the program.
