Overview

Full Product Details

Author:   Sun Technical Publications
Publisher:   Pearson Education (US)
Imprint:   Prentice Hall
Edition:   3rd edition
Dimensions:   Width: 19.30cm , Height: 2.40cm , Length: 23.00cm
Weight:   0.760kg
ISBN:  

9780137058266

ISBN 10:   0137058268
Pages:   464
Publication Date:   07 January 2010
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Table of Contents

Preface        21 Chapter 1: Mechanics of Writing         25 Capitalization      25 Contractions        29 Gerunds and Participles      29 Numbers and Numerals      31 Pronouns      34 Technical Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Units of Measurement      35 Punctuation      39 Chapter 2: Constructing Text             57 Headings        58 Lists        62 Tables       70 Code Examples       75 Error Messages       76 Cross-References       77 Endnotes, Footnotes, and Bibliographies        79 Notes, Cautions, and Tips       82 Key Name Conventions      84 Symbol Name Conventions       87 Chapter 3: Writing Style             89 Why Is Style Important?       89 Stylistic Principles       90 Some Basic Elements of Style       90 Construct Scannable Paragraphs, Headings, and Lists       95 Write for the Reader       99 Avoid Style That Could Offend the Reader       102 Common Writing Problems to Avoid       105 Chapter 4: Structuring Information          113 Organization Schemes       113 Writing Short, Self-Contained Sections      118 Chapter 5: Online Writing Style         121 About These Guidelines      121 Solving Online Writing Problems       122 Creating an Effective Online Document Structure      122 Writing Online Topics       124 Constructing Scannable Text in Online Documents      124 Preserving Context in Online Documents        125 Chapter 6: Constructing Links           127 About These Guidelines       127 Where to Place Links         128 General Linking Strategies         129 Guidelines for Crafting Link Text       135 Chapter 7: Writing Tasks, Procedures, and Steps            139 Understanding the Relationship Among Tasks, Procedures, and Steps      139 Developing Task Information        140 Writing Procedures       149 Writing Steps       153 Checking for Structural Problems       162 Chapter 8: Writing for an International Audience             165 Guidelines for Writing for Translation      166 Cultural and Geographic Sensitivity       166 Definitions and Word Choice       168 Grammar and Word Usage      171 Numbers, Symbols, and Punctuation        175 Illustrations and Screen Captures      176 Chapter 9: Legal Guidelines            183 Understanding Copyrights      184 Protecting Trademarks       188 Referencing External Web Sites       194 Protecting Confidential Information      196 Chapter 10: Types of Technical Documents         203 What Is a Documentation Set?     203 Documentation Plans      204 Abstracts       206 Structure of Manuals       206 Descriptions of the Manual Parts       208 Types of Hardware Manuals      211 Types of Software Manuals      212 Release Notes and Product Notes       213 Other Product Documents       214 Training Documentation       215 Chapter 11: Working With an Editor          217 Technical Editor's Role    217 Editor's Role in Producing Online Documents       218 Types of Editing      218 Planning Ahead for Editing      224 Submitting a Document for Editing       224 Editing Marks      225 Creating a Style Sheet      225 Chapter 12: Working With Illustrations           229 Working With an Illustrator      230 Understanding Illustration Files       231 Types of Illustrations      232 Placing Illustrations       235 Writing Captions for Illustrations      237 Writing Callouts for Illustrations       238 Creating Quality Screen Captures       243 Creating Leader Lines       244 Simplifying Online Illustrations      244 Chapter 13: Writing Alternative Text for Nontext Elements           245 Section 508 Requirements Overview       245 General Guidelines for Writing Alternative Text       246 Writing About Nontext Elements      248 Chapter 14: Documenting Graphical User Interfaces                 265 Using GUI Terminology        265 Writing About Windows, Dialog Boxes, and Menus       269 Writing About the Web       272 Chapter 15: Creating Screencasts               275 Screencast Overview        275 Storyboard Overview       277 Writing Narration for Screencasts       278 Recording Narration      284 Screencast Review Cycle      286 Chapter 16: Using Wikis for Documentation            287 Wikis and Collaboration     287 Value of Publications Expertise for Wikis       288 Wiki Organization and Navigation Guidelines       289 Writing for Wikis       290 Wiki Visual Design Guidelines       291 Chapter 17: Glossary Guidelines               293 Glossary Content      293 Terms for an International Audience        295 When to Include a Glossary        295 Writing Good Glossary Entries         296 Chapter 18: Indexing                301 What Is an Index?       301 Style and Format for Indexes      302 Creating an Index      305 Refining and Checking an Index      321 Checking the Size of an Index      328 Global Index      328 Online Index      329 Appendix A: Developing a Publications Department             331 Establishing a Publications Department      332 Scheduling       339 Documentation Process      341 Internationalization and Globalization      350 Online Documentation Considerations       351 Final Print Production        354 Post-Production Considerations       357 Appendix B: General Term Usage           361 Appendix C: Typographic Conventions      403 Appendix D: Checklists and Forms       411 Manuscript Tracking Chart      412 Request for Editing Form       413 Artwork Request Form       414 Technical Review Cover Letter      415 Print Specification       416 Appendix E: Recommended Reading           419 Desktop Publishing and Document Design     420 Editing Standards      421 Graphics and Illustration      421 HTML     422 Indexing      422 Information Mapping      423 Internationalization and Localization       423 Legal Issues      424 Online Help      424 Online Writing Style      424 Platform Style Guides       425 Printing        426 Project Management       426 Reference Works      427 SGML and XML     428 Typography       429 Usability Testing      429 User Interfaces       429 Web and Internet Publishing        431 Wikis, Blogs, and Social Media       432 Writing Standards       432 Writing Standards for Technical Writing        433 Index               435

Reviews

The third edition of Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry has all the excellent content of the previous editions and more. If you need to understand the best practices for developing useful and usable text, start with this volume. It brings together a wealth of knowledge that all technical communication professionals must have to succeed. ---Dr. JoAnn T. Hackos, President, Comtech Services, Inc. Clear content and consistent style are essential for the usability of any system. Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry tells you how to achieve these elusive goals, and does so following its own advice: It's clear, consistent, and presents advanced topics in an actionable and approachable manner. ---Jakob Nielsen, Principal, Nielsen Norman Group; Author, Eyetracking Web Usability

The third edition of Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry has all the excellent content of the previous editions and more. If you need to understand the best practices for developing useful and usable text, start with this volume. It brings together a wealth of knowledge that all technical communication professionals must have to succeed. ---Dr. JoAnn T. Hackos, President, Comtech Services, Inc. Clear content and consistent style are essential for the usability of any system. Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry tells you how to achieve these elusive goals, and does so following its own advice: It's clear, consistent, and presents advanced topics in an actionable and approachable manner. ---Jakob Nielsen, Principal, Nielsen Norman Group; Author, Eyetracking Web Usability

Author Information

The Members of Sun Technical Publications are award-winning senior editors and writers for Sun Microsystems, Inc. 

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions