General Style Requirements
Technical writing for computer applications imposes special constraints beyond the basic requirements of good prose. Good technical documentation has the following characteristics:
- Comprehensive
-
Describe all of the functionality of a product. Do not omit functionality that you regard as irrelevant for the user.
- Conformant
-
Describe what you see. Do not describe what you want to see. Present your information in the order that users experience the subject matter.
- Clear
-
Read http://www.bartleby.com/141/ to help make your writing clear.
- Consistent
-
Use agreed vocabulary throughout your documentation. Use the same vocabulary as other writers who are working on related documentation.
- Concise
-
Review your work frequently as you write your document. Ask yourself which words you can take out. See Section 1.2 ― Golden Rules for a specific guideline.