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The Members of Sun Technical Publications are award-winning senior editors and writers for Sun Microsystems, Inc.
| Preface | |
| Mechanics of Writing | |
| Capitalization | |
| Contractions | |
| Gerunds and Participles | |
| Numbers and Numerals | |
| Pronouns | |
| Technical Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Units of Measurement | |
| Punctuation | |
| Constructing Text | |
| Headings | |
| Lists | |
| Tables | |
| Code Examples | |
| Error Messages | |
| Cross-References | |
| Endnotes, Footnotes, and Bibliographies | |
| Notes, Cautions, and Tips | |
| Part Dividers | |
| Typographic Conventions | |
| Key Name Conventions | |
| Writing Style | |
| Why Is Style Important? Stylistic Principles | |
| Some Basic Elements of Style | |
| Writing for the Reader | |
| Style That Could Offend the Reader | |
| Common Writing Problems to Avoid | |
| Ways to Improve Your Style | |
| Online Writing Style | |
| About These Guidelines | |
| Solving Online Writing Problems | |
| Creating an Effective Document Structure | |
| Writing Short, Self-Contained Topics | |
| Constructing Scannable Paragraphs, Headings, and Lists | |
| Preserving Context in Online Documents | |
| Constructing Links | |
| About These Guidelines | |
| Where to Place Links | |
| General Linking Strategies | |
| Guidelines for Writing Link Text | |
| Writing Tasks, Procedures, and Steps | |
| Understanding the Relationship Among Tasks, Procedures, and Steps | |
| Developing Task Information | |
| Writing Procedures | |
| Writing Steps | |
| Writing for an International Audience | |
| General Guidelines for Writing for Translation | |
| Cultural and Geographic Sensitivity | |
| Definitions and Word Choice | |
| Grammar and Word Usage | |
| Numbers, Symbols, and Punctuation | |
| Illustrations and Screen Captures | |
| Legal Guidelines | |
| Copyrights | |
| Trademarks | |
| Third-Party Web Site References | |
| Protection of Proprietary/Confidential Information | |
| Types of Technical Documents | |
| What Is a Documentation Set? Documentation Plans | |
| Document Plan | |
| Abstracts | |
| Structure of Manuals | |
| Descriptions of the Manual Parts | |
| Types of Hardware Manuals | |
| Types of Software Manuals | |
| Other Product Documents | |
| Training Documents | |
| Working With an Editor | |
| Technical Editor's Role | |
| Editor's Role in Producing Online Documents | |
| Types of Editing | |
| Edit Schedules | |
| Document Submission | |
| Editing Marks | |
| Edit Style Sheet | |
| Working With Illustrations | |
| Working With an Illustrator | |
| Illustration Formats, Styles, and Types | |
| Examples of Illustrations | |
| Placing Illustrations | |
| Writing Captions for Illustrations | |
| Writing Callouts for Illustrations | |
| Creating Quality Screen Captures | |
| Creating Leader Lines | |
| Simplifying Online Illustrations | |
| Writing About Graphical User Interfaces | |
| Using GUI Terminology | |
| Writing About Windows, Dialog Boxes, and Menus | |
| Writing About the Web | |
| Glossary Guidelines | |
| Glossary Content | |
| Terms for an International Audience | |
| When to Include a Glossary | |
| Writing Good Glossary Entries | |
| Indexing | |
| What Is an Index? Style and Format | |
| Creating an Index | |
| Refining and Checking an Index | |
| Bad Page and Column Breaks | |
| Checking the Size of the Index | |
| Global Index | |
| Online Index | |
| Developing a Publications Department | |
| Establishment of a Publications Department | |
| Scheduling | |
| Documentation Process | |
| Internationalization and Localization | |
| Online Documentation Considerations | |
| Final Print Production | |
| Post-Production Considerations | |
| Checklists and Forms. What is included with this book? The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc. The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc. ExcerptsPreface How This Book Is Organized Read Me First!is organized as described in the following paragraphs. Chapter 1, "Mechanics of Writing," reviews basic punctuation rules and guidelines, plus other general writing rules and conventions. This chapter also notes exceptions to these rules, guidelines, and conventions. Chapter 2, "Constructing Text," provides guidelines for tables, cross-references, headings, lists, and other text elements. Chapter 3, "Writing Style," provides guidelines for writing in a style that facilitates effective communication. Chapter 4, "Online Writing Style," provides guidelines for writing documentation that is intended primarily for online presentation. Some of these guidelines also apply to online help and web pages. Chapter 5, "Constructing Links," provides guidelines for using links effectively in online documents. Chapter 6, "Writing Tasks, Procedures, and Steps," provides guidelines for writing tasks, procedures, and steps in a procedure. Chapter 7, "Writing for an International Audience," provides guidelines for writing material that is easily understood by readers whose first language is not English and that can be easily translated into other languages. Chapter 8, "Legal Guidelines," provides guidelines for the proper use of copyrights, trademarks, and proprietary information. Chapter 9, "Types of Technical Documents," describes the various parts that make up a manual and lists the order in which they appear. This chapter also describes typical types of computer documentation. Chapter 10, "Working With an Editor," explains how writers and editors work together to produce high-quality documents. Chapter 11, "Working With Illustrations," describes illustration formats, styles, and types. This chapter also provides guidelines for writing callouts, arranging callouts, using leader lines, and writing captions. Chapter 12, "Writing About Graphical User Interfaces," explains how to document graphical user interfaces (GUIs). This chapter also provides specific guidelines for writing about web pages and referencing URLs. Chapter 13, "Glossary Guidelines," explains how to create a glossary for a technical manual. Chapter 14, "Indexing," explains how to prepare an index for a technical manual. This chapter covers issues such as selecting topics to index, style rules for creating an index, and editing the index. Appendix A, "Developing a Publications Department," provides information about issues related to a documentation department, including topics such as scheduling, roles and responsibilities, technical review, and printing and production. Appendix B, "Checklists and Forms," contains sample checklists and forms that you can use at various stages of documentation development, including art tracking, print authorization, and a technical review cover letter. Appendix C, "Correct Usage of Terms," provides alternatives for terms that you should not use in technical documentation, and terms that you should avoid. This appendix also provides some guidance related to commonly confused words and terms. Appendix D, "Recommended Reading," presents a list of books, divided by subject headings, that you might want to consult for additional information. Changes for This Revision Since the last revision of Read Me First!, the globalization of technical products has increased, and online delivery has become a fast-growing means of delivery for technical documentation. Read Me First!has been extensively revised in response to these changes. The highlights of this revision are as follows: A more logical organization of chapters Addition of a chapter on online writing style Addition of a chapter on constructing links Addition of a chapter on writing tasks, procedures, and steps
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