Writing Revisable Manuals chap5.htm Tables

Tables

Tables can be used to set out large amounts of concise information for easy retrieval.

Table 5-3: Title Goes Here

Column Heading¹ Column Heading Column Heading

Row Heading

Row Heading

Row Heading

1. Explanatory notes go below the table.

Standard tables can be numbered or left unnumbered, depending on the number of tables used in the manual. Always title standard tables.

Another common type of table often used in computer user manuals is an If...Then... table.

If... Then...

The information consists of conditions and actions

Use an If...Then...table

The information consists of rows and columns of tabular data

Use a standard table

The information consists of problems and solutions

Use a troubleshooting table

	*Column Heading¹*	*Column Heading*	*Column Heading*
*Row Heading*
*Row Heading*
*Row Heading*

*If...*	*Then...*
The information consists of conditions and actions	Use an If...Then...table
The information consists of rows and columns of tabular data	Use a standard table
The information consists of problems and solutions	Use a troubleshooting table