Table Continuation Variable?

[Tammy.VanBoening at jeppesen.com]

Bingo - you're like the 10th response along these lines and nope, it's not 
in the style guide (it's under development), so it's with this type of 
"argument" that I will submit my request to put this in the style guide.

Thanks Peter, et. al.

TVB

Tammy Van Boening
Senior Technical Writer
Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc.
303-328-4420
tammy.vanboening at jeppesen.com



Peter Gold <peter at knowhowpro.com> 
05/19/2006 10:29 AM

To
Tammy.VanBoening at jeppesen.com, framers at frameusers.com
cc

Subject
Re: Table Continuation Variable?






Hi, Tammy:

If it's not specified in the corporate style guide (if there is one) 
or the industry style guide, the next line of defense is "how does it 
help the user not to know whether the visible portion of the table on 
the current page or spread is the beginning or in the middle?"

At 10:13 AM -0600 5/19/06, Tammy.VanBoening at jeppesen.com wrote:
>All,
>
>If I have a table that spans more than one page, I naturally use this
>variable in the Table Title. Well, we have a new editor on board that 
came
>from a journalism background, not software documentation background, and
>her mantra is "nice, tight copy" . . .So, no it's not copy - it's
>technical procedures and although I don't believe any extra verbiage
>either, table continuation seems to be a critical one to me. I have
>actually had some reviewers not recognize that a table continues (they
>thought one table was multiple tables) until I used this variable. I am
>digging my heels in on this one (I have given to a few others just so 
that
>I can hold my ground on what I feel is really important).
>
>Generic thoughts - do you use or not use this variable for tables that
>span multiple pages and why or why not?

Citing your reviewers' confusion is a good approach - it's about 
usability and clarity, not page layout or personal preference.

You might have a good alternate tool in the Table Sheet variable, 
which identifies each table sheet (page), even the first.
________________
Regards,

Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices