Instructions for creating Topic template is out of date... and could be simplified

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itexnz
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Instructions for creating Topic template is out of date... and could be simplified

Unread post by itexnz »

Just a thought, the content describing the very handy for me feature of creating topic templates described here for example
https://www.helpandmanual.com:/help/hm_ ... ntent.html

with menu names and instructions now out of date

Also there is no easy menu-driven way to edit a saved template... I have a few changes to make to one of my templates every year or so, and each time is a nightmare to remember how to do it...
David Scott
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https://www.sourceone.co.nz
SourceOne. Documentation, engineered.
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Re: Instructions for creating Topic template is out of date... and could be simplified

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi David,

What do you think is out of date there? I just checked through it all and everything matches Help+Manual 8 as well.

Editing a template is easy: Create an empty topic, then select File > Load Topic from File in the Project > Manage Topics section. Then after editing just repeat the process for saving the changed template.
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Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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itexnz
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Re: Instructions for creating Topic template is out of date... and could be simplified

Unread post by itexnz »

Aha, I see the problem - this is a pretty common thing I find myself doing in my own documentation where I become so familiar with the client's software that I find myself sometimes skipping over what is obvious to me now and not re-iterating the fundamentals to make the rest of the step-by-steps easier to follow for the uninitiated.

Problem was when I read the line "Select File > Save Topic", my immediate instinct was to jump straight ahead and look at the "File" menu at the top left of the screen and then getting thoroughly lost -- when I should have gone into the Project toolbar ribbon menu first and then find the File button in the Manage Topics section. Extra confusion points because there are two things in the UI named "File" (button vs menu) to deal with. This is one of those little fundamentals I find myself having to reiterate in my documents via a little screenshot at that point to highlight the area - a picture quickly speaks a thousand unmistakable words where the brain will skim over a seemingly simple line of text.

And then, because I so rarely use the feature (despite it being as very helpful as it is when I do) the notion that I'd essentially repeat the process but loading the previous template topic into my current default empty topic, edit and save it over the template did not even enter my mind - as obvious as it is in hindsight now :) This would have been fixed for my brain had there a heading on that documentation page that explained the editing existing template process, even if under a new heading for "Editing a template" the content simply briefly stated what you just did.

:)
David Scott
Documentation Infrastructure Consultant
https://www.sourceone.co.nz
SourceOne. Documentation, engineered.
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