We have an extremely detailed user guide to the data-entry section of
the site, including field restrictions for every field, how the data is
used in the site, and how to manage the data for the best in-site
results. We have also trained the person who will be the site admin and
I have been working with her for several months to explain things that
she doesn't understand and build things into the site that would help
her. But the document that she is using is seperate from the technical
documentation. We prepared a seperate User Guide for her so she can
train others to use the system.
Our technical documentation for the site includes a general algorithm
for the data-entry sections of the site so people can determine from the
documentation which page contains the code for each function and in what
order these functions are performed. Trickier algorithms like generating
new ID numbers are covered, and reasons are given for why some functions
perform in certain ways (like using cftransaction). Each form field is
traced to the database and back into the front end of the site. Action
variables are linked to the actions they cause. There are also
explanations of several files which are important to the site, like the
Application.cfm files (including code for all default settings), and
commonly included files and custom tags, since they can't look up custom
tags in Allaire's documentation. There is more to the technical docs,
but these are the most technical sections.
The client thinks that this is insufficient but never gave us any
guidelines of their requirements. I am just trying to determine if the
documentation that we have given them is reasonable or if it really is
insufficient. If this documentation really is insufficient, we will
gladly improve them at our expense, but if they are reasonably
sufficient documentation, we think that any required improvements should
be at their expense. I have a meeting with them on Monday and I want to
know going into the meeting if what we have given them is reasonable
technical documentation. This is the first time that we have supplied
technical documentation to a client because most of our clients don't
even want to know how the site works; they just want to know *that* it
works.
Again, the most specific complaint that I've heard is that "there is no
code in the technical documentation." We are of the opinion that there
shouldn't be any code in the documentation except for the default
settings for the Application.cfm files, which is already included. They
already have the code; it just isn't in the technical documentation.
"Owens, Howard" wrote:
>
> Generally, on the admin side of the application, I provide fairly detailed
> instructions on how to do each step. Personally, I find it easier to have
> what a certain function does explained to me right on that screen, so that's
> what I provide to the client. Since the admin pages don't need to be
> pretty, that's easy to get away with. I also sit down with the client (or
> whomever will be doing the admin) and give him or her a hands-on tutorial. I
> think make myself available as a "help desk/support" resource.
> > I'm interested in knowing what kind of documentation everyone provides
> > their
> > clients as well since I'm delivering my first product on Monday morning.
> > Since no one has replied to this post, I'm wondering if anyone PROVIDES
> > documentation??
--
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Um, nevermind. I have a job now.
http://63.74.114.11/mr_urc/
http://www130.pair.com/jlarkin/
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