Lesson Proper for Week 1

4.1. Objective 1. TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

technical
Technical describes a specific art or science, or training for a particular job. If you have trouble with your
new computer, you might call for technical support, but a technical school teaches you a certain craft, like
how to weld.
Technical comes from the Greek tekhno, which means "art or skill." Anything technical requires both art
and skill. If you're an Olympic gymnast, you have technical abilities. You might go to a technical school to
learn how to be a chef, a mechanic, or a massage therapist. While being technical can be a positive trait,
you don't want to overwhelm someone with technicalities. For example: If you're trying to explain how a
car works to a kid and you start talking about manifolds, you're getting too technical.

document
A document is a piece of paper that contains official information. Don't you wish you had a document
saying that the bank owed you $5 million?
Document comes from the Latin verb meaning "to teach," so a document instructs you with the
information it contains. Legal documents such as contracts contain instructions on how the people signing
it will act. Passports, driver’s licenses and birth certificates are all official documents. As a verb, document
means "to record in detail," or "offer supporting evidence for." If you call a company to complain about
something, make sure to document your phone calls by noting the date you called, who you spoke to and
what was said

1.3. What is Technical Documentation?

The technical documentation term refers to different documents which contain product-related data and
information that will be helpful for users. Technical documentation contains product definition and
specification, quality assurance, manufacturing, description of features and functions, maintenance
information, and more.

The goal of technical documentation is to provide enough information for a user to understand the inner
and outer dependencies of the product at hand. It also helps users:

 Troubleshoot their issues.

 Find the best ways to use a product.
 Learn the product from scratch and more.

Technical documentation is not just manuals, it also includes science papers, research, reports, white
papers, case studies and the like. You can find more information on types of technical documentation
here: ‘Types of Technical Documents’.
Usually, technical documentation was created in a printed version but nowadays it’s created online
as tech writers use HATs for this purpose.

4.2.  Objective 2-3. General Classification

One of the main requirements for a technical document is its orientation for the intended audience.
According to the target audience, technical documentation is divided into two main types:
Process Documents. These describe the development, testing, maintenance and improvement of
systems. Process documents are used by managers, engineers, testers, and marketing professionals.
These documents contain technical terms and industry-specific jargon. Examples of this type of
documents include API, SDK and code documentation; internal development documentation, etc.

Some Examples of Process Documents

           
            1. API (Application programming interface)
            -is a set of functions that allows applications to access data and interact with external                     
software components, operating systems, or micro-services.
            2. SDK (Software development kit)      
            is a set of software tools and programs provided by hardware and software vendors that               
developers can use to build applications for specific platforms.
 
User Documents. 
This type of documentation provides customers with the information they need in order to use the product.
User documents contain primarily instructional and explanatory materials. These documents use
everyday terms instead of technical jargon so that they are clear, concise and helpful even to novice
readers. Step-by-step walkthroughs, user guides, troubleshooting documentation may serve as examples.
Some example of User Documents     
            1. User Guides
            It is essentially a book-length document containing instructions on installing, using, or                   
troubleshooting a hardware or software products.
            2. Troubleshooting documentation
            It is a process of searching for the source of a problem in order to solve it
 
Technical Documentation VS User Documentation
Don’t you know the difference between technical documentation and user documentation? If not, then
you’ve opened the right article. Here, I will explain the difference between the two.
What is User Documentation?
 User documentation is created for end-users on using a product. The main goal of user documentation is
to assist the end-users by providing them with clear and comprehensible info about the particular product
or service.
User documentation comprises:

 Support Portals
 FAQs
 Video tutorials
  Step-by-step guides
 Embedded assistance

Tech writers describe the following aspects in user documentation:

 Software requirements.
 Installation guide.
 How to start the system?
 How to use features of products?
 Screenshots explaining those features.
 Contacts of the developer if an undocumented question arises and more. Tech writers create
technical documentation as well as user documentation.

What are the differences? Here they are:

 Technical documentation is a broader term than user documentation.

 Technical documentation can be internal and external, while user documentation is always
created for end-user.
 The process of creating user documentation requires a minimum technical background
compared with technical documentation.