Suggestions for improvements to the User Guide chapter template 2025

As discussed in today’s Documentation Team meeting, I had some suggestions about the User Guide chapter template.
I know there was some previous discussion here:

but I thought it would be more convenient to start a new thread and link back to that discussion.

1. Make indents uniform increments

As far as possible, use increments of, for example, 7 mm when creating indents. It makes the document look a bit neater. It is also easier to work with when using bullet points in indented text.

In the above example, I also:

  • Made the List 1 style line up with the left margin
  • Used left-aligned numbers and tab-stops instead of spaces after the bullets/numbers to make them line up more uniformly.
  • Used the outline list feature to indent the unordered list, instead of creating a separate style. I’m not sure if there is a technical reason why we don’t normally do this.
  • Tweaked heading styles a little (just to see how it looked)

2. Change the indentation for the Definition name style

I think indentation is a good way to highlight menu options, but I find it easier to read if the text lines up with the heading. Maybe that’s just me. :person_shrugging:

I also changed the color to make them stand out a little more.

Thoughts? Ideas? Constructive criticism?

1 Like
  • The use of spaces instead tab-stops was changed in template because compatibility with the export to html.
  • Text boundaries in screenshots do easiest the visualization of changes.

Hello Dione

I am back after a short holiday and my niece’s wedding so I can go back to the grind of Impress and Draw user guides.

I definitely would like to see an improvement in the template to make the page format look better. In my opinion figure placement and cross referencing to figures needs improving. I will put together a template chapter and make a copy available for comments and suggestions.

After creating user guides and technical documents for over 40 years, I have worked with many different standards and the best one is to use Simplified English. There are several variations of Simplified English and it is intended to allow users who use English as a second language so that they understand the written word better.

The suggested template will be ready later this week and hopefully in time for the documentation meeting on Friday. I cannot attend as I have other plans.

As far as formatting goes, I was taught by a typesetter from the newspaper industry who also taught me how to layout a page. I always work in points because fonts are measured in points and points are a finer adjustment than millimetres. All of this was done before Microsoft Windows, Linux and macOS were available. This did include learning to use a flatbed camera and an offset printer to actual print the user guides.

Now that you know a bit of my history, you can see why I want to improve the template so that all the willing volunteers work from the same page to create user guides.

Regards
PeeWee

Maybe the spaces can be changed by tabulations if the HTML styles sheet is changed

  • But I’m not totally sure.