A Mini-Manual

Choose a single, simple task that can be accomplished with a program you know. Writing a two-line memo with a word processor is an example, or entering a trip report on a spreadsheet, or drawing a party invitation in a paint program. Write the parts of a manual that would support your task, including (1) the detailed task instructions, (2) the command reference, and (3) the super index. Note that this isn't the complete manual -- it's just the excerpt necessary for a specific task. But you should keep the needs of the full manual in mind as you work. The length of the manual will depend on what you need to put into it. After you've finished -- and only then -- compare what you've written to the program's manual. Write a page describing the differences and saying which way is best.