PICBASIC Pro & MPLAB integration syllabus

[mackrackit]

I bet you found that on the evil post #2 of this thread?

[chris vp]

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[Michael Hyslop]

Hi Alain
Thank you for your response. I accept your comment that the first mention of setting the program up has moved forward from p169 to p10 but my point is it should be on page 1 or even the front cover! When an experienced purchaser buys his software he uses the manual as a reference document when his own experience does not go far enough. He will already have located many sources of information, like this one, and worked out which ones suit him. However a first time user will have a huge hurdle to climb just remembering, or finding out, what all the acronyms mean.
The most important thing in his life is to be able to actually load, and in this case, integrate the software. Seeing it on screen and being able to press buttons is the first learning step and gives him the visual clues to be able to understand what the manual is aying.There is no point in any of the manuals and help files until he has done this. The already experienced of us will never complain when the first few pages of the manual are devoted to this, we will merely pass them by.
If you got a new car, never having seen one before, what you would most appreciate first is an explanation of what a key was, what it was for and where to put it. Having it buried on page 10 or page 169 amongst a lot of technical hyperbole about the machinations of the internal combustion engine is not clever.
Engineers are usually very good at clear thought but in the area of manuals they often fail. The sometimes used response of ‘well they should have known that’ is demeaning and should be avoided at all costs as I am sure everyone on this site will agree, if they don’t why are they on this site?
Thanks for reading this, sorry to labour the point but we must do what we can not to put off the newcomers.
Michael Hyslop