The following words are clutter and can be avoided:
- basically - Any sentence that uses “basically” will basically be fine without it.
- Simply/ Easy - Something that is simple or easy to you, may not be simple for everyone. keep this in mind when explaining how to do something.
- Most adverbs - Unless an adverb really significantly clarifies the meaning of a verb, try taking it out. Most verbs can speak for themselves.
Screenshots are a great tool to direct the reader’s focus to an area on the screen. Before we take a screenshot, we should make sure we’ve covered the following points:
- What is the focal point of the screenshot?
- What context does the reader need for the screenshot to make sense?
Both focus and context are important to a good screenshot. For example, imagine we’ve created a button in the iOS designer and we want to give that button a name. The focus of the screenshot is the Identity section of the Properties Pad (with the new name typed in). The context that the reader needs is the entire Properties Pad, so they know where to find the Identity section. A good screenshot should make clear to the reader what they’re looking for and how to get there.
Consistent formatting helps readers navigate through our docs. This section introduces the inline formatting styles and when to use them.
Syntax: the.code()
Purpose: To referencing small bits of code inside the flow of the doc.
Refer to class names: MainViewController
Syntax: the thing
Purpose: First time you introduce a concept or brand. Example: CoreBluetooth is the framework that does blah with blah.
Syntax: the name
Purpose: Used for the name of an item Example: Have a look at the Summary panel on the right.
Purpose: Used to highlight a sequence of option Example: Click Help > About Microsoft Visual Studio.
Don’t screenshot code samples - Unless you’re demonstrating how something looks in the IDE, don’t present code samples as a screenshot. The reader can’t copy code from a screenshot.