User document & README.txt

[John Chien]

Hi,
Sun asks us to specify the environment setup,
how to execute the program, the command-line
instruction, classpath setup in the README.txt file.
For me, these thing should be in the user document.
If I include all those thing in the README.txt, what is left for me to put in the user document.
Thanks,
John Chien

[Anonymous]

I don't have the specific answer, but do have a closely-related question...
I completed the user doc for the client last night. Easy stuff -- basically a user-friendly howto sort of thing. My server does not have a UI, so aside from items mentioned in README, what could a user doc for the server include?
Also, does anyone have feedback regarding what constitutes a "major design decision"? I'll be writing about modifying Data and using RMI (and several other notables), but what other things may I have missed?

[Mark Spritzler]

John, the user document is for your "Help". It can include that stuff that is in the readme.txt, such as Command line arguments, etc. But the user document is even more than that. It is the directions to use the application. Like maybe some screen shots, and a How to search for flights. How to book a flight. Things like that. Just look at any application and go to help/contents to give you some ideas.
Erick - design decisions like how you chose to implement criteriaFind. How you designed your classes, what patterns you might have used. How you solved the client lock/unlock implementation. Maybe how you named your classes and variables. That should get you started.
Mark

[Anonymous]

How you solved the client lock/unlock implementation

Answer: by carefully following the postings of Peter, Mark and Max.

[Mark Spritzler]

"And I told Dom too because they’ve moved my desk four times. I used to be by the window, where I could see the squirrels and they were merry..."

By any chance Erick, do you have my stapler? I seem to have lost my stapler.
Mark

[Anonymous]

have lost my stapler

Swingline I assume? Much better than Bostich...

[Anonymous]

Seriously though, Mark, thanks for the advice on the design choices doc. Once I got going, lots and lots of items came to mind to add to the document.

[John Chien]

Mark & Eric:
Thank for the response.
I just include the steps in REAMDE.text in the user document. Besides that, I have step by step instruction about using tool and information about the menu items in the menu bar's menus.
I think that is enough. Yes, the user document is a little different from README.txt.