Visual Basic® Style Guide, The

Why Document?

I recently purchased a small cabinet for my kitchen that required full assembly. Although all of the pieces and parts were accounted for, the instructions were quite difficult to follow. The manufacturer, in an effort to make the cabinet available in as many countries and cultures as possible, left the instructions completely free of words. There were plenty of pictures, and I was able to complete the project with the supplied directions, but the task would have proceeded more smoothly (and without having to redo a few steps) if the documentation had been better. In this chapter on documentation, the correct question then is not "Why Document?" but "Why Provide Quality Documentation?"

I did a quick unscientific survey of my friends ...