A New Notion Of A Document

In the years to come, the notion of a "document" will be considerably revised. Many documents will exist in some form other than paper. Paper documents will become the manipulation of electronic files and "document databases." In effect, documents will be perpetually revised and enhanced.

The prejudice against documentation is mainly a result of its painful difficulty. Almost everyone finds documentation boring and distracting to write, and most find it equally boring to read. But another part of the problem is the inadequacy of the documents themselves. Not only are they often badly written, they are also often inaccurate and, typically, out of date.

Any form of documentation that resists revision, tends to remain unrevised. an unmaintained. If most of the bugs in a program are caused by the latest changes, and if the latest changes are not reflected in the user documentation, what practical good is the documentation?

In the era of document databases, publications will become "virtual" --resident in files an utilities, updated module-by-module, with the same kernel materials appearing in manuals, training materials, an on-line panels.

Continue