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Summary
Explained exposes what and how/mechanics (e.g. how things work, basic architecture, design intentions, usage scenarios)
Schema
* Title
* Applies to
* Summary
* Objectives
* Overview
* <<Section N>>
* Additional Resources
* Related Items
Test Cases
Title
*
Does the title distinguish by product or version where possible? *
Are important nouns a user might scan for towards the left of the title?Applies to
*
Is it clear what technologies or products this applies to? *
Conversely, is it clear what technologies of products this does not apply to? Summary
*
Does the summary describe the usage of the module? *
Does the summary explain why it is important to understand the details contained in the explained? *
Does the summary pass the ‘hallway test’ – would this be your verbal description of the module’s purpose? Objectives
*
Are the most important learnings from the document extracted into the objectives? *
Is each objective expressed as a specific task? *
Is the objectives list short enough that it can be easily scanned and understood? Overview
*
Does the overview provide enough background information to understand why it is necessary to take the steps? *
Does the overview provide enough information that the module can stand alone? *
Does the overview explain the topography and flow of the document with enough context that the reader can choose what sections to read? <<Section N>>
*
Does each section start with an explanation of why the information is useful? *
When there are choices to make are they prefaced with ‘if…’ to explain the context? *
Are the topics organized so that a reader could use table of contents to easily drill into an area of interest? *
Can each top-level topic stand alone or is it necessary to read the entire document? Additional Resources
*
For each link, do you know why the link is included without first following the link? *
Are the links from trusted sites? *
Are the links correct in context of the explained? Related Items
*
Are the correct items linked in context of the explained? Additional Tests to Consider When Writing a Explained
*
Does the title brief as to what the content is? *
If the item is a MUST, meaning it is prevelant and high impact, is Priority = p1? *
If the item is a SHOULD, meaning it has less impact or is only applicable in narrower circumstances, is Priority = p2? *
If the item is a COULD, meaning it is nice to know about but isn't highly prevelant or impactful, is Priority = p3? *
If this item will have cascading impact on application design, is Type = Design? *
If this item should be followed just before deployment, is concerned with configuration details or runtime behavior, is Type = Deployment? *
If this item is still in progress or not fully reviewed, is Status = Beta?
Examples
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Explained Examples
Template
*
Explained Template
Links
*
Explained Template *
Explained Examples
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