Question : How to write a technical user guide for an application

Hi,

I am trying to decode an Access database application by writing a detailed technical document explaining the workings of it.

As i did not design this application, i need to get familiar with the logic and document this in detail so that someone else can easily change the application in the future using this document as a guide.

I would like to know if there was ways on how to most accurately document the workings of an application and what format and details i must include?

I am finding it hard to start writing this document as i have never written anything like it before.
Please help.

regards,

Nav

Answer : How to write a technical user guide for an application

Well seing as Access is a database application a good starting point is an entity relationship diagram for the tables.  This may be easy if the developer has properly completed the relationships form (the devloper may have ignored relationships, however so you will have to see).

Once you have a comprehensive picture of all the tables and their relationships you can start looking at the forms.  It may be useful to compile a forms relationship diagram showing how each form leads to other forms etc.

I would then start to look at the processes, e.g. what happens when the application starts up, what happens when the user clicks on such and such a button etc.

Putting the whole thing together to make the document useful I would suggest descriping the major processes and then break down each process in more detail if required.  Put the entity relationships diagram(s) in an appendix as well as the forms-relationships