AS 3898—1991

ISO 9127:1988

Australian Standard
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Information processing—User
documentation and cover
information for consumer software
packages
 This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee IT/9, Information
Systems—Vocabulary and Software. It was approved on behalf of the Council of
Standards Australia on 5 April 1991 and published on 10 June 1991.
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

The following interests are represented on Committee IT/9:

Attorney-Generals Department
AUSTEL
Australian Bankers Association
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Chamber of Manufacturers
Australian Computer Society
Australian Computer Users Association
Department of Defence
Department of Finance
Landata
Telecom Australia
Universities and Colleges

Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are subject
to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editi ons as necessary. It is
important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest edit ion, and any
amendments thereto.
Full details of all Australi an Standards and related publications will be found in the Standards Australia
Catalogue of Publications; this information is supplemented each month by the magazine ‘The Australi an
Standard’, which subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publications, new editi ons
and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards.
Suggesti ons for improvements to Australi an Standards, addressed to the head off ice of Standards Australia,
are welcomed. Noti fi cati on of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australian Standard should be made
without delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken.
 AS 3898—1991

Australian Standard
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Information processing—User
documentation and cover
information for consumer software
packages

First publi shed as AS 3898—1991.

PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

(STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA)
1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7262 6886 0
 2

PREFACE

This Standard was prepared by the Standards Australia Committee on Information Systems—
Vocabulary and Software. It is identical with and has been reproduced from ISO 9127: Information
processing systems—User documentationand cover information for consumer software packages.

Under arrangements made between Standards Australia and the international Standards bodies,
ISO and IEC, as well as certain other Standards organizations, users of this Australian Standard
are advised of the following:

(a) Copyright is vested in Standards Australia.

(b) The number of this Standard is not reproduced on each page; its identity is shown only on the
cover and title pages.

For the purpose of this Australian Standard, the ISO text should be modified as follows:
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(i) Terminology The words ‘Australian Standard’ should replace the words ‘International
‘Standard’ wherever they appear.

(ii) References The references to International Standards should be replaced by references to

Australian Standards as follows:

Reference to International Standard Australian Standard

ISO
6592 Information processing—Guidelines
for the documentation of computer-
based application systems
7185 Programming languages—PASCAL
AS
3876 Information processing—Guidelines
for the documentation of computer-
based application systems
2580 Programming languages—PASCAL
 3

CONTENTS

Page

1 Scope and field of application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4 Categories of information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Section one: User documentation ........... ... .. .... ........ .... . 6

5 Purpose ........... ... .. .... ........ .... .. ... ............ . 6
6 Reference documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . .... .. ... . . . . . . . 6
6.1 Identification of the package . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. ... .. .... . . .. . . 6
6.2 Components of the package . . . . . . . . . . ... . . .. .... . ... . . .. . . 6
6.3 Functional description of the software . . . .... .... ... .. .. . . .. . . 6
6.4 Installing the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. ..... ... . . . . . . . 7
6.5 Using the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... ....... .. .. . . .. . . 7
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6.6 Software technical information . . . . . . . . ... . .. .. ... . ... . . .. . . 8

6.7 Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . ... .. .. . ... . . .. . . 8
6.8 Contractual information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ... .... .... . . .. . . 9
6.9 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... .... .. . .. .. . . .. . . 9
6.10 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. ... .... . . .. . . 9
6.11 End users’comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . ...... .. .. . . .. . . 9
7 Training documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
8 Quick reference documentation ........... ... .. .... ........ .... . 9

Section two: Cover information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

9 Purpose ........... ... .. .... ........ .... .. ... ............ 10
10 Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. ..... . .. . . . . . 10
10.1 Package identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . ..... . . . . . . . . 10
10.2 Purpose and field of application . . . . . . . ... . . .. .. ... . .. . . . . . 10
10.3 Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. .... . . .. . . . . . 10
10.4 Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. .. ... . .. . . . . . 10
10.5 Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. .. ... . .. . . . . . 10
10.6 Restrictions on data or files . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . ... .. . .. . . . . . 10
10.7 Instructions for use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . .. ..... . .. . . . . . 10
10.8 Supplementary information . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. . .... . .. . . . . . 10
10.9 Contractual information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. ..... . .. . . . . . 10
10.10 Customer service address . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. .. ... . .. . . . . . 10
10.11 Items supplied . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. ... .. . .. . . . . . 10
10.12 Standards and laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . .. ..... . .. . . . . . 10
10.13 Independent certification . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . .... . .. . . . . . 10
10.14 Product code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. .. .. . . .. . . . . . 10
10.15 Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. .. ... . .. . . . . . 10

 Copyri ght STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Users of Standards are reminded that copyri ght subsists in all Standards Australi a publications and soft ware. Except where the
Copyri ght Act allows and except where provided for below no publications or soft ware produced by Standards Austr alia may be
reproduced, stored in a retri eval system in any form or tr ansmit ted by any means without pri or permission in wri ti ng fr om
Standards Australi a. Permission may be condit ional on an appropri ate royalt y payment. Requests for permission and informati on on
commercial soft ware royalti es should be dir ected to the head off ice of Standards Australi a.
Standards Australi a wil l permit up to 10 percent of the technical content pages of a Standard to be copied for use
exclusively in-house by purchasers of the Standard without payment of a royalty or advice to Standards Austr alia.
Standards Australi a wil l also permit the inclusion of its copyri ght material in computer soft ware programs for no royalty
payment provided such programs are used exclusively in-house by the creators of the programs.
Care should be taken to ensure that materi al used is fr om the curr ent editi on of the Standard and that it is updated whenever the
Standard is amended or revised. The number and date of the Standard should therefore be clearly identif ied.
The use of material in pri nt form or in computer soft ware programs to be used commercially, with or without payment, or in
commercial contracts is subject to the payment of a royalty. This policy may be vari ed by Standards Austr alia at any ti me.
 AUSTRALIAN STANDARD 4

Information processing systems—User

documentation and cover information for
consumer software packages
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

1 Scope and field of application
This International Standard describes the user
documentation and cover information supplied with
consumer software packages:
— User documentation
This documentation provides users with all the
information they need to install and run the software.
Typically this documentation takes the form of one or
more manuals included with the software inside the
wrapping. As a result, users are not able to consult
the manual(s) until they have bought the package.
User documentation is described in section one of
this International Standard.
how the information should be presented, nor does the
ordering given to information in this International
Standard imply a prescribed order for the information
content of the documentation of an individual package.
This International Standard is applicable to software
packages sold off-the-shelf to consumers for business,
scientific, educational and home use.
2 References
ISO 6592, Information processing—Guidelines for the
documentation of computer-based application systems.
ISO 7185, Programming languages—PAS CA L.

— Cover information

This is information given on the external wrapping of

the package. Its purpose is to enable prospective
purchasers to decide on the applicability of the
software to their requirements.
Cover information is described in section two of this
International Standard.
This International Standard does not cover
— Marketing literature.
3 Definitions
For the purpose of this International Standard the
following definitions apply:
3.2.1 consumer software package: A software
product designed and sold to carry out identified
functions; the software and its associated
documentation are packaged for sale as a unit.

— The brochures and leaflets whose purpose is to

promote the package. 3.2.2 consumer: The organization or person who
buys the software package.
— Technical descriptions of the software
3.2.3 end user: The person who uses the software
All the system, program and data documentation package.
required to maintain and enhance the software, i.e.
the documentation which describes the content of the
software as opposed to its use. Manufacturers
produce this documentation in order to be able to 3.2.4 manufacturer: The organization which develops
adequately support the software, but in order to the software package.
protect their proprietary interests, they will not
normally release it to the consumer.
3.2.5 marketing organization: The organization
This International Standard does not give guidance on which markets the software package.

COPYRIGHT
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AS 3898-1991, Information processing - User

documentation and cover information for
consumer software packages
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

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