Title of Report

Software Manual

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Name

Name

Name

Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No. FHWA/TX-24/[report number]	2. Government Accession No.	3. Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle TITLE IN ALL CAPS, MUST DIFFER FROM PROJECT TITLE AND OTHER REPORT TITLES	5. Report Date February 2024
6. Performing Organization Code
7. Author(s)	8. Performing Organization Report No. Report
9. Performing Organization Name and Address Texas A&M Transportation Institute The Texas A&M University System College Station, Texas 77843-3135	10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
11. Contract or Grant No. Project
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Texas Department of Transportation Research and Technology Implementation Office 125 E. 11th Street Austin, Texas 78701-2483	13. Type of Report and Period Covered Technical Report: Month Year–Month Year
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15. Supplementary Notes Project sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Project Title: URL: https://tti.tamu.edu/documents/[report number].pdf
16. Abstract Replace this paragraph with your abstract. To turn off the gray fillable fields, place the cursor inside and hit Ctrl + Alt + F9. If you have questions or would like personal training on Word formatting, email TTI Reports.
17. Key Words	18. Distribution Statement No restrictions. This document is available to the public through NTIS: National Technical Information Service Alexandria, Virginia https://www.ntis.gov
19. Security Classif. (of this report) Unclassified	20. Security Classif. (of this page) Unclassified	21. No. of Pages 4	22. Price

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by

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Author position title

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and

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Author position title

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Product Insert report number here

Project Insert project number here

Project Title: Insert project title here

Sponsored by the

Texas Department of Transportation

and the

Federal Highway Administration

February 2024

TEXAS A&M TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE

The Texas A&M University System

College Station, Texas 77843-3135

Disclaimer

This research was sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official view or policies of FHWA or TxDOT. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

[If the report contains engineering recommendations, the following is necessary.] This report is not intended for construction, bidding, or permit purposes. The engineer(researcher) in charge of the project was __________, P.E. #_____(if applicable).

[If the report contains trade names, the following is necessary.] The United States Government and the State of Texas do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report.

Acknowledgments

This project was sponsored by TxDOT and FHWA. The authors thank [the project manager, members of the Project Monitoring Committee individually (list their names), state and federal sponsors, and others as appropriate.]

Table of Contents

Page

List of Figures	x

List of Tables	xi

Quick Start	1

Before You Start	1

To Install	1

To Start	1

To Register	1

For More Information	1

Introduction	3

Purpose	3

Intended Users	3

Related Documents	3

Conventions	4

Copyright	4

Contact Information	4

System Overview	5

Key Features	5

System Structure and Operation	5

Inventory	5

System Requirements	5

Software Requirements	5

Hardware Requirements	5

Data Requirements	6

Security	6

Installing, Starting, and Stopping the Software	7

First-time Users	7

Connecting and Testing Hardware Components	7

Installing the Software	7

Starting the Software	7

Stopping and Suspending the Software	7

Step-by-Step Instructions for Using the Software	9

Instructions	9

Quick Reference	9

Example Project	9

Troubleshooting	11

Error Messages and Causes	11

Problems with Data	11

Problem-Reporting Instructions	11

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)	13

Glossary	15

Index	17

List of Figures

Page

No table of figures entries found.

List of Tables

Page

No table of figures entries found.

Quick Start

Much of the information in this “Quick Start” section is pulled from later sections of the manual. It is designed to provide the most basic of instructions for users who are already familiar with the program or who, for some reason, need a quick introduction to using the program.

Before You Start

Give the user any information necessary to prevent incorrect installation or avoid frustrating obstacles. For example, consider repeating information given later in the “System Overview” chapter on hardware characteristics required to run the program, other software required to operate this program, or required uninstallation of previous versions.

To Install

Give basic steps, including actions that you think might be obvious, such as “Insert CD into your computer’s CD drive.”

To Start

List steps required to open the program and begin working with it. For example, you might want to show a screenshot of the opening menu screen and explain initial choices.

To Register

If the program requires registration, explain registration procedures. If no registration is required, indicate that and describe any related conditions (e.g., where to obtain updates or the person to contact to suggest improvements).

For More Information

Refer the user to chapters in the document for instructions on use, provide contact information for help desks, or give resources for assistance.

Introduction

This template offers a possible outline for a software user’s manual, provides suggested content considerations, and sets up word processing styles to create a professional appearance. It contains a general guide only, and you will want to add, delete, rearrange, or rename sections as your needs dictate. If you have any suggestions on how to make this template better, please contact Michelle Benoit at m-benoit@tti.tamu.edu or TTI Editing.

The template includes a technical report documentation page (TRDP), also known as a DOT F 1700.7, as the first page of the file. A TRDP is used with most Federal Highway Administration and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) documents. Information inserted in the front matter of this file (on the TRDP and title page, for example) applies to TxDOT projects. If you are creating a user’s manual for a different sponsor, you will want to change existing information, eliminate it, or change other front matter as appropriate.

Also, please ensure that your document is accessible. For more information, see https://my.tti.tamu.edu/compliance/508-standards/accessibility/.

The introduction should contain a brief introduction to your software program and to the user’s manual itself. It may have the following sections.

Purpose

Briefly discuss the purpose of the manual and the software. What is the software designed to do? Why is there a need for it? What are the advantages of using it?

Intended Users

Who is the software intended for? Give the primary audience and any secondary audiences who might find the software useful. Is there a certain level of knowledge or expertise expected of the user? Is it designed to be used in combination with any existing program or data files?

Related Documents

List any related documents that the user might find helpful. This could include technical reports, research products, specifications, websites, etc.

Conventions

Describe any conventions used in the user’s manual, such as bolding the names of buttons, using acronyms, etc.

Copyright

Discuss any pertinent copyrights or ownership issues, whether for the particular software of discussion or other software the user may have to use to make it work (such as Microsoft Excel®).

Contact Information

Give the contact information of the person the user should contact about the software. This could include the person the user should contact to receive more copies of the software or to report problems with the software.

System Overview

This chapter gives an overview of the software.

Key Features

Describe key features of the software. What can it do? What might users be expecting it to do that it is not designed to address?

System Structure and Operation

Give an overview of the software’s structure and operation. Describe in general terms how the software works, without getting into specific procedures. Are there different parts or modules?

Inventory

What is included on the software medium (CD, DVD, web download, etc.)? Is there a read-me file or user’s manual on the disk? Are both printed and electronic versions of the user’s manual available? Are there other resources on the disk or available?

System Requirements

What platform will the software work on? What are the minimum requirements for processing speed, RAM, hard drive space, drives, etc.? What are the recommended requirements?

Software Requirements

Are there any programs necessary to make the software work?

Hardware Requirements

Does the user need special hardware, like a traffic controller, cable, etc.?

Data Requirements

What data or data files will the user need to use the software?

Security

Are there any security features, such as password protection or copy protection?

Installing, Starting, and Stopping the Software

This chapter gives the basics of installing and operating the software.

First-time Users

Sometimes certain operations are necessary the first time the user uses the software, such as registering the software, setting up folders, entering default settings, etc.

Connecting and Testing Hardware Components

If special hardware components are necessary to use the software, instruct the user on how to connect the hardware and then test that it is operating properly. Some components require the hardware to be connected before installing the software, and some require the software to be installed first. Therefore, you may need to change the order of this section and the following section, “Installing the Software.”

Installing the Software

Provide step-by-step instructions on how to install the software. Does the user need to uninstall any previous versions of the program, disable macros, close open windows, or otherwise prepare for installation? Where should the user place the files on his or her computer? When the user puts the CD or DVD in the drive, does an instruction screen automatically pop up? Or does the user need to find a certain file on the disk and double-click it?

Starting the Software

Once the user installs the software, how does he or she get it to work?

Stopping and Suspending the Software

How does the user stop the process or close it out? What happens to the project or data the user was working on?

Step-by-Step Instructions for Using the Software

This chapter details the step-by-step procedures the user should follow when using the software program.

Instructions

Provide text, and screenshots where necessary, to explain how to use the software. Give a clear explanation using simple, step-by-step instructions. When referring to buttons, tabs, or on-screen text, be sure to use the exact wording used in the software.

Quick Reference

In this section, you can provide a summary of information the user can refer to after he or she has read the detailed explanation. This could be in the form of a table, bullets, etc. for ease of use. It might contain text or visual descriptions of such things as hotkeys, codes, shortcuts, etc.

Example Project

You might want to walk the user though an example project using the software. If so, include screenshots and explanation throughout the example to show the user a clear, complete exercise in applying the functions of software.

Troubleshooting

This chapter describes possible errors or problems that the user may encounter, along with information on how to fix them.

Error Messages and Causes

Describe error messages the user could encounter, the causes, and ways to fix them.

Problems with Data

Describe any problems the user may experience due to bad or incomplete data.

Problem-Reporting Instructions

Give the contact information of the person the user should contact if he or she has a problem with the software. If you have a web form to report problems, provide this information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This chapter is optional. It lists frequently asked questions and answers to those questions. You could include it in the “Troubleshooting” chapter, but many people are used to looking for FAQs as a separate section.

Glossary

The glossary is optional. It defines terms and acronyms used in the software or the user’s manual.

Index

The index is optional but is recommended for larger documents. It lists key words and page numbers where the item is discussed. Most word processors have a feature to automatically construct an index section.