Configuration - software basic information series

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Configuration - software basic information series

Once installed, a software product will sometimes ask you to make decisions regarding what it should or should not do. The decisions you make, the way you set up the software to perform, is the software's configuration.

Software configuration involves how software interacts with your overall computer system, so of course this is a rather "technical" matter. A problem faced by software developers is how to communicate relatively complex technical configuration issues to users.

This problem has been solved in two basic ways :

1) by simplyfying to provide the user with easy non-technical choices, or
2) by making knowledge available to the user with help menus or knowledge bases.

Software fails generally when asking the user to make highly technical configuration decisions yet provides equally technical or no sources of help.

Software may also pendulum swing in the other direction - providing such oversimplification that all the joy of doing or learning anything with the software is lost.

Ideally, a software product would be configured easily and quickly by everyone while also allowing experienced users (or those inclined to gain experience) a greater control through advanced features including knowledge bases.