русский term (edited): �������� ���������: application guide vs. manual

Если описывается вся система в целом, то system manual вполне, imho.
Или User Manual -- с подчеркиванием, что для пользователя.

Application в программировании понимается как использование программы в какой-то сфере или само программное приложение, а не "процесс эксплуатации".

Что до разницы guide vs. manual, то manual, в целом, обычно подробнейшая документация, а guide может быть и довольно кратким.

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Note added at 27 mins (2005-03-06 19:50:32 GMT)
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User\'s Manual/Guide, то есть.

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Note added at 30 mins (2005-03-06 19:54:12 GMT)
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И вот такие занятные ссылки и обсуждения:

http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/archives/9410/techwhirl-94...

A lightning survey: My parent company wants to make manual titles
consistent. One subsidiary has historically put out a \"User\'s Manual,\"
the other has a \"User\'s Guide.\"

\"User\'s Guide\" is the more widespread and meaningful term, right?
Does \"User\'s Manual\" actually have the advantage of vagueness (allowing us to make whatever we want of it) or will people assume it is nothing but a user\'s guide with a messed-up title?

Any other points for or against either name? Please send me answers/advice immediately to the e-mail address below. My chance to decide will likely expire before the end of this workday (Wednesday) in America.


http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/archives/9410/techwhirl-94...

Subject: Guide vs. Manual (summary)
From: Mark Levinson <mark -at- SD -dot- CO -dot- IL>
Date: Thu, 6 Oct 1994 11:16:25 IST

Thanks to all who responded to my request for lightning responses on
\"User\'s Guide\" vs. \"User\'s Manual.\"

\"Guide\" had the majority by 6 to 1, and there was 1 \"doesn\'t matter\"
and 1 \"they mean different things, so use the appropriate one.\" Most
who responded felt \"Guide\" was more helpful-sounding, less unnerving.

David Bergart wrote:
I\'d say that a guide tells people how to do something, whereas the scope of a manual can extend to specifying how they MUST do that something, and to providing extensive data---overlapping the province of a handbook.

Sherri Hall\'s unnamed peer favored \"manual\" because \"it\'s the word
people say.\"

Apologies in advance to anyone whose wisdom is not represented here
because it didn\'t arrive on time. As a matter of fact, my company\'s
decision on which term to use has been postponed because one of the
folks involved is on sick leave, so late responses will actually
not be wasted...

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Note added at 54 mins (2005-03-06 20:18:25 GMT)
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Есть \"системное описание\", а есть \"руководство пользователя\". Каким бы ни был статус \"пользователя\" (администратор или полный чайник ;)), это user. Потому что \"юзает\" систему на практике и должен знать, как это делать. И потому что систему *apply*, когда подбирают приложение, необходимое для тех или иных целей, а дальше ее уже *use*. То есть, application manual/guide точно не подходит, а выбор между guide и manual -- уже больше дело вкуса.

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Note added at 3 days 12 hrs 15 mins (2005-03-10 07:39:22 GMT)
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Все же application точно не стОит. System Guide/Manual -- общО и нормально, imho.