Hello,

I was reading a book on VFP 5 or 6 and the author even advocated
that you prepare the user's manual even you start programming.

I think there is a point. As a user who does not understand
what you use to create this application, screen and windows are only thing
he can relate to. You do not have to go all the way to have a user's manual
but it might be a useful tool to communicate with your client.

If I were desparate to get this job, I would have said yes with
a condition that the cost of manual is included in the project
cost: he shall pay for it. When we bid for a federal contract we need
to submit a design documentation called a functional requirement
speccification and a proposed design. That document is almost like a user's manual. Government procurement will review the submitted proposals from many companies and determine who is on the target.

I don't think that everyone follows such rigorous practice of
having the final look at the very first stage of design, but
yes we actually do such thing time to time. So he was not completely crazy either.

Unfortunately, your prospective client did not have a flexibility to talk it out with you. For that reason, you may have saved yourself from a very bad headache later on.

Aiko in DC