meaning - Differences between "tutorial", "guide" and "how-to"


The categorization on Android Wiki looks pretty arbitrary and redundant to me contemplating the single articles in the categories. In every one you find a tutorial, guide and how-to on for example How to root an android phone, so these are mostly step-by-step instructions or a numeric list on how to proceed. This differentiation seems kind of pointless to me. Aren't they all synonyms?


Only guide and how-to imply to me something like a written manual, while tutorial can also be verbal instructions in a seminar or a YouTube video. But on a webpage with only written articles, does this differentiation make sense?



Answer



Based on experience with the terms in computing/technology, not necessarily the same as general usage:




  • A tutorial is a step-by-step walk-through for someone with no experience.




  • A guide gives basic information, not detailed instruction. Think "pointers".




  • Particularly for computers, a how-to is more of a list of detailed steps for particular operations. Here's a list from the Linux Documentation Project




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