One of the things that always frustrates me with technical manuals, is when they give you the syntax for everything that you can possibly do, and then explain each option completely apart for the others.
What I like to see is an example of how to do the most common tasks, and then show how to modify things from there. Start with the simple instead of showing off the flexibility of the item. You're much more likely to continue if you can get it working to begin with.
Another Example:
Enter the name of your database server:
is much harder for the newcomer than,
Enter the name of your database server: localhost (default)
The chance of success goes way up with that simple addition. If this is done at the program level, it reduces the need for documentation altogether.
Give people the most common options first, then go into modifying to suit individual needs.
