substep

A substep is a subordinate unit within a step in a sequence of actions. By dividing a complex task into smaller actions, substeps help clarify instructions and manage workload. Substeps are typically labeled with a decimal scheme (for example, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3) and are intended to be completed in order before the next main step.

Substeps are common in manuals, recipes, software installation guides, and project plans. They improve readability, allow contributors to assign responsibility for individual actions, and support auditing or compliance by documenting each component of a step. In many documentation standards, substeps provide the level of detail needed to execute a task reliably without overwhelming the reader with a single long sequence.

In computational contexts such as simulations and numerical methods, substeps refer to internal time increments within a single step. Performing several substeps can increase stability, accuracy, or efficiency of an algorithm by updating state variables more gradually than a single, larger step.

Differences and relationships: A substep is not the same as an independent step; it is a subdivision of a step. Substeps are usually sequential, though some instructions may make later substeps conditional on earlier results. Nested or hierarchical substeps are possible in more complex procedures or software workflows.

Examples: A kitchen recipe might have Step 2: Prepare batter, with substeps 2.1 sift dry ingredients, 2.2 whisk wet ingredients, 2.3 combine until smooth. In a software setup guide, Step 4: Configure network settings could include substeps 4.1 enter host name, 4.2 set DNS, 4.3 test connection. In a physics simulator, a time step from t to t+Δt might use substeps updating velocity and then position.