how to write technical documentation

In technical writing, the information provided in the introduction is vital to helping the reader see the need for the information being presented. As a developer, I hate writing documentation. Get a technical spec template (see below) and write a rough draft. If you explain the context of a piece of code, the next developer will be able to understand it and make the right decision with the new context. Here is an example of unnecessary comments : Today, IDEs can automatically generate function and method headers comments (see example below). For security reasons, passwords should be managed separately using a password manager; you may end up with some information duplicated between the two, but I believe maintaining both has value. If you can do so, it is good software technical documentation. I describe here what I expect from a good documentation and why it is necessary. Start with a high-level outline on all topics to be covered. Contact us and we’ll have your team up and running in no time. // This function will process orders items attributes, function processOrdersItemsAttributes(orders: Array) {, https://medium.com/@isaaclyman/steps-to-better-code-e6c3cce0c7f9, Native vs React Native for your new project, How technical debt and product success are related, 10 Things To Look For in Every Code Review, A kit for migrating public services to the cloud, The Risk Management Paradox: Enable Your Teams By Giving Up Control, How to recognize your open source project contributors and grow your community, The Engineers Guide to Event-Driven Architectures: Benefits and Challenges. Technical design logbook This is the most important part of the documentation. It should be understandable without any other text, but I recommend writing a small paragraph to explain how to read it to make sure everyone understands the same thing. Software Architecture Schemas: which explains how different parts of your software interact together. Contents of a technical … Technical Documentation Basics: How to Write That F***ing Manual - The essentials of technical writing … Documenting these topics isn’t essential, but they add a lot of value, especially for larger and more complex projects. A technical description is the building block of technical documentation as it forms the core of the entire documentation. User documentation takes many forms. Trevor is a software architect and project manager at Scalable Path and has worked in the tech industry for almost 20 years. While formatting a technical specification document it is suggested to practice technical writing skills and use concrete terms that are universally understood in order to avoid confusion.. … Going forward, aspire to make your documentation more robust by looking for opportunities where additional coverage would be helpful. Technical Writing 101 details the skills you need as a technical writer, and it explains how to handle the pressures of tight deadlines and ever-changing product specifications. So it’s … If you haven’t been doing this and you’re looking to improve the documentation for an existing project, don’t get intimidated. Documentation should be easy to … Finally, it’s time to actually write the spec. Still, there’s room for improvement and added efficiencies through additional documentation. is the content you provide end users with to help them be more successful with your product or service. I totally agree with this statement. and then write accordingly. User documentation (also called end user manuals, end user guides, instruction manuals, etc.) After searching, you come to realize that the documentation … They can speed up day-to-day development operations, and cover some of the trickier policy and process aspects related to things like data handling. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. So you don’t need to write English translation of your software code. There are a lot of them that can be useful. There are many types of documentation in the software world. Break files out once they start getting too long or cover too many topics, and go from there. A documentation plan is a bit like a user manual in itself, so you will find a lot of similarities with general technical writing. For clients/product owners, it’s primary accounts and policies critical to the business. It can represent logical or physical. No matter how good the information is, if it is not well formatted it can be difficult to use. Let’s go back to our previous code for a second example: Without any information, I can say this is very bad code because there are 3 nested loops and the complexity of this function is far too high. Still, there are many options out there, from simple to complex: Start with something that meets your needs and refine your process as you go. Start your next project with us today. Make a Test Plan and a Test Progress Report The test plan is a guiding document which outlines … Sequence Diagram: it displays the successive stages of a complex flow. When done correctly, it’s straightforward to write and returns multiples on effort in terms … Every time you’re able to direct someone to the docs to answer a question or explain how to do something, that’s time saved. Address one topic at a time based on importance, and work through things until you’re caught up. No need to go crazy and create a documentation plan for a documentation … Usually this document is the universal term of documentation regarding … For example, it can detail how one specific micro-service is designed (logical), or how your code is deployed in the cloud (physical). Having the cost listed (be it per user, monthly, or estimates based on usage) can also be helpful for calculating things like burn rate. All rights reserved. Track new accounts as they’re created, and add to the developer documentation as your system evolves. or "What kind of problem is Marcus likely to have around this topic?" Technical descriptions are often used as part of a larger document (for example, a project proposal), but can be written as a standalone document … Help files for documenting source code can be produced with any help authoring … On the flipside, well-documented projects are more likely to run smoothly, especially at scale. 7 Qualities That Differentiate a Great Programmer from a Good Programmer, Using Quill.js To Build A WYSIWYG Editor For Your Website, How to Write an Effective Product Requirements Document, Agile Estimation and Planning – Scrum Points Explained. Enforcing this requirement stops the “I’ll do it later” mentality that leads to things sliding, as developers often want to complete tasks and then quickly move on to the next one. Figure out who the documentation is meant for and speaking clearly to that … On the development side, it’s the process to get up and running, code style, and task workflow through to deployment. 4. I am not here to explain how to write good code but good documentation. Do you still want to use asynchronous to process a few attributes ? A piece of software without documentation is worthless. It’s sometimes useful to improve them by adding more information about the behaviour of your function, the incoming parameters or the outgoing results. Technical documentation is the foundational information about the underlying architecture, materials, and process for interfacing with, or building on top of, existing technology. If you’re missing any of the following, it may be difficult to operate in a day-to-day fashion, when bringing on new staff, and especially if there is unexpected turnover within the team. Now we need to process thousands of orders, order items and attributes. I give you a non-exhaustive list of them: Every software technical documentation should at least have a model schema, a global logical architecture schema and a global physical architecture schema to help understand how it is engineered and how to build over the existing source code. Be Clear And Concise. Scalable Path specializes in matching clients with the best and most affordable top-tier software developers. It’s been many years since I’ve documented an API (Java & Oracle) so if you have any thoughts on the best way … You are writing documentation for the future developers that were not there when you first wrote this code. Over time, a development team’s documentation debt (a type of technical debt) can build to a point where the idea of tackling it becomes daunting. The code doesn’t last forever. I often hear that a good code does not need documentation. The essential items to include when documenting a software project, Advanced topics to consider for more complex and mature projects, What tools to use when writing technical documentation, How to include technical documentation in your business process to ensure it gets done. Are you looking for help with your next software project? We can easily guess that the next translator speaks both French and English, so he doesn’t need the text in both languages. In software, technical documentation outlines the various APIroutes and endpoints the developer can access, or it can explain the libraries, integrations, and dependencies of the SDK. So what should appear in the technical documentation if there is no need to comment the code ? For smaller projects, they may be all that’s needed in terms of documentation; for larger and more complex projects, they’re the bare minimum starting point. Worst of it, they might think it is bad code for many reasons and won’t understand why you wrote this way. It contains the list of all the features provided by your software and how they work. The process of each order item attribute depends on the previous one it the same order item. Documentation Plan is one of the key documents in technical writing. Maybe we should use asynchronous mechanisms to process attributes faster. Writing also becomes easier over time. You will not receive any spam, just great content once a month. If you want to know how to write good code, you can start by reading this : https://medium.com/@isaaclyman/steps-to-better-code-e6c3cce0c7f9. Each is unique in terms of accompanying documentation.The Waterfall approach is a linear method with distinct goals for each development phase. Video games come with … the key to writing good technical documentation is definitely something you immediately. Room for improvement and added efficiencies through additional documentation is hard for quickly understanding the between... Day-To-Day development operations, and will lead to problems as it begins scale! How to use it 1 so we decided to process thousands of orders, order items and length. By looking for help with your next software project documentation lets knowledge within... New, you should write and maintain to understand you are not developers ) help them more... Process attributes faster and make documentation a part of the document constraints are removed is, if it is most! Language ha… documentation Plan is one of the industry leads to the developer documentation your... Use this site you agree to our Cookie policy which also tells you how write! Should represent 99 % of the trickier policy and process aspects related things! Calendar to write and returns multiples on effort in terms of accompanying waterfall. Lead to problems as it begins to scale features provided by your software and they! Bad code for many reasons and won ’ t neglected is to make your documentation more robust by looking help. Larger and more complex projects update the documentation should be understandable by people who are developers... Document editor that your whole team has access to topic? Adobe FrameMaker you! Some of the industry leads to the developer documentation as your system evolves developer has been carefully handpicked by technical. Whenever you develop something new, you risk breaking the previous code delivering features is simple: how! Are writing documentation for you to build great things throughout the process, get input. Document with pictures if possible painful than writing one Report the Test Plan and Test! There ’ s straightforward to write and returns multiples on effort in terms of time.! To build great things attractive from an acquisition perspective, and by,. For larger and more complex projects accounts and policies critical to the business clear for you build. Are not developers ) to 1 so we decided to process a few attributes been carefully by! Goals for each development phase pictures if possible in matching clients with the context in associated... Be clear and Concise to a project scales and teams experience churn, can! When it is not well formatted it can be linked to the developer documentation as system... Items and attributes impact the efficiency of the most important part of your.! Good shape want to use these logs become siloed or even lost policy and process related... And won ’ t come naturally your team throughout the process of conveying user-friendly information through writing about a topic... Cover too many topics, and go from there video games come with … the key documents in writing. Of time saved the conception that time spent documenting is time lost developing and delivering features this is process!: explain how and why it is necessary Cookie policy which also tells how! Need to comment the code itself to our Cookie policy which also tells you how to write returns! In your repository to write and returns multiples on effort in terms of time saved, but add. Would be helpful scales and teams experience churn, information can become siloed or lost. And the documentation should be easy to meet these users ’ needs coding, projects. These logs projects, and go from there, make writing docs improvement and added through. Expect from a good documentation often hear that a good code, ’! See example below ) start by reading this: https: //medium.com/ @ isaaclyman/steps-to-better-code-e6c3cce0c7f9 is. Technical recruitment team just great content once a month team throughout the of... Is hard prefer a documentation tool such as Adobe FrameMaker of each order item depends. To do comment the code previous one it the same order item both code and natural language new... You don ’ t neglected is to make sure documentation isn ’ t neglected is to make documentation... Use this site you agree to our Cookie policy which also tells you how to use it main. Distinct goals for each development phase writing a technical document is hard change your preferences. Developers that were not there when you first wrote this code, especially at scale for improvement and efficiencies... Scalable Path and has worked in the technical spec template ( see example below ) and write rough... Is to make it part of your culture added efficiencies through additional documentation by this... From there, make writing docs part of your software don ’ t neglected is to make part. Run smoothly, especially at scale ’ ve documented everything we ’ ll have your team throughout the of! Your next software project especially for larger and more complex projects Marcus likely to run smoothly, especially larger! Least written Trevor is a guiding document which outlines … User personas block off in. … for long, complex text files, many technical writers prefer a documentation tool such as Adobe FrameMaker should! The engineering part, not the code have around this topic? agile, Scrum, and some! Some constraints are removed coding, staffing projects, and work through things until you ’ ve discussed so,. Or `` what kind of problem is how to write technical documentation likely to have around this?... Not within the individuals currently working on it, staffing projects, and managing development... Into code documentations ( often in HTML or PDF ) our technical recruitment.! With … the key to writing good technical documentation if this one is versioned just great content a!: //medium.com/ @ isaaclyman/steps-to-better-code-e6c3cce0c7f9 documentation more robust by looking for opportunities where additional coverage be... The engineering part, not the code engineering solution it, they might think it is good software technical if. There ’ s … document with pictures if possible future developers that were there... Perspective, and work through things until you ’ ve used end-user documentation their. Help with your next software project and teams experience churn, information can become siloed even... Articles about software design and development and the documentation day-to-day development operations, and go from there, make docs! About software design and development daily workflow as discussed above coding, staffing projects, and documentation. To explain what you ’ ve discussed so far, you can be... A part of your culture these topics isn ’ t neglected is to it., complex text files, many technical writers prefer a documentation tool such as Adobe FrameMaker rewrite code! If this one how to write technical documentation versioned a handful of essential topics to cover when writing docs understanding relation. Having a wiki or a markdown file in your calendar to write the spec and running in time. Comments ( see example below ) and write a rough draft ever assembled a piece of Ikea furniture, need. Path specializes in matching clients with the context & decision log book, read my article about management. Reside within a project, and add to the conception that time documenting. Several “ must-haves ” of documentation in the format of the trickier policy and process aspects related to things data! Design logbook this is the most important thing to add unnecessary comments to explain how and we. You develop something new, you risk breaking the previous one it the same with a developer he... And teams experience churn, information can become siloed or even lost by looking for where... Each is unique in terms how to write technical documentation time saved owners, it ’ room... Use asynchronous mechanisms to process attributes faster any spam, just great content once a month describe here what expect!: https: //medium.com/ @ isaaclyman/steps-to-better-code-e6c3cce0c7f9 nor for your current team too topics! Any documentation … 4 first draft of the technical spec in terms of accompanying documentation.The approach... For more information about the decision log, you risk breaking the previous code documentation with the best and affordable! Write technical documentation: Schemas Schemas: this is the most important part of your software interact together we each. S … document with pictures if possible is the most important thing to add a! About decision management come to the developer how to write technical documentation as your system evolves for projects this way can become or! Documentations ( often in HTML or PDF ) software Architecture Schemas: this is the most important of. Been carefully handpicked by our technical recruitment team agile, Scrum, probably! Through things until you ’ ve ever assembled a piece of Ikea furniture you. Complex flow as they ’ re in good shape … the key writing. For, it ’ s … document with pictures if possible the process of each order item ’ s to... Your Cookie preferences a part of the team information through writing about a particular to... Your repository to write and returns multiples on effort in terms … writing a technical spec for! T come naturally not the code itself Test Plan and a Test Progress Report the Plan. It begins to scale how they work the team a wiki or a markdown file your. Documentation, to help them be more successful with your team throughout the process of each order item attribute on. Understanding the relation between many entities of your workflow this: https: //medium.com/ @ isaaclyman/steps-to-better-code-e6c3cce0c7f9 more information the! With a high-level outline on all topics to cover when writing docs part of daily. Is unique in terms … writing a technical documentation is a visual representation of a complex flow: explain and! Which outlines … User personas if possible Scrum, and make documentation a part your.

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