Documentation

Documentation Standards

Guidelines for creating and maintaining high-quality technical documentation.

Document Types

README.md

Primary entry point for any project or module.

Required Sections:

1. Title and Description - What this project does, in one sentence
2. Quick Start - Get running in under 2 minutes
3. Installation - Prerequisites and setup steps
4. Usage - Common use cases with examples
5. Configuration - Environment variables, config files
6. API Reference - Link to detailed docs if applicable

CHANGELOG.md

Track all notable changes following Keep a Changelog.

## [1.2.0] - 2024-01-15

### Added
- New feature X for Y use case

### Changed
- Improved performance of Z

### Fixed
- Bug where A caused B

### Removed
- Deprecated feature W

API Documentation

Document every public interface:

/**
 * Creates a new user account.
 *
 * @param email - User's email address (must be unique)
 * @param password - Password (min 8 chars, requires uppercase + number)
 * @returns The created user object with generated ID
 * @throws {ValidationError} If email format is invalid
 * @throws {ConflictError} If email already exists
 *
 * @example
 * const user = await createUser("user@example.com", "SecurePass123")
 * console.log(user.id) // "usr_abc123"
 */

Writing Guidelines

Be Concise

• Lead with the most important information
• One idea per sentence
• Use active voice
• Avoid filler words ("simply", "just", "basically")

Be Specific

# Bad
The function processes data quickly.

# Good
The function processes 10,000 records in under 100ms.

Use Examples

Every concept should have a concrete example:

# Bad
Use environment variables for configuration.

# Good
Use environment variables for configuration:
\`\`\`bash
export DATABASE_URL="postgres://localhost:5432/mydb"
export API_KEY="your-api-key"
\`\`\`

Structure for Scanning

• Use descriptive headings
• Keep paragraphs short (3-4 lines max)
• Use lists for sequential steps or multiple items
• Use tables for comparing options
• Use code blocks for anything technical

Code Examples

Show Complete Examples

// Bad - missing imports and context
const result = parse(data)

// Good - runnable as-is
import { parse } from "./parser"

const data = '{"name": "test"}'
const result = parse(data)
console.log(result.name) // "test"

Show Common Errors

// This will throw - parse() requires a string
const result = parse(null) // TypeError: Cannot read property...

// Handle null inputs explicitly
const result = data ? parse(data) : defaultValue

Maintenance

Review Triggers

Update documentation when:

• Adding new features
• Changing existing behavior
• Deprecating functionality
• Receiving user questions about unclear points

Documentation Debt

Track and prioritize:

• Missing API documentation
• Outdated examples
• Broken links
• User-reported confusion

Quality Checklist

Before publishing:

• All code examples are tested and runnable
• No broken links
• Spelling and grammar checked
• Screenshots/diagrams are up to date
• Version numbers are current
• Prerequisites are clearly stated

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