Technical Documentation

Documentation Types

README

First thing users see. Include:

• What the project does

• How to install/setup

• Basic usage examples

• Where to find more info

API Documentation

• Endpoints and methods

• Request/response formats

• Authentication

• Error codes

• Examples

Architecture Documentation

• System overview

• Component diagrams

• Data flow

• Key decisions (ADRs)

User Guides

• Step-by-step instructions

• Screenshots/examples

• Common workflows

• Troubleshooting

Writing Principles

1. Know Your Audience

• Developer? User? Admin?

• What do they already know?

• What do they need to accomplish?

2. Be Concise

• Short sentences

• Active voice

• Remove filler words

3. Show, Don't Tell

Bad

The function handles errors properly.

Good

The function returns an Error object:

const result = await fetchUser(id);
if (result.error) {
  console.error(result.error.message);
}

### 4. Structure for Scanning
- Use headings
- Use bullet points
- Use code blocks
- Use tables

## README Template

```markdown
# Project Name

Brief description of what this does.

## Installation

\`\`\`bash
npm install project-name
\`\`\`

## Quick Start

\`\`\`typescript
import { thing } from 'project-name';
thing.doSomething();
\`\`\`

## Documentation

[Full documentation](./docs/)

## Contributing

[Contributing guide](./CONTRIBUTING.md)

## License

MIT

API Documentation Example

## POST /api/users

Create a new user.

### Request

\`\`\`json
{
"email": "user@example.com",
"name": "John Doe"
}
\`\`\`

### Response

\`\`\`json
{
"id": "123",
"email": "user@example.com",
"name": "John Doe",
"createdAt": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
}
\`\`\`

### Errors

| Code | Description |
|------|-------------|
| 400 | Invalid request body |
| 409 | Email already exists |