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:
  ```typescript
  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 |