# Documentation Generation — Human Competence First **Author**: Matthew Raymer **Date**: 2025-08-17 **Status**: 🎯 **ACTIVE** - Core Documentation Standards ## Overview This guide establishes **how documentation should be created and maintained** across all projects, emphasizing **human competence building** and **collaborative learning** while ensuring technical accuracy and maintainability. ## Core Principles (Human Competence First) ### 1. **Learning Over Information Dumping** - **Educational value**: Documents must clearly explain system workings - **Progressive complexity**: Start simple, build to advanced concepts - **Real-world examples**: Include practical, actionable examples - **Why it matters**: Understanding the "why" builds deeper competence ### 2. **Collaboration Over Isolation** - **Team review**: Documentation should invite discussion and iteration - **Shared ownership**: Multiple perspectives improve quality and accuracy - **Feedback loops**: Regular review cycles keep content relevant - **Why it matters**: Collaborative documentation builds team knowledge ### 3. **Maintainability Over Completeness** - **Small, focused sets**: Prefer depth over breadth - **Worth preserving**: Content must motivate humans to keep it updated - **Clear ownership**: Designate maintainers for each document - **Why it matters**: Maintainable docs stay useful over time ### 4. **Quality Over Quantity** - **Avoid filler**: No shallow, generic, or AI-generated explanations - **Clarity first**: Complex concepts explained simply - **Actionable content**: Readers should know what to do next - **Why it matters**: Quality content builds trust and competence ## Documentation Standards ### Content Structure #### Document Header (Required) ```markdown # Document Title **Author**: [Name] **Date**: YYYY-MM-DD **Status**: 🎯 **STATUS** - Brief description **Maintainer**: [Name] ## Overview Brief description of the document's purpose and scope. ``` #### Section Organization 1. **Overview/Introduction** - Purpose and scope 2. **Current State** - What exists now 3. **Implementation Details** - How things work 4. **Examples** - Real-world usage 5. **Next Steps** - What to do next 6. **References** - Related resources ### Writing Guidelines #### **For LLMs (Required)** - **Always start with purpose**: Why does this document exist? - **Include learning objectives**: What will readers understand after reading? - **Provide examples**: Show, don't just tell - **End with action**: What should readers do next? #### **For Human Writers** - **Write for your future self**: Will you understand this in 6 months? - **Consider skill levels**: Different readers have different needs - **Include context**: Why does this matter for the project? - **Invite feedback**: How can this be improved? ## Documentation Types ### 1. **Technical Guides** - **Purpose**: Explain how systems work - **Audience**: Developers, engineers, technical users - **Focus**: Implementation details, APIs, configurations - **Examples**: Code snippets, configuration files, diagrams ### 2. **Process Documentation** - **Purpose**: Explain how to accomplish tasks - **Audience**: Team members, stakeholders - **Focus**: Step-by-step procedures, workflows - **Examples**: Checklists, flowcharts, decision trees ### 3. **Architecture Documents** - **Purpose**: Explain system design and structure - **Audience**: Architects, developers, stakeholders - **Focus**: High-level design, trade-offs, decisions - **Examples**: System diagrams, ADRs, design patterns ### 4. **User Guides** - **Purpose**: Help users accomplish goals - **Audience**: End users, customers - **Focus**: User workflows, features, troubleshooting - **Examples**: Screenshots, step-by-step instructions ## Quality Assurance ### **Before Publishing Documentation** - [ ] **Purpose clear**: Why does this document exist? - [ ] **Audience defined**: Who is this written for? - [ ] **Examples included**: Are there practical examples? - [ ] **Actionable**: Do readers know what to do next? - [ ] **Maintainable**: Is it easy to keep updated? - [ ] **Collaborative**: Does it invite team input? ### **After Publishing Documentation** - [ ] **Feedback collected**: Have team members reviewed it? - [ ] **Usage tracked**: Are people actually using it? - [ ] **Updates planned**: When will it be reviewed next? - [ ] **Ownership clear**: Who maintains this document? ## Implementation Examples ### Good Documentation Example ```markdown # User Authentication System **Author**: Matthew Raymer **Date**: 2025-08-17 **Status**: 🎯 **ACTIVE** - Production System **Maintainer**: Security Team ## Overview This document explains how user authentication works in our system, including login flows, security measures, and troubleshooting steps. ## Learning Objectives After reading this document, you will understand: - How users log in and authenticate - What security measures protect user accounts - How to troubleshoot common authentication issues - When to escalate security concerns ## Current Implementation ### Login Flow 1. User enters credentials 2. System validates against database 3. JWT token generated and returned 4. Token stored in secure cookie ### Security Measures - Password hashing with bcrypt - Rate limiting on login attempts - JWT expiration after 24 hours - HTTPS enforcement for all auth requests ## Examples ### Login Request ```json POST /api/auth/login { "email": "user@example.com", "password": "securepassword123" } ``` ### Successful Response ```json { "token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...", "expires": "2025-08-18T12:00:00Z" } ``` ## Troubleshooting ### Common Issues - **Invalid credentials**: Check email/password combination - **Token expired**: User needs to log in again - **Rate limited**: Wait 15 minutes before retrying ### Escalation Path 1. Check system logs for errors 2. Verify database connectivity 3. Contact security team if suspicious activity ## Next Steps 1. **Test the system**: Try logging in with test credentials 2. **Review security**: Ensure your implementation follows these patterns 3. **Document issues**: Add new troubleshooting steps as you discover them ## References - [JWT Documentation](https://jwt.io/) - [Security Best Practices](./security-guide.md) - [API Reference](./api-docs.md) --- **Last Updated**: 2025-08-17 **Next Review**: 2025-09-17 **Stakeholders**: Development Team, Security Team, Product Team ### Bad Documentation Example ```markdown # Authentication This document describes the authentication system. ## Overview The system has authentication. ## Implementation Users can log in. ## Conclusion That's how authentication works. ``` ## Collaboration Points ### **Code Reviews** - Include documentation updates in code review process - Ensure new features have corresponding documentation - Validate that examples match actual implementation ### **Team Reviews** - Schedule regular documentation review sessions - Invite different team members to review content - Collect feedback on clarity and usefulness ### **User Testing** - Have actual users try to follow documentation - Observe where they get stuck or confused - Update content based on real usage patterns ## Maintenance Schedule ### **Weekly** - Review documentation usage metrics - Collect feedback from team members - Plan updates for outdated content ### **Monthly** - Full review of high-priority documents - Update examples and screenshots - Validate links and references ### **Quarterly** - Comprehensive review of all documentation - Identify gaps and opportunities - Plan major documentation projects ## Success Metrics ### **Usage Metrics** - **Document views**: How often is content accessed? - **Time on page**: How long do readers spend? - **Search queries**: What are people looking for? ### **Quality Metrics** - **Feedback scores**: How do readers rate content? - **Update frequency**: How often is content refreshed? - **Maintainer satisfaction**: Are maintainers happy with their docs? ### **Competence Metrics** - **Question reduction**: Fewer basic questions from team? - **Implementation speed**: Faster feature development? - **Knowledge transfer**: Better onboarding for new team members? ## Tools and Resources ### **Documentation Platforms** - **Markdown**: Standard format for technical documentation - **GitBook**: Collaborative documentation hosting - **Notion**: Team knowledge management - **Confluence**: Enterprise documentation platform ### **Quality Tools** - **Markdown linting**: Ensure consistent formatting - **Link checking**: Validate references and links - **Spell checking**: Maintain professional appearance - **Accessibility**: Ensure content is usable by all ### **Collaboration Tools** - **Version control**: Track changes and history - **Review systems**: Collect feedback and approvals - **Analytics**: Understand usage patterns - **Notifications**: Keep team informed of updates ## Implementation Next Steps 1. **Review existing documentation**: Apply these principles to current docs 2. **Identify gaps**: What documentation is missing or outdated? 3. **Plan improvements**: Prioritize documentation updates 4. **Establish processes**: Set up regular review and update cycles --- **Last Updated**: 2025-08-17 **Version**: 2.0 **Maintainer**: Matthew Raymer **Stakeholders**: All Teams **Next Review**: 2025-09-17