Professional technical writing and documentation skill for creating and
maintaining comprehensive, accurate, and user-friendly documentation for
codebases, APIs, deployment processes, and end-user guides.
Professional technical writing and documentation skill for creating and
maintaining comprehensive, accurate, and user-friendly documentation for
codebases, APIs, deployment processes, and end-user guides.
Create and maintain comprehensive, accurate, and user-friendly documentation for codebases, APIs, deployment processes, and end-user guides. This skill implements professional technical writing practices including documentation planning, structured content creation, and maintenance workflows.
docs/
├── README.md # Project overview
├── GETTING_STARTED.md # Quick start guide
├── BUILDING.md # Build instructions
├── DEPLOYMENT.md # Deployment guide
├── USAGE.md # User manual
├── API.md # API reference
├── ARCHITECTURE.md # System architecture
├── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution guidelines
├── TROUBLESHOOTING.md # Common issues
└── CHANGELOG.md # Version history
## Priority
1. **Critical (Must Have)**:
- README.md
- BUILDING.md
- DEPLOYMENT.md
2. **Important (Should Have)**:
- API.md
- USAGE.md
- TROUBLESHOOTING.md
3. **Nice to Have**:
- ARCHITECTURE.md (if not done by architect)
- CONTRIBUTING.md
- Advanced guides
## Timeline
- Phase 1 (Critical): Immediate
- Phase 2 (Important): Next sprint
- Phase 3 (Nice to Have): Following sprint
Step 1.3: Create Core Documentation
README.md Template
# [Project Name]
[One-sentence description of what this project does]
## Overview
[2-3 paragraph description covering:
- What problem does this solve?
- Who is it for?
- What are the key features?]
## Quick Start```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone [repository-url]
cd [project-name]
# Install dependencies
npm install # or pip install -r requirements.txt, etc.
# Run the application
npm start # or python main.py, etc.
# Install dependencies using chocolatey
choco install [package1] [package2]
# Set environment variables
$env:VAR_NAME="value"
Building the Application
Development Build
# Install dependencies
npm install # or equivalent# Build for development
npm run build:dev
# Output location: ./dist/
Production Build
# Clean previous builds
npm run clean
# Install production dependencies
npm ci --production
# Build optimized version
npm run build:prod
# Output location: ./dist/production/
# Test critical endpoints
curl -X POST https://your-domain.com/api/test \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"test": "data"}'# Test authentication
curl https://your-domain.com/api/protected \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"
Monitoring Setup
Set up application monitoring (see DevOps docs)
Configure alerts for errors and performance
Verify logs are being collected
Check metrics dashboard
Rollback Procedures
Docker Rollback
# Identify previous version
docker images registry.example.com/app-name
# Deploy previous version
docker stop app-container
docker rm app-container
docker run -d --name app-container \
registry.example.com/app-name:previous-version
Kubernetes Rollback
# View rollout history
kubectl rollout history deployment/app-deployment
# Rollback to previous version
kubectl rollout undo deployment/app-deployment
# Rollback to specific revision
kubectl rollout undo deployment/app-deployment --to-revision=2
Troubleshooting
Deployment Fails
Check: Build artifacts
ls -la dist/
# Verify all necessary files present
Check: Environment variables
printenv | grep APP_
# Verify all required variables set
---
## Documentation Standards
### Writing Style
- Use clear, concise language
- Avoid jargon or explain when necessary
- Write for the target audience (developers vs. end-users)
- Use active voice
- Provide examples for everything
- Keep paragraphs short (3-5 sentences)
### Structure
- Start with overview/introduction
- Include table of contents for long documents
- Use clear headings and subheadings
- Provide step-by-step instructions
- Include troubleshooting section
- Add "Next Steps" or "See Also" sections
### Code Examples
- Always test code examples
- Include complete, runnable examples
- Add comments explaining key parts
- Show expected output
- Cover common use cases
### Maintenance
- Date all documentation
- Version documentation with code
- Mark deprecated features clearly
- Keep examples up to date
- Regular review and updates
---
## Collaboration Patterns
### With Architect (or architect-role-skill)
- Review ARCHITECTURE.md for technical accuracy
- Request clarification on design decisions
- Ensure documentation reflects actual architecture
### With Builder (or builder-role-skill)
- Request code walkthroughs for complex features
- Verify API examples match implementation
- Update docs when code changes
### With DevOps (or devops-role-skill)
- Coordinate on deployment documentation
- Verify infrastructure details
- Document monitoring and operations procedures
---
## Examples
### Example 1: New Project Documentation
**Task**: Create complete documentation suite for new Node.js API
```markdown
## Deliverables Created
- README.md (project overview, quick start)
- BUILDING.md (development setup, build process)
- DEPLOYMENT.md (Docker, Kubernetes, cloud platforms)
- API.md (endpoints, authentication, examples)
- CONTRIBUTING.md (contribution guidelines)
**Result**: Complete documentation enabling new developers to get started within 30 minutes
Example 2: API Documentation Update
Task: Document 15 new API endpoints after feature development
## Documentation Added- Endpoint specifications (request/response schemas)
- Authentication requirements
- Code examples in bash/curl
- Error scenarios and handling
- Rate limiting details
**Result**: API documentation coverage increased from 60% to 95%