Keeping track of what happened is one of the main tools that mankind developed during the early stages of its civilization. Documenting history, important events that shaped the world, not only helped remember those that are long gone but has allowed humans to get a perspective and gain insight regarding important decisions both for the present and the future.

As the millennia passed, documentation evolved greatly, improving both the lives of those taking time to create it, as well as those who received it. We can all agree that taking notes is fundamental, and documentation finds great value when it comes to software development and applications. In this blog, we will delve deep into the world of application documentation and highlight its importance both for those creating it, as well as those that will mainly use it, i.e. other software developers.

What is application documentation?

To answer the question “Why is documentation in software development fundamental?” we first have to understand what application documentation means. Simply put, the documentation of an application or any other software consists of the notes that its creator considers of vital importance for the software. For a programmer, reliable documentation is the alpha and the omega. It helps them keep track of all the aspects of an application, and focuses on:

• Development
• Maintenance
• Knowledge transfer to others

These are the three main pillars of application documentation. When followed, the threefold above allows developers to make the information about their software easily accessible, helps new users/developers understand a software seamlessly, and makes the product simple to understand. Moreover, application documentation can help companies cut support costs since successful documentation will usually answer all the common -and most probable- questions a new user might have about an application.

When it comes to the contents of application documentation, they can be roughly summarized as follows:

• Server environments
• Business rules
• Databases and files
• Troubleshooting
• Application installation
• Code deployment

These six “anchors” are the main “body” of application documentation and create the vast majority of the content found within the documentation created by the developer of an application. Each one showcases vital aspects of software and allows new users to understand it easily and quickly, all in the while offering its creator the ability to keep track of their creation.

Server environments

Every application has a specific set of rules that have to be met in order for the environment it will enter to be compatible with it. In the section of Server environments within their documentation, developers should include:

• Application name and version
• Server name
• IP
• Code directory
• URL leading to the application
• Operating system
• User account information
• A point of contact

Business rules

This is one of the most important aspects of application documentation when it comes to new developers learning how to use the software. This section should include either a user guide or a help document, paired with FAQs that answer the most common questions regarding the application. This part of the documentation allows developers and/or companies to minimize the need for support, and increase the ease with which new developers/users become attuned to the application in question.

Databases and files

As one can easily imagine, having a database is of vital importance for an application. Within application documentation, developers should include the type of that database, the version, the server information, and a data model diagram. Database information within the software documentation will assist everyone with access to it with porting, reverting, sharding, migrating, etc.

This will allow making additions, modifications to the structure, addition of indexes and keys, way easier. When it comes to files, if the application has a file transfer function, then its documentation should state the way that the transfer is made, what protocol and data types it uses, as well as if and what SSL certificates are needed for that action.

Troubleshooting

Any developer will confirm that there is no perfect application. The fact that improvement is always possible is one of the reasons, but the main obstacle between software development and 100% perfection issues. Production issues are unavoidable, and if you are not able to avoid something, then you better find ways to solve it.

This is why application documentation must always include a troubleshooting section. Any issues that are already known to the creator should be listed there, preferably in the form of an FAQ, allowing users to deal with common problems. Developers should also include a list of errors, preferably filtered by type, with the module they come from and their level mentioned as well.

Application installation

No one can use an application if they are not able to install it. That is a fact that creates the need for application documentation to also include a section where the developers explain how to set up new or additional application environments. This includes installation and configuration documents, and it’s best if developers include a step-by-step guide that is easy to understand and follow, for new users to have the process mapped out before them. The wording is of vital importance in that section of application documentation and should be reviewed heavily prior to publishing to ensure that anyone can understand the process.

Code deployment

There is no software without code. It is not only the backbone of an application but the heart and soul of everything digital. Code documentation is fundamental and virtually every single developer that has created an application and its documentation knows that. When it comes to structuring within the documentation, the best way to document code is by splitting it into many different parts.

The suggested ones are:

• Comment blocks
  • Included in every file
  • Explain classes, methods, parameters, and possible errors
• Specific file documentations
  • Generated through a third-party script that parses a file based on the comment blocks
  • A PDF is created
• Code repository
  • Users can find file updates and information on where they should be moved

Finally, it is important that the creator includes a detailed step-by-step guide on how someone can create an application package or a build that will be deployed.

It’s also a matter of WHEN

Explaining the fundamentals of application documentation such as what it should include and how it should be written only answers one part of the question. Another important aspect of application documentation is “time”, i.e. when should application documentation be created? The short answer is: constantly. The best way to achieve great documentation for your application is by always keeping that process in mind, and working towards it while developing.

Making documentation one of their priorities, developers will be able to keep up with the constant changes software tends to encounter and experience. It is not uncommon that companies and/or developers “forget” documentation or choose to start working on it when the application is close to completion. However, the amount of information found within an application is so vast that this practice can lead to incomplete documentation, and from there, to increased demand for support, the pouring of questions regarding errors, code deployment, etc.

The best way to achieve prioritization of the documentation during the development process is by qualifying documentation as one of the prerequisites for anything related to the application to be published/shipped. If a feature is about to ship, it should be accompanied by the appropriate documentation, and if that is not available, then the feature should not be shipped. This might seem too “absolute”, however, it is something developers themselves should implement, avoid increased work, and misunderstandings.

The question of WHO

Finally, we are taking a look at the people who are writing the application documentation, and this section mainly applies to companies who are able to hire different people with separate specializations, creating teams that work seamlessly towards the excellent publishing of an application. Developers are the people who create the software and therefore are the specialists when it comes to what it does, how it does it, when, and why.

However, it is suggested that companies that develop complex applications hire technical writers to write and/or proofread their application documentation prior to publishing. Keep in mind that technical writers do not need to be developers, but they need to carry a specific set of skills that revolves around their eagerness to learn and discover. This will in turn help them pay attention to all the important aspects of an application and how it works, allowing them to transfer the “soul” of an application in its documentation, for other developers and/or users to understand and use.

An open channel of communication between developers and technical writers is a prerequisite for that model to be implemented properly. This might require increased team management while developers explain to technical writers how the application works, with the results rewarding everyone included, since successful application documentation usually points to a successful application.

Tags: Application, Application Developers, Application Documentation, Developers, Documentation, Software, Software Developers, Software Documentation