Documentation Writing
Core Principles
- Audience-focused - Know who you're writing for
- Task-oriented - Help users accomplish goals
- Scannable - Use headers, lists, and code blocks
- Accurate - Keep in sync with code
- Complete - Cover common use cases and edge cases
README Structure
# Project Name
Brief description (1-2 sentences).
## Features
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
## Installation
npm install package-name
## Quick Start
import { thing } from 'package-name'; // Minimal working example
## Usage
### Basic Usage
Detailed examples with explanations.
### Advanced Usage
Complex scenarios and configuration.
## API Reference
Link to detailed docs or inline reference.
## Contributing
How to contribute to the project.
## License
MIT
JSDoc/TSDoc Comments
Functions
/**
* Calculates the total price including tax.
*
* @param basePrice - The price before tax
* @param taxRate - Tax rate as a decimal (e.g., 0.08 for 8%)
* @returns The total price with tax applied
*
* @example
* ```ts
* const total = calculateTotal(100, 0.08);
* // Returns: 108
* ```
*
* @throws {RangeError} If taxRate is negative
*/
function calculateTotal(basePrice: number, taxRate: number): number {
if (taxRate < 0) throw new RangeError('Tax rate cannot be negative');
return basePrice * (1 + taxRate);
}Classes
/**
* Manages user authentication and session state.
*
* @remarks
* This class handles OAuth2 authentication flows and maintains
* session tokens in secure storage.
*
* @example
* ```ts
* const auth = new AuthManager({ clientId: 'xxx' });
* await auth.login();
* const user = auth.getCurrentUser();
* ```
*/
class AuthManager {
/**
* Creates a new AuthManager instance.
* @param config - Authentication configuration options
*/
constructor(config: AuthConfig) {}
/**
* Initiates the login flow.
* @returns Promise that resolves when authentication completes
*/
async login(): Promise<void> {}
}Interfaces
/**
* Configuration options for the API client.
*/
interface ApiClientConfig {
/**
* Base URL for all API requests.
* @example "https://api.example.com/v1"
*/
baseUrl: string;
/**
* Request timeout in milliseconds.
* @default 30000
*/
timeout?: number;
/**
* Custom headers to include in all requests.
*/
headers?: Record<string, string>;
}API Documentation
OpenAPI/Swagger
openapi: 3.0.3
info:
title: User API
version: 1.0.0
description: API for managing users
paths:
/users:
get:
summary: List all users
description: Returns a paginated list of users
parameters:
- name: page
in: query
schema:
type: integer
default: 1
- name: limit
in: query
schema:
type: integer
default: 20
responses:
'200':
description: Successful response
content:
application/json:
schema:
type: object
properties:
data:
type: array
items:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/User'
meta:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/Pagination'Endpoint Documentation
## Create User
Creates a new user account.
### Request
`POST /api/v1/users`
#### Headers
| Header | Required | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| Authorization | Yes | Bearer token |
| Content-Type | Yes | application/json |
#### Body
{ "email": "user@example.com", "name": "John Doe", "role": "user" }
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| email | string | Yes | Valid email address |
| name | string | Yes | 2-100 characters |
| role | string | No | "user" or "admin" (default: "user") |
### Response
#### Success (201 Created)
{ "success": true, "data": { "id": "usr_abc123", "email": "user@example.com", "name": "John Doe", "createdAt": "2025-01-02T12:00:00Z" } }
#### Error (400 Bad Request)
{ "success": false, "error": { "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR", "message": "Invalid request body", "details": { "email": "Invalid email format" } } }
Code Examples
Good Example
// ✅ Shows real use case with context
import { createClient } from 'my-api';
const client = createClient({
apiKey: process.env.API_KEY,
region: 'us-east-1',
});
// Fetch user with error handling
try {
const user = await client.users.get('user_123');
console.log(`Found user: ${user.name}`);
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === 'NOT_FOUND') {
console.log('User does not exist');
} else {
throw error; // Re-throw unexpected errors
}
}Bad Example
// ❌ Too abstract, no context
const client = new Client(options);
const result = client.doThing(data);Changelog Format
# Changelog
## [1.2.0] - 2025-01-02
### Added
- New `exportToPDF()` method for reports (#123)
- Support for custom themes
### Changed
- Improved performance of data loading by 40%
- Updated minimum Node.js version to 18
### Fixed
- Fixed memory leak in long-running processes (#456)
- Corrected timezone handling for scheduled tasks
### Deprecated
- `legacyExport()` - use `exportToPDF()` instead
### Security
- Updated dependencies to patch CVE-2025-XXXXBest Practices
- Write for scanning - Use headers, bullets, tables
- Show, don't tell - Include working code examples
- Keep examples minimal - Show the concept, not everything
- Update with code - Docs rot faster than code
- Test your examples - Ensure they actually work
- Link liberally - Connect related concepts
- Use consistent terminology - Define terms once
- Include troubleshooting - Common errors and solutions