Technical Documentation Standards

This document outlines the standards and best practices for creating technical documentation across all Bayat projects. Technical documentation includes architecture documents, design specifications, technical guides, and other documentation aimed at developers and technical stakeholders.

Documentation Types

Technical documentation at Bayat should include the following types:

Architecture Documentation

Document high-level system structure:

System Context: System boundaries and external dependencies
Component Diagrams: Major components and their interactions
Design Decisions: Key architectural decisions and their rationales
Quality Attributes: How the architecture addresses quality requirements
Constraints: Technical, business, and regulatory constraints
Architecture Principles: Guiding principles for development

Design Documentation

Detail implementation specifics:

System Design: Detailed design of system components
Data Models: Entity relationships and data structures
API Specifications: Interface definitions and protocols
State Diagrams: State transitions and business processes
Sequence Diagrams: Interaction sequences for key scenarios
Class Diagrams: Object models and class relationships

Technical Guides

Provide guidance for developers:

Development Environment: Setup and configuration
Coding Standards: Language-specific coding guidelines
Build Procedures: How to build and package the software
Deployment Guides: How to deploy and configure the system
Maintenance Procedures: Routine maintenance tasks
Troubleshooting Guides: Common issues and solutions

Operational Documentation

Support production operations:

Monitoring Setup: What to monitor and alerting thresholds
Backup and Recovery: Data backup and system recovery procedures
Scaling Procedures: How to scale the system
Incident Response: How to respond to production incidents
Security Procedures: Security protocols and incident response
Performance Tuning: Guidelines for optimizing performance

Documentation Structure

Standard Structure

Technical documents should follow this general structure:

Title Page: Document title, version, date, and authors
Document Control: Version history, review status, approval status
Table of Contents: For documents longer than a few pages
Introduction: Purpose, scope, audience, and references
Background/Context: Relevant information for understanding the document
Main Content: Organized by topic with consistent hierarchy
Glossary: Definitions of terms, acronyms, and abbreviations
References: Related documents, standards, and external sources
Appendices: Supplementary information

Architecture Document Structure

Architecture documents should include:

Executive Summary: Brief overview for non-technical stakeholders
System Context: Where the system fits within the broader environment
Architectural Goals and Constraints: What the architecture must achieve
Architectural Approach: Overall approach and patterns used
System Architecture: Components, interfaces, and data flows
Quality Attributes: How non-functional requirements are addressed
Architectural Decisions: Key decisions and their rationales
Deployment Architecture: How the system is deployed
Development View: How the codebase is organized
Future Roadmap: Planned architectural evolution

Technical Document Naming

Use consistent naming conventions:

Format: [Project]-[DocumentType]-[Component]-[Version].[extension]
Example: PaymentSystem-ArchitectureDesign-API-v1.2.md

Maintain a document registry to track all technical documentation.

Diagrams and Models

Diagram Standards

Follow these standards for all technical diagrams:

Use UML 2.x notation for standard diagram types
Use C4 model for architectural diagrams
Include a legend for custom symbols or colors
Maintain consistent diagram styles within a document
Ensure diagrams are legible when printed in black and white
Use vector formats where possible (SVG)
Include descriptive captions

Required Diagrams

Include these minimum diagram types for systems:

Context Diagram: System boundaries and external entities
Container Diagram: High-level components (web servers, databases, etc.)
Component Diagram: Major components within containers
Data Model: Entity-relationship or class diagrams
Deployment Diagram: Physical deployment architecture
Sequence Diagrams: For key interactions

Diagram Tools

Use the following approved tools:

PlantUML: For UML diagrams in text format
draw.io/diagrams.net: For general diagramming
Mermaid: For diagrams in Markdown
Lucidchart: For collaborative diagramming
Enterprise Architect: For complex system modeling

Diagram Examples

PlantUML Component Diagram:

@startuml
package "Frontend" {
  [Web UI] as UI
  [Mobile App] as Mobile
}

package "API Layer" {
  [API Gateway] as Gateway
  [Authentication Service] as Auth
  [Order Service] as OrderAPI
  [Product Service] as ProductAPI
}

package "Data Layer" {
  database "Order Database" as OrderDB
  database "Product Database" as ProductDB
  database "User Database" as UserDB
}

UI --> Gateway
Mobile --> Gateway
Gateway --> Auth
Gateway --> OrderAPI
Gateway --> ProductAPI
OrderAPI --> OrderDB
ProductAPI --> ProductDB
Auth --> UserDB
@enduml

C4 Context Diagram:

+-------------------+      +--------------------+
|                   |      |                    |
|   Customer        +----->+   Payment System   |
|                   |      |                    |
+-------------------+      +---------+----------+
                                     |
                                     v
+-------------------+      +--------------------+
|                   |      |                    |
|   Merchant        |<-----+   Banking System   |
|                   |      |                    |
+-------------------+      +--------------------+

Code Documentation

API Documentation

Document APIs comprehensively:

Purpose: What the API does
Authentication: How to authenticate
Endpoints: All available endpoints
Request Format: Parameters, headers, and body structure
Response Format: Status codes, headers, and body structure
Error Handling: Error codes and messages
Rate Limiting: Any usage limits
Examples: Request and response examples
SDKs: Available client libraries

Database Documentation

Document database schemas:

Entity Descriptions: Purpose of each table/collection
Field Definitions: Name, type, constraints, and purpose
Relationships: How entities relate to each other
Indexes: What indexes exist and why
Constraints: Business rules enforced by the schema
Query Patterns: Common query patterns and optimization hints
Migration Procedures: How to safely migrate schemas

Technical Writing Style

Language

Use clear technical language:

Write in present tense
Use active voice
Be precise and specific
Define acronyms and jargon on first use
Use consistent terminology throughout
Use Oxford commas for clarity
Keep sentences concise (25 words maximum recommended)

Technical Detail

Provide appropriate technical detail:

Target Audience: Adjust detail to the audience's technical level
Layered Information: Present core information first, details later
Cross-References: Link to related documentation for additional context
Examples: Include concrete examples for complex concepts
Assumptions: Explicitly state technical assumptions
Edge Cases: Document important edge cases and limitations

Code Examples

Format code examples consistently:

Use syntax highlighting appropriate to the language
Include comments for complex or non-obvious code
Show complete, working examples where possible
Follow the language's coding standards
Include expected output for command-line examples

/**
 * Authenticates a user and returns a session token.
 *
 * @param username The user's username
 * @param password The user's password
 * @return A JWT token string if authentication succeeds
 * @throws AuthenticationException If credentials are invalid
 */
public String authenticate(String username, String password) throws AuthenticationException {
    // Validate input
    if (username == null || password == null) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Username and password must not be null");
    }
    
    // Check credentials against database
    User user = userRepository.findByUsername(username);
    if (user == null || !passwordEncoder.matches(password, user.getPasswordHash())) {
        throw new AuthenticationException("Invalid credentials");
    }
    
    // Generate and return JWT token
    return jwtService.generateToken(user);
}

Documentation Management

Version Control

Manage documentation in version control:

Store documentation with related code when possible
Use meaningful commit messages for documentation changes
Tag documentation versions with software releases
Use branches for major documentation revisions
Track documentation issues alongside code issues

Change Management

Control documentation changes:

Update documentation when related code changes
Require technical review for documentation changes
Maintain a changelog of significant documentation updates
Archive outdated versions rather than deleting them
Link documentation versions to software versions

Status Indicators

Use clear status indicators:

Draft: Initial creation, not reviewed
In Review: Under technical review
Approved: Reviewed and approved
Published: Publicly available
Deprecated: No longer current, but retained for reference
Archived: Obsolete and moved to archive

Documentation Review

Review Process

Implement a structured review process:

Self Review: Author reviews for completeness and accuracy
Peer Review: Technical review by peers for accuracy
Expert Review: Review by subject matter experts
Stakeholder Review: Review by key stakeholders
Editorial Review: Review for clarity and style

Review Criteria

Evaluate documentation against these criteria:

Accuracy: Is the information technically correct?
Completeness: Does it cover all necessary aspects?
Clarity: Is it clearly written and understandable?
Consistency: Does it align with other documentation?
Currency: Is it up to date with the current system?
Usability: Is it organized in a usable way?
Standards Compliance: Does it follow documentation standards?

Review Checklist

Use a standardized review checklist:

□ Document follows standard structure
□ All sections are complete
□ Technical content is accurate
□ Diagrams follow standards
□ Examples are correct and work as documented
□ Links and references are valid
□ Terminology is consistent
□ Acronyms and terms are defined
□ No confidential information is exposed
□ No obvious gaps in information
□ Grammar and spelling are correct
□ Document status is clearly indicated

Templates

Architecture Document Template

# [System Name] Architecture Document

## Document Control
- **Version:** 1.0
- **Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
- **Status:** [Draft/Review/Approved]
- **Authors:** [Names]
- **Reviewers:** [Names]
- **Approvers:** [Names]

## 1. Introduction
### 1.1 Purpose
### 1.2 Scope
### 1.3 Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations
### 1.4 References

## 2. System Context
### 2.1 Business Context
### 2.2 Technical Context
### 2.3 Stakeholders

## 3. Architectural Goals and Constraints
### 3.1 Quality Attributes
### 3.2 Technical Constraints
### 3.3 Business Constraints

## 4. Architectural Approach
### 4.1 Key Principles
### 4.2 Technology Choices
### 4.3 Architectural Patterns

## 5. System Architecture
### 5.1 Overview
### 5.2 Components
### 5.3 Interfaces
### 5.4 Data Flow

## 6. Quality Attributes
### 6.1 Performance
### 6.2 Scalability
### 6.3 Security
### 6.4 Reliability
### 6.5 Maintainability

## 7. Architectural Decisions
### 7.1 Key Decisions
### 7.2 Alternatives Considered
### 7.3 Decision Outcomes

## 8. Deployment Architecture
### 8.1 Deployment Model
### 8.2 Physical Components
### 8.3 Network Architecture
### 8.4 Third-party Services

## 9. Development View
### 9.1 Code Organization
### 9.2 Build and Release
### 9.3 Development Environment

## 10. Future Roadmap
### 10.1 Planned Enhancements
### 10.2 Migration Strategy
### 10.3 Technical Debt

## Appendices
### A. Reference Documents
### B. Additional Diagrams

Technical Design Template

# [Feature/Component] Technical Design

## Document Control
- **Version:** 1.0
- **Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
- **Status:** [Draft/Review/Approved]
- **Authors:** [Names]
- **Reviewers:** [Names]

## 1. Overview
### 1.1 Purpose
### 1.2 Scope
### 1.3 Background

## 2. Requirements
### 2.1 Functional Requirements
### 2.2 Non-functional Requirements
### 2.3 Constraints

## 3. Design
### 3.1 Solution Approach
### 3.2 Component Design
### 3.3 Interfaces
### 3.4 Data Model
### 3.5 Error Handling
### 3.6 Security Considerations

## 4. Implementation Details
### 4.1 Key Algorithms
### 4.2 Libraries and Frameworks
### 4.3 Configuration
### 4.4 Performance Considerations

## 5. Testing Approach
### 5.1 Test Strategy
### 5.2 Test Cases
### 5.3 Test Data

## 6. Deployment
### 6.1 Installation Steps
### 6.2 Configuration Requirements
### 6.3 Dependencies

## 7. Maintenance
### 7.1 Monitoring
### 7.2 Troubleshooting
### 7.3 Backup and Recovery

## 8. Risks and Mitigations
### 8.1 Identified Risks
### 8.2 Mitigation Strategies

## Appendices
### A. Reference Documents
### B. Glossary

Tools and Formats

Documentation Formats

Use these formats for documentation:

Markdown: For most technical documentation
AsciiDoc: For complex technical documentation
HTML/CSS: For published web documentation
PDF: For formal documentation deliverables
Office formats: Only when required by specific stakeholders

Documentation Tools

Standardize on these tools:

Git: For version control
Static Site Generators: MkDocs, Docusaurus, or Jekyll
Wiki Systems: Confluence or MediaWiki
API Documentation: Swagger/OpenAPI, Postman
Diagramming: See Diagram Tools section

Integration with Development Tools

Integrate documentation with development:

Link issues/tickets to documentation updates
Include documentation in Definition of Done
Review documentation changes in code reviews
Generate API documentation from code annotations
Automate documentation builds and publishing

Knowledge Sharing

Documentation Discoverability

Make documentation easy to find:

Maintain a central documentation portal
Use consistent location within repositories
Implement robust search functionality
Categorize and tag documentation
Link related documentation together
Advertise new and updated documentation

Training and Onboarding

Use documentation for team enablement:

Include documentation review in onboarding
Conduct technical writing workshops
Share examples of high-quality documentation
Recognize contributions to documentation
Make documentation improvement part of career growth

Documentation Culture

Foster a culture of documentation:

Emphasize documentation as a first-class deliverable
Allocate project time specifically for documentation
Celebrate good documentation practices
Include documentation quality in performance reviews
Lead by example with well-documented architectural decisions

Version History

Version	Date	Description
1.0	2025-03-20	Initial version

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