Documentation Standards

This document provides guidelines and standards for creating, maintaining, and organizing documentation across all Bayat projects.

Introduction

Documentation is a critical aspect of software development that ensures knowledge transfer, maintenance, and effective onboarding. This meta-documentation guide establishes standards for all documentation at Bayat.

Documentation Principles

Accurate and Current: Documentation must be correct and up-to-date
Audience-Focused: Written with specific users in mind
Discoverable: Easy to find through search and navigation
Consistent: Following established conventions and formats
Concise: Communication with clarity and brevity
Maintainable: Designed for easy updates

Documentation Lifecycle

Documentation should follow a defined lifecycle:

Planning: Identify audience and purpose
Creation: Write according to standards
Review: Validate for accuracy and clarity
Publication: Make accessible to intended audience
Maintenance: Regular updates and revisions
Archiving: Proper handling of outdated material

Documentation Types

Project Documentation

README.md:

Every project must have a README.md in the repository root
Must include: project name, description, setup instructions, and contribution guidelines

Follow the standard README template

Example README structure:

# Project Name

Brief description of the project.

## Features

- Key feature 1
- Key feature 2
- Key feature 3

## Installation

Prerequisites and installation steps.

## Usage

Basic usage examples.

## Development

Instructions for setting up the development environment.

## Contributing

Guidelines for contributing to the project.

## License

License information.

Architecture Documentation:
- System overview diagrams
- Component descriptions
- Integration points
- Data models
- Decision records
API Documentation:
- API reference (endpoints, methods, parameters)
- Authentication details
- Request/response examples
- Error handling

User-Facing Documentation

User Guides:
- Step-by-step instructions
- Organized by user tasks
- Screenshots and visual aids
Tutorials:
- Goal-oriented learning content
- Progressive difficulty
- Complete workflow examples
FAQs:
- Common questions and answers
- Categorized by topic
- Updated based on support requests

Internal Documentation

Dev Environment Setup:
- Environment setup instructions
- Tool configurations
- Access requirements
Process Documentation:
- Development workflows
- Release procedures
- Testing protocols
- Incident response plans
Meeting Notes and Decisions:
- Standard format for meeting documentation
- Decision log with context and reasoning
- Action items with assignees and deadlines

File Organization

Repository Structure

Documentation should be organized in a consistent structure across all repositories:

Root Level Documentation:
- README.md: Project overview
- CONTRIBUTING.md: Contribution guidelines
- LICENSE: License information
- CHANGELOG.md: Version history

Documentation Directory Structure:

/docs: Main documentation directory

/docs/architecture: Architecture documentation
/docs/api: API documentation
/docs/user-guides: End-user documentation
/docs/contributing: Developer guidelines

/docs/operations: Operational procedures

Example directory structure:

/
├── README.md
├── CONTRIBUTING.md
├── LICENSE
├── CHANGELOG.md
└── docs/
    ├── architecture/
    │   ├── overview.md
    │   ├── components.md
    │   └── decisions/
    │       ├── 001-database-choice.md
    │       └── 002-authentication-system.md
    ├── api/
    │   ├── overview.md
    │   ├── authentication.md
    │   └── endpoints/
    │       ├── users.md
    │       └── products.md
    ├── user-guides/
    │   ├── getting-started.md
    │   └── advanced-features.md
    ├── contributing/
    │   ├── code-style.md
    │   ├── testing.md
    │   └── pull-request-process.md
    └── operations/
        ├── deployment.md
        ├── monitoring.md
        └── incident-response.md

Naming Conventions

File Naming:
- Use kebab-case for all documentation files (e.g., api-reference.md)
- Use descriptive, concise names
- Group related documents in subdirectories
Image Naming:
- Use consistent prefixes to indicate content type
- Include version number if applicable
- Example: screenshot-user-profile-v2.png

Writing Style Guide

General Principles

Voice and Tone:
- Use active voice
- Maintain a professional but approachable tone
- Be direct and concise
Formatting Consistency:
- Standardize headings (sentence case)
- Use consistent terminology throughout
- Maintain consistent formatting for code, variables, and UI elements
Language Standards:
- Use American English spelling
- Avoid jargon and slang
- Define acronyms on first use
- Use inclusive language

Content Standards

Headers and Structure:
- Use clear, descriptive headers
- Maintain a logical hierarchy
- Limit nesting to 3 levels of headings
Paragraphs:
- Keep paragraphs short (3-5 sentences)
- Focus on one idea per paragraph
- Use transitional phrases between paragraphs

Lists:

Use bulleted lists for unordered items
Use numbered lists for sequential steps

Keep list items parallel in structure

Example of good vs. poor formatting:

Good Example:

## User Authentication

To authenticate a user:

1. Call the `/auth/login` endpoint with user credentials
2. Store the returned JWT token
3. Include the token in the Authorization header for subsequent requests

Poor Example:

## Authentication

You need to authenticate. First call login, then you'll get a token. 
Make sure you use it in your API calls or they won't work. The API will 
return a 401 error if you don't include the token properly.

Markdown Standards

Syntax Standards

Headers:
- Use ATX-style headers with space after hash (# Header)
- Maintain hierarchy (don't skip levels)
- Add blank lines before and after headers
Lists:
- Use - for unordered lists
- Add space after list marker
- Indent nested lists with 2 spaces

Code Blocks:

Use fenced code blocks with language specified
Use inline code for short references

Prefer syntax highlighting for readability

Example of proper Markdown formatting:

# Document Title

## First Section

This paragraph explains the first section.

- List item one
- List item two
- Nested item
- Another nested item
- List item three

### Subsection

Here's how to use the function:

```javascript
function example() {
console.log('Hello, world!');
}
```

Inline code looks like `this` in a sentence.

Links and References

Internal Links:
- Use relative links for internal documentation
- Include anchor links for specific sections
- Verify all internal links work

External Links:

Include descriptive link text (avoid "click here")
Specify when a link is external

Consider link durability

Example of proper linking:

See the \1\2) for more details.

For additional background, review the [IETF OAuth specification](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6749) (external link).

Documentation in Code

Code Comments

Comment Standards:
- Use consistent comment style per language
- Focus on why, not what (code shows what)
- Document non-obvious behavior

Function/Method Documentation:

Use standardized doc comments (JSDoc, Python docstrings, etc.)
Document parameters, return values, and exceptions

Include usage examples for complex functions

Example of good code documentation:

/**
 * Calculate the discount price based on user tier and product category.
*
* @param {number} price - The original product price
* @param {string} userTier - Customer tier ('standard', 'premium', 'vip')
* @param {string} category - Product category code
* @returns {number} The calculated discount price
* @throws {Error} If userTier is invalid
*
* @example
* // Returns 85 (15% discount for premium user)
* calculateDiscountPrice(100, 'premium', 'electronics')
*/
function calculateDiscountPrice(price, userTier, category) {
// Implementation...
}

API Documentation

API Documentation Standards:

Use OpenAPI/Swagger for REST APIs
Document GraphQL schemas with descriptions
Include authentication requirements

Provide request/response examples

Example of OpenAPI documentation:

paths:
/users/{id}:
    get:
    summary: Get a user by ID
    description: Returns a single user by their unique identifier
    parameters:
        - name: id
        in: path
        required: true
        description: The user's unique identifier
        schema:
            type: integer
    responses:
        '200':
        description: A user object
        content:
            application/json:
            schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/User'
        '404':
        description: User not found

Diagrams and Visuals

Diagram Standards

Diagram Types:
- System architecture diagrams (C4 model preferred)
- Sequence diagrams for interactions
- Entity-relationship diagrams for data models
- State diagrams for complex workflows

Creation Standards:

Use source-controlled diagram formats (e.g., Mermaid, PlantUML)
Include diagrams directly in Markdown when possible

Maintain consistent styling across diagrams

Example of a Mermaid diagram in Markdown:

## User Registration Flow

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant API
    participant DB
    User->>API: POST /users (Create Account)
    API->>DB: Store User Data
    DB-->>API: User Created
    API-->>User: 201 Created (User Data)
    API->>User: Send Verification Email
    User->>API: GET /verify?token=xyz
    API->>DB: Update User (Verified)
    API-->>User: 200 OK (Verification Complete)
```

Image Standards

Screenshot Guidelines:
- Capture only relevant portions of the UI
- Use consistent window size and zoom level
- Highlight important elements
- Use descriptive alt text for accessibility
Image Formats:
- Use SVG for diagrams and illustrations
- Use PNG for screenshots with transparency
- Use JPEG for photographs
- Optimize images for web (compress without quality loss)
Image Storage:
- Store images in /docs/assets/images/
- Group by documentation section
- Add dimensions to image references when needed

Documentation Review Process

Review Standards

Technical Accuracy Review:
- Ensure technical accuracy
- Validate all code examples actually work
- Verify API endpoints and parameters
- Test procedures as documented
Usability Review:
- Evaluate clarity and completeness
- Check for logical organization
- Ensure documentation meets audience needs
- Verify alignment with product functionality
Editorial Review:
- Check grammar and spelling
- Ensure consistent terminology
- Validate formatting standards
- Review for inclusive language

Documentation PR Process

Documentation PR Template:
- Summary of changes
- Type of documentation updated
- Screenshot of changes (if applicable)
- Checklist for review criteria

Required Reviewers:

Technical reviewer (subject matter expert)
Editorial reviewer (documentation standards)

Stakeholder reviewer (product owner or manager)

Example PR template for documentation:

## Documentation Change Description
<!-- Describe what's being documented -->

## Type of Documentation
- [ ] User Guide
- [ ] API Reference
- [ ] Architecture Document
- [ ] Process Document
- [ ] Other: __________

## Review Checklist
- [ ] Information is technically accurate
- [ ] Code examples work as described
- [ ] Screenshots are current and clear
- [ ] Conforms to documentation standards
- [ ] No spelling or grammatical errors
- [ ] Links work correctly

## Additional Notes
<!-- Any special considerations for these changes -->

Versioning Documentation

Version Control

Documentation Versioning Strategy:
- Align documentation versions with product releases
- Clearly mark version-specific content
- Maintain documentation for supported versions

Indicating Changes:

Use change indicators for recent updates
Maintain a changelog for documentation

Date stamp significant revisions

Example version indication:

# API Reference

*Version 2.3 - Last updated: 2023-09-15*

> ⚠️ **Version Notice**: API v1 will be deprecated on December 31, 2023. Please migrate to API v2.

## Endpoints

...

Handling Breaking Changes

Breaking Change Documentation:

Highlight breaking changes prominently
Provide migration guides
Include before/after examples

Document rollback procedures

Example breaking change documentation:

## Breaking Changes in v3.0

### Authentication Changes

The authentication mechanism has changed from API keys to JWT tokens.

**Before (v2.x):**
```http
GET /api/users
X-API-Key: your-api-key
```

**After (v3.0):**

```http
GET /api/users
Authorization: Bearer your-jwt-token
```

To migrate to the new authentication system:

1. Generate JWT tokens using the `/auth/token` endpoint
2. Update your API clients to include the token in the Authorization header
3. Update your error handling for the new authentication errors

See the \1\2) for detailed instructions.

Tooling and Automation

Documentation Tools

Recommended Tools:
- Markdown editor with preview (e.g., VS Code)
- Markdown linter (e.g., markdownlint)
- Spelling and grammar checker
- Diagram generation tools (Mermaid, PlantUML)

Documentation Generation:

API documentation from code annotations
Static site generators for documentation sites

Automated screenshot tools

Example documentation automation configuration:

# .github/workflows/docs-validation.yml
name: Documentation Validation

on:
pull_request:
    paths:
    - '**/*.md'
    - 'docs/**'

jobs:
validate-docs:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    
    - name: Markdown Lint
        uses: avto-dev/markdown-lint@v1
        with:
        config: '.markdownlint.json'
        args: './docs'
        
    - name: Check Links
        uses: gaurav-nelson/github-action-markdown-link-check@v1
        
    - name: Spellcheck
        uses: crate-ci/typos@master

Documentation as Code

Principles:
- Treat documentation like code
- Version control all documentation
- Apply CI/CD practices to docs
- Automate validation and publishing

Implementation:

Store documentation in Git repositories
Use pull requests for documentation changes
Implement automated checks

Generate documentation sites from source

Example documentation CI/CD pipeline:

# .github/workflows/publish-docs.yml
name: Publish Documentation

on:
push:
    branches:
    - main
    paths:
    - 'docs/**'
    - 'README.md'

jobs:
build-and-deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    
    - name: Setup Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v2
        with:
        node-version: '14'
        
    - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm install
        
    - name: Build documentation site
        run: npm run docs:build
        
    - name: Deploy to GitHub Pages
        uses: JamesIves/github-pages-deploy-action@4.1.4
        with:
        branch: gh-pages
        folder: docs/dist

Translation and Localization

Localization Standards

Translation Process:
- Identify documentation requiring translation
- Use professional translation services
- Implement technical review of translations
- Update translations with source changes

File Organization:

Organize translations by language code
Maintain parallel structure between languages

Use consistent naming conventions

Example localized documentation structure:

/docs/
├── en/
│   ├── getting-started.md
│   └── api-reference.md
├── fr/
│   ├── getting-started.md
│   └── api-reference.md
├── ja/
│   ├── getting-started.md
│   └── api-reference.md
└── assets/
    └── images/

Writing for Translation

Content Guidelines:
- Use simple, clear language
- Avoid idioms and culture-specific references
- Maintain consistent terminology
- Use standard sentence structure
Implementation:
- Use translation management tools
- Implement language selection in documentation sites
- Include language identifiers in file names

Accessibility Guidelines

Documentation Accessibility

Accessibility Requirements:
- Ensure screen reader compatibility
- Provide text alternatives for images
- Use sufficient color contrast
- Create accessible tables and lists