Why You Do Software Documentation?
Software documentation is often overlooked in the age of self-documenting code. However, even projects that are perfectly written eventually grow so large that they require documentation for a few important reasons.
First Reason - Understanding the Big Picture
Documentation goes beyond listing features in the app. It's more like a business snapshot of a project. Documentation should explain WHY and WHAT, and only touch on the topic of HOW, because developers can figure out HOW on their own from the code. But to truly understand it, they need context.
Second Reason - Speeds Up Onboarding
For newcomers entering the development world, documentation acts as a detailed manual, offering more than just a quick look into the program's workings. Instead, it serves as a source of truth when learning about new business. It's much easier to onboard onto a documented project with a well-described database than to onboard onto a legacy system with no guidelines at all.
Third Reason - Fixing Problems
When faced with challenges or issues within the program, well-crafted documentation becomes crucial. It's good to know how things should work. It's also a common approach to include FAQs (or Frequently Encountered Bugs) in the documentation.
Fourth Reason - Working Together
Effective teamwork relies on a shared language and understanding of the project. Documentation acts as a glossary. When everyone is using the same documented terms, discussions about "User" will be clear and consistent.
In essence, software documentation is NOT just paperwork. It should be an integral part of every software project.