How to Create and Maintain Technical Documentation for Small to Complex Projects

ProfilePicture of Trevor Wencl
Trevor Wencl
Software Architect
A laptop with a file cabinet on the screen with documentation on it.
Originally published on Oct 5, 2020Last updated on Jan 4, 2024

Key Takeaways

What is technical documentation?

Technical documentation is a type of documentation that describes the technical aspects of a product or service. It includes any written materials, such as manuals, user guides, whitepapers, technical specifications, and help files, that provide information on how to use or operate a product or service.

What should good technical documentation include?

Good technical documentation should include information on source control, hosting, deployment, development environment setup, and important services and credentials. It's crucial to have these topics documented for the smooth operation of the project and to enable new team members to quickly understand the system.

What are examples of technical documentation?

Some common examples of technical documentation include user manuals that provide instructions on how to use a product or service, technical specifications that provide detailed information about the technical aspects of a product or service, API documentation that provide information on how to use an API, release notes that provide information on changes and updates to a product or service, and whitepapers that provide in-depth information on a particular topic or technology.

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