dokumentaation

Dokumentaation refers to the process and result of documenting information about a product, system, process, or service. It includes creating, organizing, and maintaining documents that convey knowledge to audiences such as users, developers, administrators, and regulators.

Purpose and audiences: Documentation enables use, maintenance, compliance, and knowledge transfer. Typical audiences include end users who need manuals and tutorials, developers who require API references and design notes, operators who require setup and troubleshooting information, and auditors who verify governance.

Content and structure: Documentation commonly covers overview, prerequisites, installation and configuration, operation, troubleshooting, and appendices like glossary and index. It should be accurate, complete, citable, versioned, and organized with clear navigation.

Lifecycle and workflow: Documentation is created alongside product development, reviewed by subject matter experts, stored in version control, localized if needed, and published through appropriate channels. It may be maintained as code, enabling updates via the same processes as software.

Standards and quality: Style guides, consistent terminology, accessibility, searchability, and metadata improve usability. Quality attributes include accuracy, completeness, conciseness, and maintainability. Localization and accessibility considerations are increasingly important.

Tools and formats: Documentation can be produced with wikis, word processors, or static-site generators. Common formats include HTML, PDF, Markdown, reStructuredText, and DITA. API documentation often relies on automated extraction from source code and dedicated doc tooling.

Impact and challenges: Good documentation reduces support load, aids onboarding, and supports compliance, but keeping content aligned with rapid product changes requires disciplined review, feedback loops, and ongoing maintenance.