Modern Technical Writing: An Introduction to Software Documentation

This slender volume provides the foundational knowledge to start creating and publishing great software documentation. Written by the lead technical writer at one of Silicon Valley's most exciting companies, Modern Technical Writing is a set of guiding principles and thoughtful recommendations for new and experienced technical writers alike. Not a reference manual, and not comprehensive, it instead serves as an introduction to a sensible writing and publishing process, one that has eluded the profession for too long. 1.Introduction 2.Basics 1. Don't Write 2.Define theAudience 3. Basic FunctionalDocumentation 4.Style 5.Catalog the Diff 6.Build aWebsite 7. HelpOthersWrite 8. PublishFrequently 3.Specifics 1.UseLightweightMarkup 2. Use Distributed VersionControl 3. Don'tDuplicate 4. Make Static Websi 5. Rsyne 6. Metrics 7.Script Complexity Your Away8. TheLegalProblem 9.Localization 10.ContrivedWorkflow 11. WhatAboutWikis 4. TheGrandFinale 5. Acknowledgments 6. Legal