Documentation

3 reasons to host a docathon for your open source project

lmalivert — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 07:00:00 +0000

3 reasons to host a docathon for your open source project lmalivert Fri, 04/28/2023 - 03:00

A marathon for documentation is a great way to produce or improve the docs for your open source project.

Your open source project's documentation is essential to your customers. Your target audience must understand the purpose of your project and how to use it, and documentation…

Write documentation that actually works for your community

olga-merkulova — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Write documentation that actually works for your community olga-merkulova Thu, 03/16/2023 - 03:00

Establishing good documentation can be difficult, but it's critical to effective communication. Follow this framework for writing and sharing documentation with the right…

What distinguishes successful and sustainable projects from those that disappeared into the void? Spoiler — it's community. Community is what drives an open source project…

4 open source technologies to make writing easier

Jim Hall — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000

4 open source technologies to make writing easier Jim Hall Sat, 01/28/2023 - 03:00

If you are getting started in technical writing, you might be interested in this list of open technologies that make technical writing easier.

I teach university courses on the side, and one of the courses last semester was Writing with Digital Technology, where students learned about different technologies and tools…

Document with BookStack, an open source Confluence alternative

ssddanbrown — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Document with BookStack, an open source Confluence alternative ssddanbrown Tue, 01/03/2023 - 03:00

BookStack is an open source, web-based documentation system, that allows you to create a structured knowledge store for personal, team, or company use.

BookStack is an open source, web-based documentation system, that allows you to create a structured knowledge store for personal, team, or company use. BookStack focuses on…

Improve your documentation with JavaScript

Jim Hall — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Improve your documentation with JavaScript Jim Hall Thu, 12/15/2022 - 03:00

Make your open source project documentation dynamic so it appeals to users of all experience levels.

Open source software projects often have a very diverse user group. Some users might be very adept at using the system and need very little documentation. For these power…

Our favorite markup languages for documentation

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Our favorite markup languages for documentation admin Thu, 12/08/2022 - 03:00

Documentation is critical to open source software projects. We asked our contributors what their favorite markup language is for documentation.

Documentation is important for so many reasons. Readable documentation is even more so. In the world of open source software, documentation is how to use or contribute to an…

7 Git tips for technical writers

kolb — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 08:00:00 +0000

7 Git tips for technical writers kolb Mon, 11/21/2022 - 03:00

Follow along with this demo of how I use Git to write documentation for Foreman.

As a technical writer working for ATIX, my tasks include creating and maintaining documentation for Foreman at github.com/theforeman/foreman-documentation. Git helps me track…

Write documentation like you develop code

lornajane — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Write documentation like you develop code lornajane Fri, 10/28/2022 - 03:00

Don't want documentation to be an afterthought? Try a new approach.

Many engineers and craftspeople are particular about their tools. To do a job well, you need the best tools and the skills to use them. The best tools in software development…

A look inside an EPUB file

Jim Hall — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 07:00:00 +0000

A look inside an EPUB file Jim Hall Tue, 08/16/2022 - 03:00

EPUB files are a great way to publish content using an open format.

eBooks provide a great way to read books, magazines, and other content on the go. Readers can enjoy eBooks to pass the time during long flights and train rides. The most…

Try AsciiDoc instead of Markdown

sethkenlon — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Try AsciiDoc instead of Markdown sethkenlon Mon, 08/15/2022 - 03:00

Next time you write, use AsciiDoc and Asciidoctor as alternatives to Markdown.

I'm a happy user of the XML-based Docbook markup language. To me, it's a precise, explicit, and detailed system that allows me to have contextual and domain-specific metadata…