The Role of Documentation in Agile Software Development 🚣
The Role of Documentation in Agile Software Development 🚣 관련
If you want your code to be top-notch, you need to understand how to write good documentation. If you think documentation is just about scribbling down how the code works, you’re wrong. It's about explaining why it works, not just how it works. That’s where most people miss the mark.
1. 🚡 Create Useful Docs (Explain Why, Not Just How)
When you write documentation, you're not just throwing down some instructions for how to use the code. You're telling the next person (or even yourself in the future) why this piece of code exists in the first place. That’s the difference between good and bad documentation.
Bad docs leave people scratching their heads. They’re too vague, too simple, and they don’t answer the big questions. If your documentation is unclear, that likely means your thinking is unclear. You’re basically saying, "I don’t care if you understand this, it works, just use it." That’s not helpful.
Great documentation answers the tough questions:
- ✅ Why did you choose this approach over another?
- ✅ Why does this function exist? What problem does it solve?
- ✅ Why did you write this code the way you did?
If your docs are just regurgitating how to use the code, you’re not being as helpful as you can be. Start thinking deeper and explaining the reasoning behind everything.
2. ⏳ Keep the Docs Updated (Outdated Docs Are Worse Than No Docs)
Outdated documentation is the worst. In fact, it can be worse than having no docs at all. When you leave documentation that’s out of sync with the code, you’re doing your future self — or whoever has to deal with it next — a huge disservice.
Every time your code changes, your documentation needs to change too. It has to reflect the current state of things. Don’t mislead future developers (or yourself) by leaving outdated info that will only confuse them and waste their time. If something is no longer relevant, delete it. Outdated documentation is the equivalent of a cluttered mind — it holds you back.
Make it a habit to check and update your documentation regularly. The minute a line of code changes, so should your documentation. Period.
3. 🚆 Integrate Comments (Good Comments in Code Are Part of Documentation)
Here’s the deal — comments in your code should integrate with your documentation. Good comments aren’t just a crutch for developers who can’t explain their code elsewhere. They should improve your docs, not replace them.
Comments are supplements to your documentation. You write clean, understandable code that needs minimal explanation, but when something isn’t crystal clear, throw in a comment. Remember the rule for comments in your code: explain the why, not the how. It’s the same here. Don’t repeat yourself. Let your code do the talking. Comments should complement the bigger picture of your documentation, not act as a band-aid for sloppy code.
🪧 Great code should be self-explanatory. Fix the code, then add comments for clarification if necessary. Keep comments clean, short, and to the point.
If you want to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code, documentation is key. Stop thinking of docs as an afterthought or something you do to fill space. It’s an extension of your code — your way of communicating clearly and effectively. It’s your roadmap for future developers, and it’s a reflection of your thought process.