Greetings, dear readers of! 👩🏼🎤
There are many challenges in the world of software development, and one of them is facing projects that lack proper documentation. This often leaves one feeling lost and perplexed, just as a traveler finds himself in a dark forest without a map or compass. At such moments, the first thought that comes to mind is “Maybe it’s better to turn back?”
However, despite the initial confusion, such situations provide a unique opportunity to become the real hero of the project. Imagine what a respected and cool specialist you will become by creating a documentation system from scratch!
With such a powerful incentive, I decided to get down to business:
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Development of templates for standardization: Let’s start by creating a set of templates that will help us describe every aspect of the project in a consistent style and format. This will not only make the documentation process easier, but also make it more convenient and understandable for the entire team.
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Database Analysis: The database is the cornerstone of any project. Without a deep understanding of its structure, it is impossible to build a clear picture of the entire project. Therefore, we will start with a detailed analysis of the database to ensure that we have a complete understanding of its structure and the relationships between the data.
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Creating a service card: Let’s lay out all the services and their relationships on the table. This will help us visualize the operation of our system as a whole and better understand its architecture. In addition, this will give us the opportunity to identify possible bottlenecks and problem areas that require additional attention.
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Test process documentation: A clearly defined testing process is a key element of a successful project. It not only helps us ensure the quality of the product, but also improves the efficiency of the entire team. Therefore, we will be sure to create detailed documentation on the testing process so that we have a clear strategy and action plan at each stage of development.
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Description of use cases: Let’s imagine ourselves as a user and describe typical scenarios for using our product. This will help us better understand its functionality and user needs, as well as identify possible improvements and additional functional requirements.
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API documentation using Swagger: API documentation is an integral part of any modern project. It allows other developers to easily and efficiently interact with our product using our APIs.
Cool, where do we start?
The first step is to collect information. The event storming method will help us with this – a powerful tool for collaboration and collecting knowledge about the project.
By assembling the team and dividing it into different areas of responsibility (backend, frontend, database and business), we gave each group their own space on a virtual whiteboard in Miro and allowed their creativity to run wild.
During this process, each group described everything they knew about their field, and I moved from team to team, asking clarifying questions and picking up key points.
The result exceeded all our expectations: a huge picture appeared on the Miro board with a ton of valuable information, and each team received a clear understanding of their area of responsibility.
What’s next? All that remains is to set priorities and start creating documentation based on the information collected.
PS Event storming is not just a method for researching customer experience. This is a real art that allows you to dive deeply into the subject area of a project and form a clear understanding of its structure and functioning.
Use this powerful tool in your work and reach new heights in software development!
And we will continue to analyze the collected information and share our stages in restoring documentation on our project.
Research also demonstrates how lack of documentation can affect a project:
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Increased development time: A study conducted by VDC Research found that lack of proper documentation can increase development time by 25-30%.
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Increased number of errors: According to a report from the Standish Group Institute, projects without proper documentation face a 20-25% increase in errors.
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Increased support and maintenance costs: A study by Forrester Consulting found that lack of documentation can increase product support and maintenance costs by 30-35%.
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Deteriorating user experience: A survey conducted by UserTesting found that the lack of sufficient documentation makes using the product difficult and inconvenient for more than 70% of users.
These numbers highlight the importance of developing quality documentation for successful project completion. Even a small increase in development time or error rate can have serious consequences for the project and its business goals.
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