Documentation/Technical documentation templates and suggestions

Overview
This page provides some tips for designing and writing in specific types (genres) of technical documentation for software development. Different kinds of technical documentation often have specific features, which set them apart from other genres. A number of genres or document types are used frequently by technical documentarians to communicate information to audiences.

Each genre may have particular features documentarians include or audiences expect. When documentarians choose genres that audiences are familiar with and expect, this can help the audience understand more easily.

When you know your audience and what kind of information you would like to convey, it can be helpful to decide on a specific genre or document type before you start writing. When you know what kind of document you are creating, you may find it easier to structure the document and format your information.

Some examples of genre

 * FAQ
 * Walkthrough
 * Tutorial
 * Quick Start Guide
 * Reference Guide
 * Glossary
 * Code, SDK, API Documentation
 * Trouble shooting
 * Release notes
 * Feature notes
 * Tickets (task, bugs, features request, etc)
 * Technical manual
 * White paper
 * Blog post, general communications
 * ...And More