Chapter 12: Creating Documentation

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Writing is easy. All you do is sit and stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.

—Gene Fowler

Overview

Apparently software authors as a group don’t have the fortitude to actually dab blood off their foreheads. At least, that’s one possible explanation for the generally abysmal state of software documentation today, from small freeware applications to large commercial shrink-wrapped products. Nevertheless, even if you find it difficult, writing documentation is a necessary part of the process of producing a product. No matter how good your code is, if people can’t figure out how to use it, they won’t be interested in your product—or you’ll be inundated with complaints and tech support requests.

In this chapter I’ll look at some tools and techniques for producing your own documentation. I’ll start with the most difficult part of the job (help files for end users) and then touch on help for developers, help for teams, and other issues.

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