As we close out 2023, we at DevOps.com wanted to highlight the most popular articles of the year. Following is the latest in our series of the Best of 2023.
Documentation-as-code (DaC) is a growing trend in the world of software development. It is a philosophy that treats software documentation in the same way as software code. In other words, it means writing, storing, managing and delivering documentation through the same systems used for code. This approach is becoming an important part of DevOps culture, facilitating efficient and effective collaboration between development and operations teams.
The concept of documentation-as-code borrows practices from software development and applies them to the realm of documentation. Writing documentation-as-code allows us to use tools and processes that are already familiar to us from the software development process, such as version control, automated testing and continuous integration. This results in documentation that is more consistent, up-to-date and faster to produce, all while being stored in a format that is easily readable by both humans and machines.
Documentation-as-code enables a shift-left approach to documentation, where documentation is created and updated early and often. This shift results in more accurate, timely and relevant documentation since it is updated as the code changes. Furthermore, because documentation is treated as code, it becomes a part of the development process rather than an afterthought. This approach helps to bridge the gap between development and operations, making it easier for teams to deliver high-quality software at a faster pace.
5 Principles of Documentation-as-Code
Version Control
One of the key principles of documentation-as-code is version control. Just as with code, documentation changes over time. New features are added, old ones are deprecated and bugs are fixed. Therefore, it’s necessary to track these changes and have the possibility to revert to previous versions if needed. This is where version control comes into play.
Version control systems like Git are perfect for managing documentation. They allow you to track changes, create different versions of documents and merge changes from different contributors. This makes it easier to collaborate on documentation and ensures you always have a history of changes.
Plain Text Formats
Another principle of documentation-as-code is the use of plain text formats. Plain text formats, such as Markdown or reStructuredText, are easy to read and write, and they can be version-controlled and diffed, just like code. This makes it easy for anyone on the team to contribute to the documentation.
Plain text formats are also platform-independent, meaning they can be read and edited on any operating system. This is a huge advantage over proprietary formats like Word, which require specific editing software and may not be compatible across different platforms.
Furthermore, plain text formats can be easily converted to other formats like HTML or PDF for publishing. This means you can write your documentation once in a plain text format and then generate a variety of output formats for different audiences or purposes.
Collaboration and Peer Review
Documentation-as-code promotes collaboration and peer review. Because documentation is stored in a version control system and written in a plain text format, it’s easy for anyone on the team to contribute to the documentation. This means that developers, testers, operations staff and even customers can all contribute to the documentation, resulting in more comprehensive and accurate documentation.
In addition to facilitating collaboration, documentation-as-code also encourages peer review. Just like code, documentation can benefit from being reviewed by others. This can help to catch errors, improve clarity, and ensure consistency. Many version control systems have built-in tools for code review that can be used for documentation as well.
Automated Testing and Deployment
Just like code, documentation can and should be tested. Automated testing of documentation can help to catch errors like broken links, missing images or incorrect formatting. There are many tools available that can automatically test your documentation, and these can be integrated into your continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, just like your code tests.
In addition to testing, documentation can also be automatically deployed. For example, when you push changes to your documentation repository, your CI/CD pipeline can automatically build and deploy the updated documentation to your website or documentation portal. This ensures that your documentation is always up-to-date and matches the current state of your software.
Single Source of Truth
The final principle of documentation-as-code is the concept of a single source of truth. This means that there should be one, and only one, definitive source of information for each piece of documentation. This source should be stored in a version control system, and all published versions of the documentation should be generated from this source.
Having a single source of truth ensures consistency across all versions of your documentation. It also makes it easier to manage and update your documentation, since you only have to update one source, rather than multiple copies.
Benefits of Documentation-as-Code for DevOps Teams
Improved Collaboration
In traditional setups, documentation is often seen as a secondary function; something that’s done after the actual coding. This approach often leads to bottlenecks and miscommunications, with developers and operations teams working in silos.
With DaC, documentation becomes part of the code itself. This means that everyone on the team has a stake in keeping it updated and accurate. It promotes shared responsibility and understanding, fostering a culture of collaboration.
Greater Consistency and Accuracy
Another key advantage of DaC is its contribution to consistency and accuracy. By treating documentation like code, we can use the same tools and practices used for code review and testing to validate our documentation.
This approach ensures that our documents adhere to specified standards and are free from errors. It also enables us to automate the process of checking for consistency in terms, formatting and structure, saving us from tedious manual work and reducing the chances of human error.
Moreover, since the documentation lives alongside the code, it’s easier to keep it in sync with the system’s current state. This ensures that our documentation always accurately reflects the system, eliminating the confusion and inefficiencies that come with outdated or inaccurate documents.
Streamlined Update and Maintenance Processes
DaC streamlines the processes of updating and maintaining documentation. Traditional documentation often becomes outdated quickly, requiring significant time and effort to update.
But with DaC, updates become part of the development process. Whenever code changes, the documentation changes with it. This removes the burden of having to update documentation separately and ensures that it’s always up to date.
DaC Best Practices for DevOps Teams
Here are a few best practices to help you effectively implement documentation-as-code in your DevOps pipeline.
Start Early
One of the best practices to implement DaC is to start early. Begin documenting as soon as you start coding. This ensures that the documentation grows organically with the code and reduces the likelihood of important details being forgotten or overlooked.
Use Lightweight Markup Languages
When implementing DaC, it’s advisable to use lightweight markup languages like Markdown or AsciiDoc. These languages are easy to learn and use, and they allow you to write documentation that’s readable both in its raw form and when rendered to HTML or other formats.
Documentation Reviews and Feedback Loop
Just like code reviews, documentation reviews should be a regular part of your development process. This ensures that the documentation is accurate, comprehensive, and adheres to your team’s standards. Also, incorporate a feedback loop for your documentation. This allows your team to continuously improve the documentation based on feedback from users and stakeholders.
Modularity and Reusability
Lastly, design your documentation for modularity and reusability. Break it down into small, manageable pieces that can be easily updated and reused across different parts of the application.
Conclusion
Documentation-as-code is an invaluable tool for DevOps teams. It improves collaboration, ensures consistency and accuracy, facilitates version control and streamlines the update and maintenance processes. By adhering to the best practices outlined in this blog post, you can harness the full potential of DaC and significantly enhance your team’s efficiency and effectiveness.
