Docs as Tests: No More Broken Docs - Manny Silva, Skyflow
Updated: February 25, 2025
Summary
The video delves into the concept of "Doc as Tests" as a strategy to ensure accurate and trustworthy documentation. It emphasizes the importance of validation through methods like style linting and link checking. By implementing this approach, it saves time, maintains user trust, and improves documentation accuracy, ultimately leading to increased product trust and decreased support costs.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction and Background
The Historical Definition of Documentation
Introduction to Doc as Tests
What Doc as Tests Includes
Docs Observability
Benefits of Docs as Tests
Core Principles of Doc as Tests
Practical Implementation of Doc as Tests
Testing Procedures with Doc Detective
Demo of Doc Detective
Tooling and Test Strategies
Ensuring Product Trust
Closing Remarks and Resources
Introduction and Background
The speaker introduces himself and talks about his background in technical writing and the challenges faced in documentation accuracy.
The Historical Definition of Documentation
The speaker discusses the historical definition of documentation and its importance.
Introduction to Doc as Tests
The concept of "Doc as Tests" is introduced, highlighting the need for documentation accuracy and trust in the product.
What Doc as Tests Includes
Details on what "Doc as Tests" includes, such as style linting, link checking, and format validation.
Docs Observability
A brief overview of the concept of docs observability and its importance in tracking user activity.
Benefits of Docs as Tests
Explanation of how "Docs as Tests" can save time, maintain user trust, and improve documentation accuracy.
Core Principles of Doc as Tests
Core principles of implementing "Doc as Tests" strategy, emphasizing validation of doc content.
Practical Implementation of Doc as Tests
Guidelines on implementing "Doc as Tests" in practice, focusing on meaningful testing, testing production environments, and reducing support costs.
Testing Procedures with Doc Detective
Introduction to using Doc Detective for testing procedures, including API testing and UI validation.
Demo of Doc Detective
A live demonstration of using Doc Detective to validate documentation content and screenshots.
Tooling and Test Strategies
Discussion on tooling, test strategies, and priorities in implementing doc as tests effectively.
Ensuring Product Trust
Emphasizing the importance of having accurate documentation to build product trust and prevent user-discovered issues.
Closing Remarks and Resources
Final remarks on the benefits of doc as tests, available resources, feature requests, and open-source collaboration opportunities.
FAQ
Q: What is the historical definition of documentation?
A: Documentation is the process of recording, categorizing, and storing information for future reference or use.
Q: What is the concept of 'Doc as Tests' and why is it important?
A: 'Doc as Tests' is the idea of treating documentation as a testing tool to ensure its accuracy and build trust in the product. It includes activities like style linting, link checking, and format validation.
Q: What is the significance of 'Docs observability' in documentation?
A: 'Docs observability' is crucial for tracking user activity and understanding how documentation is being utilized. It helps in identifying gaps, popular sections, and areas needing improvement.
Q: How can 'Docs as Tests' save time and improve documentation accuracy?
A: By treating documentation as tests, time is saved through automated checking processes, maintaining user trust, and ensuring high accuracy levels in the documentation.
Q: What are the core principles for implementing the 'Doc as Tests' strategy?
A: The core principles include validating doc content, focusing on accuracy, and ensuring that documentation is up-to-date and trustworthy.
Q: What are the guidelines for implementing 'Doc as Tests' in practice?
A: Guidelines include conducting meaningful testing, testing in production environments, and aiming to reduce support costs by catching errors early.
Q: What is 'Doc Detective' and how is it used for testing procedures?
A: 'Doc Detective' is a tool used for testing documentation content and screenshots. It includes features like API testing and UI validation to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Q: What are the key considerations in implementing 'Doc as Tests' effectively?
A: Key considerations include selecting appropriate tooling, defining comprehensive test strategies, and prioritizing testing areas based on importance and impact.
Q: How does having accurate documentation contribute to building product trust and preventing user-discovered issues?
A: Accurate documentation instills confidence in users, reduces confusion, and minimizes the likelihood of users encountering issues due to misinformation or lack of guidance.
Q: What are some final remarks on the benefits of 'Doc as Tests'?
A: Final remarks may include highlighting the efficiency gains, improved user experience, available resources for further exploration, potential feature requests, and opportunities for collaboration in the open-source community.
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