High-quality and Consistent Content Using Docs-as-Code Tools and Processes

  • Software Documentation
  • 10. June
  • 16:30 - 17:30 PM (CET)
  • finished
  • Presentation Slides
  •  Shavindri Dissanayake

    Shavindri Dissanayake

    • VMware
  •  Renate Kempf

    Renate Kempf

    • VMware

Contents

Technical writers can use docs-as-code processes and tools for single-sourced, up-to-date content. This presentation explores the processes we use to single source content in the product (login required) and in the doc (freely available). We discuss the tools we’re using (git, Markdown, Jekyll) and why, the process we use to review the in-product documentation, and the scripts we developed to add the content to the doc set.

Takeaways

The collaboration resulted in big gains for the product team, customers appreciate having docs without logging in, having content in sync prevents issues with outdated docs, and handling doc bugs is now an interesting challenge.

Prior knowledge

No experience necessary! This presentation is for anyone who is interested in docs as code processes: Technical writers, developers who write, tech writing managers.

Speakers

 Shavindri Dissanayake

Shavindri Dissanayake

  • VMware
Biography

I am a technical writer with over 9 years of experience. I worked in marketing while studying for my Bachelors in Information Technology and wanted to combine both worlds with technical writing. I have worked on user-focused documentation for many products and specialize in developer docs.

 Renate Kempf

Renate Kempf

  • VMware
Biography

Renate Kempf is a Senior Staff Tech Writer at Wavefront by VMware. After getting an M.A. and Ph.D., she fell in love with explaining complicated things to engineers. She believes docs as code can help with documentation quality and consistency and make tech writers' lives easier.