DDD — Documentation-Driven Development

Think before act

Is it just me, or is that illustration a bit extra?

I’ve been coding for more than 10 years, and let me tell you, I’ve seen almost all — good, bad, and downright ugly. Out of all the misadventures, I think what is going to be mentioned below has the potential to be a real game-changer.

There are countless ways to solve a problem, but what sets us apart is how we understand the problem and come up with the best solution. Understanding the problem is the key point here.

Sometimes, we jump to conclusions faster than a caffeinated rabbit, creating more issues instead of solving them.

So, how do we get a deeper understanding of the problem? The answer is DDD!

Documentation-Driven Development (DDD)

Key Principles:

1. Planning and Clarity:
   - Create detailed documentation before coding.
   - Ensure clear objectives and understanding among team members.
2. Improved Communication:
   - Align the team and engage stakeholders with a single source of truth.
3. Reduced Ambiguity:
   - Avoid misunderstandings with clear references.
   - Ensure consistent implementation.
4. Easier Onboarding:
   - Facilitate quick onboarding for new team members.
   - Preserve and transfer knowledge effectively.
5. Better Maintenance and Scalability:
   - Simplify maintenance and debugging.
   - Plan and implement new features efficiently.
6. Quality Assurance:
   - Define clear acceptance criteria for testing.
   - Ensure traceability of requirements.

Types of Documentation:

1. Requirements Documentation: User stories, use cases, functional/non-functional requirements.
2. Design Documentation: System architecture, data models, diagrams.
3. API Documentation: Specifications, endpoints, request/response formats.
4. Technical Documentation: Code comments, technical guides, manuals.
5. User Documentation: User manuals, help guides, FAQs, tutorials.

Challenges:

• Time-consuming to create and maintain.
• Keeping documentation up-to-date.
• Risk of over-documentation.

Best Practices:

• Integrate documentation into the workflow.
• Automate documentation where possible.
• Keep it concise and relevant.
• Regularly review and update documentation.
• Encourage team contributions and reviews.

DDD helps achieve better organization, collaboration, and quality in software projects.

Bonus: Simple Tech Doc for Mobile