Minimal Documentation vs Waterfall Documentation
Developers should adopt Minimal Documentation in agile or fast-paced environments where documentation tends to become outdated quickly, such as in startups, open-source projects, or iterative development cycles meets developers should use waterfall documentation in projects with well-defined, stable requirements and low uncertainty, such as government contracts, safety-critical systems, or large-scale enterprise applications where regulatory compliance is essential. Here's our take.
Minimal Documentation
Developers should adopt Minimal Documentation in agile or fast-paced environments where documentation tends to become outdated quickly, such as in startups, open-source projects, or iterative development cycles
Minimal Documentation
Nice PickDevelopers should adopt Minimal Documentation in agile or fast-paced environments where documentation tends to become outdated quickly, such as in startups, open-source projects, or iterative development cycles
Pros
- +It is particularly useful for reducing time spent on non-coding tasks and ensuring that documentation aligns with actual code functionality, making it easier for teams to onboard new members or maintain codebases without sifting through irrelevant details
- +Related to: agile-development, code-comments
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
Waterfall Documentation
Developers should use Waterfall Documentation in projects with well-defined, stable requirements and low uncertainty, such as government contracts, safety-critical systems, or large-scale enterprise applications where regulatory compliance is essential
Pros
- +It is particularly valuable when clear communication among stakeholders, rigorous change control, and audit trails are priorities, as it helps prevent scope creep and ensures all parties have a shared understanding of the project from the outset
- +Related to: software-development-lifecycle, project-management
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
The Verdict
Use Minimal Documentation if: You want it is particularly useful for reducing time spent on non-coding tasks and ensuring that documentation aligns with actual code functionality, making it easier for teams to onboard new members or maintain codebases without sifting through irrelevant details and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.
Use Waterfall Documentation if: You prioritize it is particularly valuable when clear communication among stakeholders, rigorous change control, and audit trails are priorities, as it helps prevent scope creep and ensures all parties have a shared understanding of the project from the outset over what Minimal Documentation offers.
Developers should adopt Minimal Documentation in agile or fast-paced environments where documentation tends to become outdated quickly, such as in startups, open-source projects, or iterative development cycles
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