Separate Documentation vs Wet Documentation

Developers should use Separate Documentation when working on complex projects that require detailed explanations beyond what code comments can provide, such as for large-scale systems, public APIs, or user-facing applications meets developers should use wet documentation when working on projects where documentation tends to become outdated quickly, such as in agile environments or with rapidly changing apis, as it enforces synchronization between code and docs. Here's our take.

Separate Documentation

Nice Pick

Developers should use Separate Documentation when working on complex projects that require detailed explanations beyond what code comments can provide, such as for large-scale systems, public APIs, or user-facing applications

Pros

• It is particularly valuable in collaborative environments where non-technical team members or external users need clear guidance, as it centralizes information and reduces reliance on codebase familiarity
• Related to: documentation-tools, api-documentation

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Wet Documentation

Developers should use Wet Documentation when working on projects where documentation tends to become outdated quickly, such as in agile environments or with rapidly changing APIs, as it enforces synchronization between code and docs

Pros

• It's particularly valuable for libraries, frameworks, or internal tools where accurate, up-to-date documentation is critical for usability and reduces the risk of misleading information
• Related to: documentation-generation, code-comments

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Separate Documentation if: You want it is particularly valuable in collaborative environments where non-technical team members or external users need clear guidance, as it centralizes information and reduces reliance on codebase familiarity and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Wet Documentation if: You prioritize it's particularly valuable for libraries, frameworks, or internal tools where accurate, up-to-date documentation is critical for usability and reduces the risk of misleading information over what Separate Documentation offers.

The Bottom Line

Separate Documentation wins

Developers should use Separate Documentation when working on complex projects that require detailed explanations beyond what code comments can provide, such as for large-scale systems, public APIs, or user-facing applications