Written Comments vs Automated Documentation Tools

Developers should use written comments to clarify complex algorithms, document assumptions, explain non-obvious code, and provide context for future maintainers, especially in team environments or large projects meets developers should use automated documentation tools to improve code maintainability, enhance team collaboration, and meet compliance or open-source project standards. Here's our take.

Written Comments

Nice Pick

Developers should use written comments to clarify complex algorithms, document assumptions, explain non-obvious code, and provide context for future maintainers, especially in team environments or large projects

Pros

• They are essential for onboarding new team members, reducing technical debt, and ensuring code quality over time, as seen in use cases like open-source contributions, legacy system maintenance, and regulatory compliance in industries like finance or healthcare
• Related to: code-documentation, clean-code

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Automated Documentation Tools

Developers should use automated documentation tools to improve code maintainability, enhance team collaboration, and meet compliance or open-source project standards

Pros

• They are essential for large-scale projects, APIs (e
• Related to: api-documentation, markdown

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Written Comments is a concept while Automated Documentation Tools is a tool. We picked Written Comments based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Written Comments wins

Based on overall popularity. Written Comments is more widely used, but Automated Documentation Tools excels in its own space.