Textual Documentation
Textual documentation refers to written materials that describe, explain, or guide the use of software, APIs, libraries, or systems, typically in plain text or markup formats like Markdown, reStructuredText, or AsciiDoc. It serves as a reference for developers, users, and maintainers to understand functionality, installation, usage, and troubleshooting. This includes README files, API docs, user manuals, and inline code comments.
Developers should learn and use textual documentation to ensure code maintainability, facilitate collaboration, and reduce onboarding time for new team members. It is essential for open-source projects to attract contributors and for enterprise software to comply with standards and support users. Use cases include documenting API endpoints in Swagger/OpenAPI, writing installation guides in READMEs, and creating comprehensive user manuals for complex systems.