Documentation Strategy

This document outlines the documentation strategy for ReX, based on the Trimodal Methodology Framework and domain-based implementation approach. It provides guidance on how to structure documentation to maximize learning efficiency, maintain causal consistency between concepts and implementation, and support different user types and learning styles.

Core Principles

The documentation strategy is guided by the following core principles:

1. Progressive Disclosure: Reveal complexity gradually, starting with fundamentals before advancing to complex topics
2. Concept-Implementation Pairing: Maintain explicit connections between concepts and their implementations
3. Domain-Based Organization: Structure documentation around domains rather than artifact types
4. Multi-Modal Learning Support: Support different learning styles and approaches
5. Cross-Reference Consistency: Maintain consistent cross-referencing between related documents
6. Formatting Consistency: Apply consistent formatting for code, types, and technical references

Document Structure

Each concept document should follow a consistent structure that supports the Trimodal Methodology:

# Concept Name

## Overview
Brief introduction with diagram showing the concept in system context

## Fundamentals (Bottom-Up Implementation)
- Core principles with concrete examples
- Key components and their roles
- Basic implementation example

## Working With the Concept (Top-Down API Design)
- Common patterns
- Configuration options
- Integration examples

## Advanced Concepts (Holistic System Integration)
- Advanced patterns
- Performance considerations
- Implementation details with links to type references

## Related Implementations
- Links to type definitions
- Links to API references

## Examples
- Basic example
- Advanced example

## See Also
- Links to related concepts
- Links to guides

This structure supports progressive disclosure, where readers can engage at their level of interest and expertise:

• Beginners can focus on the Fundamentals section
• Regular users can focus on the Working With section
• Advanced users can dive into the Advanced Concepts section

Implementation Cookbooks

Implementation cookbooks provide a direct connection between concepts and concrete implementations. Each cookbook:

1. Organizes recipes by difficulty level (Fundamental, Intermediate, Advanced)
2. Explicitly links each implementation pattern to its underlying concept
3. Provides complete, working code examples
4. Explains key implementation considerations
5. Identifies common pitfalls and troubleshooting strategies

Learning Paths

To support different user roles and experience levels, the documentation includes structured learning paths:

1. Role-Based Paths: Tailored sequences for Application Developers, Content System Implementers, System Architects, etc.
2. Experience-Based Paths: Different sequences for Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced users
3. Domain-Based Paths: Specialized paths for specific use cases like Content Management, Collaborative Applications, etc.
4. Learning Strategy Paths: Supporting Bottom-Up, Top-Down, and Holistic learning approaches

Implementation Recommendations

To implement this documentation strategy across the ReX project:

1. Create Document Templates:

   • Use the concept document template for all concept documentation
   • Use the implementation cookbook template for domain-specific implementation guides
   • Create additional templates for reference documentation

2. Update Existing Documentation:

   • Review and restructure existing concept documents to follow the new format
   • Add explicit links between concept documentation and type implementations
   • Enhance code examples to show concepts in practice

3. Develop New Templates:

   • Generic concept document template (create ✅)
   • Implementation cookbook template (create ✅)
   • Reference documentation template (create ✅)
   • Tutorial template

4. Prioritize Documentation Updates:

   • Start with core domains: Content System, Composition, Environment Adaptability
   • Update one document from each section as exemplars
   • Create an implementation cookbook for each major domain

Formatting Standards

To ensure consistency across all documentation, the following formatting standards are enforced:

1. Code and Type References:

   • Generic Types: Use backtick formatting for generic types (`Content<T>`) never HTML entities
   • Method References: Include parentheses with method names (`methodName()`)
   • File Paths: Use backticks and forward slashes (`/src/lib/file.ts`)
   • Inline Code: Wrap all code references, variable names, and type names in backticks

2. Code Blocks:

   • Use fenced code blocks with language specifiers (```typescript)
   • Include blank lines before and after code blocks for readability
   • Indent code properly within the code block for readability

3. Diagrams and Visual Elements:

   • Use Mermaid diagrams for technical illustrations
   • Include alt text for all diagrams and images
   • Ensure diagrams use consistent color schemes and styling

4. Terminology:

   • Follow terminology standards in glossary document
   • Use `observe()` not `onChange()` or `watch()`
   • Use “URI” not “path” when referring to content addressing
   • Use proper temporal field naming (`createdAt`, `updatedAt`)

Integration with Development Workflow

To maintain documentation quality and consistency over time:

1. Documentation-First Approach:

   • Document concepts before implementation
   • Define type interfaces before implementation
   • Create test cases based on documentation examples

2. Review Process:

   • Include documentation review in code review process
   • Check for alignment between concepts and implementation
   • Verify that examples work as documented
   • Validate formatting consistency using the standards above

3. Documentation Refactoring:

   • Schedule regular documentation refactoring sessions
   • Update documentation when implementation changes
   • Maintain cross-references as the system evolves
   • Apply formatting standards to existing documentation incrementally

Examples

The following examples demonstrate the new documentation approach:

1. Concept Document: [TODO] Content System

   • Implements progressive disclosure with Fundamentals → Working With → Advanced sections
   • Directly links to type implementations
   • Provides clear code examples at each complexity level

2. Learning Paths: [TODO] Learning Paths

   • Defines paths for different user roles and experience levels
   • Creates multiple entry points into the documentation
   • Supports different learning strategies

3. Implementation Cookbook: [TODO] Content System Cookbook

   • Connects concepts to concrete implementations
   • Organizes recipes by difficulty level
   • Provides complete, working code examples

Measuring Success

The success of this documentation strategy will be measured by:

1. User Feedback:

   • Reduced questions about basic concepts
   • Positive feedback on documentation clarity
   • Decreased time to productivity for new users

2. Documentation Metrics:

   • Reduced bounces between documentation pages
   • More time spent on relevant pages
   • Completion of learning paths

3. Implementation Quality:

   • Better alignment between concepts and implementation
   • More consistent implementation patterns
   • Fewer bugs related to misunderstood concepts

Conclusion

This documentation strategy transforms ReX’s documentation to better align with the Trimodal Methodology Framework, supporting Bottom-Up Implementation, Top-Down API Design, and Holistic System Integration approaches. By implementing progressive disclosure, maintaining explicit concept-implementation links, and supporting different learning paths, the documentation will serve users more effectively regardless of their role, experience level, or learning style.

The strategy requires initial investment to create templates and restructure existing documentation, but will pay dividends in improved developer experience, better code quality, and more consistent implementation patterns.