documentation

To prevent technical documentation from getting outdated, co-locate docs with code, generate documentation from source where possible, and test doc accuracy in CI to catch drift. You should also delete stale documentation immediately to avoid creating false confidence during maintenance.

Code comments and docstrings should only document what the code cannot express, such as non-obvious business rules, design constraints, rejected alternatives, and edge case context. Avoid writing redundant comments that simply restate what the code already shows.

You need an architecture decision record (ADR) when you want to record significant technical decisions and their rationale, such as choosing PostgreSQL over DynamoDB. ADRs capture rejected alternatives and design constraints that prevent costly misunderstandings during future maintenance.

The best way to maintain operational runbooks and module docs is to co-locate them with the corresponding code and test their accuracy in CI pipelines. Generate documentation from source where possible and delete stale documentation immediately to prevent drift and false confidence.

Technical documentation misleads developers when it restates obvious code, drifts out of sync within weeks, and creates false confidence. Logic changes without updated docs waste developer time and cause errors during maintenance.

Yes, this approach applies to all forms of software engineering technical documentation including inline comments, docstrings, READMEs, architecture decision records, and operational runbooks, with clear rules for what to include at each scope.