🚀 DaC (Documentation as Code) Essentials for Software Documentation

🎯 Purpose

Documentation as Code (DaC) treats documentation like source code, enabling version control, automation, and collaborative development.

🌱 Origin

The DaC movement gained significant traction with the rise of Agile methodologies and DevOps practices in the 2010s, with various practitioners advocating for its adoption.

🧠 Essentials

🛠️ PlantUML – Focus Areas (Text-Based Diagrams)

1. Important URLs

• PlantUml official website: plantuml.com
  → Defaultly opens the server renderer
  → Click on Home in the Sidebar to view documentation
• PlantUml online editor: editor.plantuml.com
  → Web editor without installation

2. Versioning with Git
   → Store .plantuml files in repo for team collaboration.

3. Tooling Integration
   → Use VS Code extension for PlantUML

4. @startuml / @enduml structure
   → Every diagram starts and ends with these.

5. Basic Diagrams:
   → Class diagrams, Sequence diagrams, Component diagrams, Deployment diagrams

6. Include files / modular reuse
   → !include common_styles.iuml

7. Use Lib for efficient drawing
   → C4-PlantUML Lib

🎨 draw.io – Focus Areas (Drag-and-Drop Visual Diagrams)

1. Important URLs

• Draw.io official website: app.diagrams.net
  → Defaultly opens the web editor

2. Versioning with Git
   → Store .drawio files in repo for team collaboration.

3. Tooling Integration
   → Use VS Code extension for Draw.io

4. Use Templates Efficiently
   → System, Network, UML, ERD templates cover most needs.

5. Grid Layout & Layers
   → Align elements; group layers for complex diagrams.

6. Export Options
   → PNG, SVG, PDF with embedded XML for future edits.

✅ PlantUml vs. Draw.io, Which to Use When

📝 Markdown

Markdown cheat sheet