Tools and Technology¶
Technical writing requires specialized tools for creating, managing, and publishing documentation. This section covers the essential software, platforms, and workflows used by professional technical writers.
Writing and Editing¶
Publishing and Infrastructure¶
Content Creation¶
Collaboration and Management¶
Tool Selection¶
Choosing the right tools depends on your context:
| Factor | Considerations |
|---|---|
| Team size | Solo writers vs. large teams |
| Technical expertise | Developer-friendly vs. WYSIWYG |
| Integration needs | Fits existing workflows |
| Budget | Open source vs. commercial |
| Scale | Small docs vs. enterprise |
The Modern Documentation Stack¶
A typical modern documentation stack includes:
- Editor: VS Code with Markdown extensions
- Format: Markdown or reStructuredText
- Generator: MkDocs, Docusaurus, or Hugo
- Version Control: Git with GitHub/GitLab
- CI/CD: GitHub Actions or similar
- Hosting: GitHub Pages, Netlify, or Vercel
- Search: Algolia or built-in search
- Analytics: Google Analytics or Plausible
This docs-as-code approach treats documentation like software, with all the benefits of version control, review processes, and automated deployment.