Hiding Complexity -- A new Simplifying Complexity article
Here’s how the article begins:
While troubleshooting a recent support case, I looked over documentation I’d written nearly a year ago, trying to identify where the user got stuck. I was shocked at how confusing the docs now seemed. The documentation tried to explain query syntax for targeting elements in a media feed that could be either JSON or XML. If the feed was JSON, developers would use one type of query syntax; if the feed was XML, they would use another. The documentation discussed the two approaches in sections one right after another.
This scenario is common in developer docs because you often have multiple languages to account for. You might have a process for calling an API that you need to explain using PHP, Java, .NET, or other languages and frameworks. The general approach might typically be the same, but the code samples and specific technical details will differ….
Read the rest: Hiding complexity through JavaScript show/hide elements
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About Tom Johnson
I'm an API technical writer based in the Seattle area. On this blog, I write about topics related to technical writing and communication — such as software documentation, API documentation, AI, information architecture, content strategy, writing processes, agent skills, tech comm careers, and more. Check out my AI courses for more on the latest in AI and tech comm. If you're looking for info about documenting APIs, see my API documentation course.
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Finally, I want to note a couple of things. I usually write the first drafts of my posts myself and then use AI to improve accuracy, clarity, and detail in places, so my writing is a mix of human and AI. (Hopefully that's not too off-putting.) Also, the opinions I express on my blog are my own perspectives, not those of my employer.