Tuesday 10:50 a.m.–11:20 a.m.
Documentation-driven development - lessons from the Django Project
Daniele Procida
- Audience level:
- Novice
- Category:
- Best Practices & Patterns
Description
One secret of Django's success is the quality of its documentation. As well as being key to the quality of the code itself, it has helped drive the development of Django as a community project, and even the professional development of programmers who adopt Django.
I'll discuss how Django has achieved it, and how any project can easily win the same benefits.
Abstract
Part of my job title is _Documentation Manager_. When I explain this to a programmer outside the Python/Django community, the reaction can be anything from bewilderment to a kind of mild horror. When I mention it to a Python/Django programmer, the response is usually: _Oh, cool_.
In fact, one secret of Django's success is the quality of its documentation, and everyone who uses Django is quick to note this.
The returns on Django's investment have been substantial, but some of them are also surprising.
The documentation has clearly been key to the _quality of the code itself_, but also (less obviously) to the _development of Django as a community project_, and even the _professional development of programmers_ who adopt Django.
I'll discuss how Django has achieved it, and how any project can easily win the same benefits.
PyCon 2016 in Portland, OR is a production of the 