delivering high-velocity docs that keep pace with rapid release cycles

Delivering High-Velocity Docs that Keep Pace with Rapid Release Cycles

Write the Docs EU 2016

@rachwhitton

@rachwhitton

● Support background in web services● Began working on docs as a side project● Self-learning developer● Joined Pantheon in 2014 ● Automation and workflow enthusiast

About Me

Docs or it didn’t happen!

@rachwhitton

Requiring docs within releases

@rachwhitton

Reality check

Docs won’t block releases until trust in delivery is established.

Releasing software should be easy. It should be easy because you have tested every single part of the process hundreds of times before. It should be as simple as pressing a button.

— David Farley Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and

Deployment Automation

@rachwhitton

Docs must meet the same standards of reliability and repeatability before they can be enforced as a part of the release cycle.

Establishing Trust

@rachwhitton

The Big Picture Milestones for Delivering High-Velocity Docs

Increase Project Visibility

Simplify Peer Reviews

Automate Grunt Work

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@rachwhitton

Increase Project Visibility

@rachwhitton

Centralized Workflow

Collaborate across teams.

Work multiple issues simultaneously without blocking deployments.

Track issues and progress from a central location.

@rachwhitton

Allow public contributions and document upcoming features in the open.

Open Source

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Integrate services such as GitHub within communication tools like Slack.

Dependable Notifications

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Simplify Peer Reviews

@rachwhitton

Make Success Easy Prioritize the contributor experience of all roles and make improvements iteratively. Focus efforts on paths most traveled.

Simplify Peer Reviews

@rachwhitton

Automate Grunt WorkBuilding and publishing content must be a repeatable and reliable process - started with the click of a button

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Automation

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Bots Handle the Grunt Work

Automated Deployment PipelineStage content on isolated environments w/public URLs automatically.Deploy to production with a single click.

Establish Trust with Automated TestsNo more surprises.

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Bells and Whistles

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Next Steps

Continuous integration for docs isn’t the end of the road - it’s an essential tool for building trust.

For docs to truly become an enforced requirement of the release cycle, it needs buy in from everyone.