Sarah Simpers - Use What You've Got

This talk was presented at APIDays New York 2023, Developer Success & Developer Portals track on 17 May. We are glad to present the video recording and the talk summary.

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SARAH SIMPERS

Senior Technical Writer at MongoDB

“Improve your developer experience using code, making small, digestible changes with existing code."

The Benefits of Improving Developer Experience

• Easy Onboarding: Improved developer experience helps external developers start using and continue using the product, reducing frustration and attrition.
• Command Reference Generation: Using code in documentation allows internal developers to generate command references from CLI code with minimal effort.
• More Contributors, Faster Results: Reusing existing code lowers the barrier for entry, enabling stakeholders like technical writers to contribute efficiently and speeding up product improvements.

Update 1: Add Atlas CLI Commands Everywhere

• Reason: To prevent outdated commands in documentation and improve visibility.
• Implementation: Leveraged a tool called docurl to pull in updated versions of the Atlas CLI commands at every release, keeping them fresh and accurate.
• Result: Significant increase in monthly active users and more contributors to the CLI code repository.

Update 2: Give the Output

• Reason: To display expected results for CLI commands and facilitate scripting.
• Implementation: Reused CLI variables to show outputs in both the CLI and documentation.
• Result: Improved developer understanding and easier contribution for technical writers.

Update 3: State Required Roles

• Reason: To indicate necessary permissions for each command and prevent confusion.
• Implementation: Created a template that makes it easy to update the required roles on an ongoing basis and defined the actual role required for each command in the command’s file.
• Result: Enhanced clarity for external developers and a straightforward contribution process for internal developers and technical writers.

Takeaways

• By using code in documentation, MongoDB witnessed numerous benefits, including increased active users, more contributors, and faster improvements.
• Starting your journey of improving developer experience through code in your documentation is a win-win for all stakeholders involved.