Mission: DOCUMENT 📚

May 9, 2026 · View on GitHub

Comprehensive Documentation Creation and Maintenance

Mission Code: DOCUMENT
Estimated Duration: 2-4 hours
Complexity: Medium
Squad Required: Documenter, Developer, Architect

Mission Briefing

Create comprehensive, user-friendly documentation that enables team members and users to understand, use, and contribute to your project effectively. Transform complex systems into clear, actionable documentation.

Required Inputs

  1. System/Feature to Document (required) - Codebase, API, or feature
  2. Target Audience (optional) - Developers, users, contributors
  3. Existing Documentation (optional) - Current docs to update/expand

Mission Phases

Phase 1: Documentation Audit and Planning (30-45 minutes)

Lead: @documenter
Support: @architect
Objective: Assess current state and plan comprehensive documentation

Tasks:

  • Audit existing documentation for gaps and accuracy
  • Identify target audiences and their needs
  • Map system architecture and key components
  • Define documentation structure and priorities
  • Plan information architecture

Success Criteria:

  • Documentation gaps identified
  • Target audience needs defined
  • Documentation structure planned
  • Priority areas established

Phase 2: Technical Architecture Documentation (45-60 minutes)

Lead: @architect
Support: @developer, @documenter
Objective: Document system architecture and technical decisions

Tasks:

  • Create system architecture diagrams
  • Document key technical decisions and rationale
  • Map data flows and system integrations
  • Document deployment and infrastructure
  • Create troubleshooting guides

Success Criteria:

  • Architecture clearly documented
  • Technical decisions explained
  • System integrations mapped
  • Infrastructure documented

Phase 3: API and Interface Documentation (45-60 minutes)

Lead: @developer
Support: @documenter
Objective: Create comprehensive API and interface documentation

Tasks:

  • Document all API endpoints with examples
  • Create interface specifications and schemas
  • Generate code examples and usage patterns
  • Document authentication and authorization
  • Create integration guides

Success Criteria:

  • All APIs documented with examples
  • Authentication methods clear
  • Integration guides complete
  • Code examples functional

Phase 4: User Guide and Tutorial Creation (60-90 minutes)

Lead: @documenter
Support: @developer
Objective: Create user-friendly guides and tutorials

Tasks:

  • Write getting started guide
  • Create step-by-step tutorials
  • Document common use cases and workflows
  • Create troubleshooting and FAQ sections
  • Add screenshots and visual aids

Success Criteria:

  • Getting started guide complete
  • Key workflows documented
  • Troubleshooting guide comprehensive
  • Visual aids enhance understanding

Phase 5: Code Documentation and Comments (30-45 minutes)

Lead: @developer
Support: @documenter
Objective: Ensure code is well-documented inline

Tasks:

  • Add comprehensive code comments
  • Update function and class documentation
  • Document complex algorithms and business logic
  • Add usage examples in code
  • Review and improve naming conventions

Success Criteria:

  • Code properly commented
  • Complex logic explained
  • Usage examples included
  • Naming conventions consistent

Phase 6: Review and Publication (15-30 minutes)

Lead: @documenter
Support: @architect, @developer
Objective: Review, refine, and publish documentation

Tasks:

  • Review all documentation for accuracy and clarity
  • Test all code examples and links
  • Organize content for easy navigation
  • Publish documentation to appropriate platform
  • Set up documentation maintenance process

Success Criteria:

  • Documentation reviewed and accurate
  • All examples tested and working
  • Content well-organized
  • Publication successful

Documentation Types Covered

Technical Documentation

  • Architecture Documentation: System design, components, data flow
  • API Documentation: Endpoints, parameters, responses, examples
  • Code Documentation: Inline comments, function docs, examples
  • Deployment Documentation: Setup, configuration, troubleshooting

User Documentation

  • Getting Started Guide: Installation, setup, first steps
  • User Manual: Feature documentation, workflows, best practices
  • Tutorials: Step-by-step guides for common tasks
  • FAQ and Troubleshooting: Common issues and solutions

Process Documentation

  • Contributing Guidelines: How to contribute to the project
  • Development Setup: Local development environment setup
  • Release Process: How releases are planned and executed
  • Support Process: How to get help and report issues

Common Variations

API Documentation Focus

  • Duration: 2-3 hours
  • Focus: Comprehensive API documentation with examples
  • Tools: OpenAPI/Swagger, Postman collections

User Guide Focus

  • Duration: 3-4 hours
  • Focus: End-user documentation and tutorials
  • Tools: Screenshots, videos, interactive guides

Code Documentation Overhaul

  • Duration: 4-6 hours
  • Focus: Comprehensive inline documentation
  • Tools: Code documentation generators, style guides

Migration Documentation

  • Duration: 2-3 hours
  • Focus: Migration guides and breaking changes
  • Tools: Version comparison, migration scripts

Success Metrics

  • Documentation Coverage: All major features documented
  • User Adoption: Reduced support requests, faster onboarding
  • Developer Productivity: Faster development, fewer questions
  • Accuracy: Up-to-date information, working examples
  • Accessibility: Easy to find, understand, and use

Tools and Platforms

Documentation Platforms

  • GitBook: Comprehensive documentation sites
  • Notion: Collaborative documentation
  • GitHub Pages: Simple documentation hosting
  • Confluence: Enterprise documentation

Documentation Generators

  • JSDoc: JavaScript documentation
  • Sphinx: Python documentation
  • GitBook: Multi-format documentation
  • Swagger/OpenAPI: API documentation

Visual Tools

  • Miro/Figma: Architecture diagrams
  • Screenshots: Step-by-step guides
  • Screen recordings: Video tutorials
  • Diagrams as Code: Automated diagrams

Maintenance Strategy

Regular Reviews

  • Monthly: Check for outdated information
  • Release-based: Update with new features
  • Quarterly: Comprehensive review and reorganization
  • As-needed: Fix broken links and examples

Community Contribution

  • Feedback Loop: Collect user feedback on documentation
  • Contribution Guidelines: Enable community contributions
  • Review Process: Maintain quality while accepting help
  • Recognition: Acknowledge documentation contributors

Integration Points

  • Follows: BUILD, REFACTOR, INTEGRATE missions
  • Enables: Better onboarding, reduced support load
  • Coordinates with: Release management, support processes
  • Requires: Access to system, understanding of user needs

Mission Command: /coord document [system-feature] [target-audience] [existing-docs]

"Good documentation is like a bridge between complex systems and human understanding."

Post-Mission Cleanup Decision

After completing this mission, decide on cleanup approach based on project status:

✅ Milestone Transition (Every 2-4 weeks)

When: This mission completes a major project milestone, but more work remains.

Actions (30-60 min):

  1. Extract lessons to lessons/[category]/ from progress.md
  2. Archive milestone-relevant Phase Handoff blocks from agent-context.md if needed
  3. Clean agent-context.md (retain essentials, archive historical details)
  4. Continue using agent-context.md (Phase Handoff blocks accumulate across milestones)
  5. Update project-plan.md with next milestone tasks

See: templates/cleanup-checklist.md Section A for detailed steps

🎯 Project Completion (Mission accomplished!)

When: All project objectives achieved, ready for new mission.

Actions (1-2 hours):

  1. Extract ALL lessons from entire progress.md to lessons/
  2. Create mission archive in archives/missions/mission-[name]-YYYY-MM-DD/
  3. Update CLAUDE.md with system-level learnings
  4. Archive all tracking files (project-plan.md, progress.md, etc.)
  5. Prepare fresh start for next mission

See: templates/cleanup-checklist.md Section B for detailed steps

🔄 Continue Active Work (No cleanup needed)

When: Mission complete but continuing active development in same phase.

Actions: Update progress.md and project-plan.md, continue working.

Reference: See project/field-manual/project-lifecycle-guide.md for complete lifecycle management procedures.