How to document: Quarto and Obsidian

Quarto and Obsidian

Obsidian is both a Markdown editor and a knowledge base app

1 The Importance of Project Documentation

In the 2024 software development ecosystem, thorough documentation is essential for several reasons:

1. Knowledge Transfer: Documentation ensures that project knowledge is not siloed within individuals but shared across the team and organization[.
2. Onboarding: Well-documented projects significantly reduce the time needed for new team members to become productive.
3. Maintenance: Clear documentation makes it easier to maintain and update software over time, reducing technical debt.
4. User Adoption: Comprehensive documentation, like that of Kubernetes, facilitates user adoption and reduces support overhead.
5. Collaboration: Documentation fosters collaboration among team members and with the wider community, especially in open-source projects.

2 Markdown: The Preferred Documentation Format

Markdown has become the go-to format for documentation due to its numerous advantages:

• Simplicity: Easy to learn and read, even in its raw form.
• Portability: Can be converted to various formats (HTML, PDF, etc.).
• Version Control: Works seamlessly with version control systems like Git.
• Flexibility: Supports embedding of code blocks, images, and links.

3 Popular Documentation Tools

Several tools leverage markdown for creating powerful documentation:

• Docusaurus: https://docusaurus.io
• Sphinx: https://www.sphinx-doc.org
• Quarto: https://quarto.org
• Obsidian: https://obsidian.md
• Notion: https://www.notion.so
• GitBook: https://www.gitbook.com

These tools demonstrate the versatility of markdown in creating various types of documentation, from personal notes to large-scale project documentation like Kubernetes.

The tools can be divided into two groups based on their primary focus and functionality:

Documentation Generators

• Docusaurus: A static site generator focused on documentation, allowing users to write in Markdown and embed React components. It supports localization, versioning, and content search.
• Sphinx: A tool for creating intelligent and structured documentation, particularly for Python projects. It offers rich text formatting, automatic API documentation generation, and extensive theme support.
• GitBook: A modern documentation platform that allows teams to create beautiful and interactive documentation collaboratively. It integrates with GitHub and supports Markdown.

Content Creation and Publishing Tools

• Quarto: A next-generation tool for authoring documents that combines Markdown with code execution in languages like R, Python, and Julia. It is designed for producing high-quality outputs in various formats like HTML and PDF.
• Obsidian: A note-taking app that uses Markdown for creating personal knowledge bases. It emphasizes linking notes together and supports a wide range of plugins for enhanced functionality.
• Notion: An all-in-one workspace that combines note-taking, project management, and database functionalities. It allows users to create documents in a flexible format but is not specifically focused on traditional. documentation.

3.1 Docusaurus

• Purpose: Building documentation websites
• Advantage: React-based, allowing for easy customization

3.2 Quarto

• Specialty: Scientific and technical publishing
• Strength: Supports multiple languages (R, Python, Julia)

Analyze. Share. Reproduce. You have a story to tell with data—tell it with Quarto.

• Quarto Intro-Basics
• Quarto Create Project
• Quarto Publish
• Quarto Code
• more info on: tip-a-day

3.3 Obsidian

• Focus: Personal knowledge management
• Key Feature: Networked thought with bidirectional linking

Obsidian

Obsidian is both a Markdown editor and a knowledge base app.

Used in the most basic way, you can edit and preview Markdown files. But its true power lies in managing a densely networked knowledge base.

3.4 GitBook

• Overview: GitBook is a modern documentation platform that allows teams to create and manage documentation collaboratively.
• Key Features:
  • Intuitive interface for easy document creation.
  • Supports version control and integration with GitHub.
  • Offers interactive and visually appealing documentation layouts.
• Use Case: Ideal for documenting APIs, product features, and internal knowledge bases, making it suitable for both technical and non-technical teams.

3.5 Notion

• Overview: Notion is a versatile collaboration tool that combines note-taking, task management, and documentation in one platform.
• Key Features:
  • Highly customizable pages with databases, tables, and kanban boards.
  • Real-time collaboration capabilities for team projects.
  • Supports embedding various content types (images, videos, code snippets).
• Use Case: Great for teams looking to manage diverse documentation needs in a single workspace while allowing for creative layouts.

3.6 Sphinx

• Overview: Sphinx is an open-source documentation generator primarily used for Python projects but supports multiple programming languages.
• Key Features:
  • Generates documentation in various formats (HTML, PDF, LaTeX).
  • Supports extensive cross-referencing and automatic indexing.
  • Highly customizable with themes and extensions.
• Use Case: Best suited for technical documentation where structured content is essential, such as API references and user guides.