←back to thread

167 points yarapavan | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.233s | source
Show context
jlcases ◴[] No.43549529[source]
I've noticed that the formalization of methods described by AWS parallels what we need in technical documentation. Complex systems require not just formal verification but also structured documentation following MECE principles (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive).

In my experience, the interfaces between components (where most errors occur) are exactly where fragmented documentation fails. I implemented a hierarchical documentation system for my team that organizes knowledge as a conceptual tree, and the accuracy of code generation with AI assistants improved notably.

Formal verification tools and structured documentation are complementary: verification ensures algorithmic correctness while MECE documentation guarantees conceptual and contextual correctness. I wonder if AWS has experimented with structured documentation systems specifically for AI, or if this remains an area to explore.

replies(5): >>43549557 #>>43549622 #>>43550862 #>>43553797 #>>43554253 #
jkaptur ◴[] No.43549622[source]
I'm interested in learning more about the benefits of MECE - I've never heard that before. In particular, it seems radically different from Divio's system [0], which presents the same information in many different ways.

0: https://docs.divio.com/documentation-system/

replies(3): >>43549705 #>>43551410 #>>43553800 #
zhengyi13 ◴[] No.43549705[source]
Is this not https://diataxis.fr/ ?

(I'm engaged somewhat in trying to get our team to write any documentation; once I've got that, I'll start trying to organize along exactly these principles)

replies(1): >>43553832 #
1. jlcases ◴[] No.43553832[source]
Yes, that's Diataxis (formerly Divio). I faced similar challenges and found that combining it with MECE principles in my PAELLADOC framework made documentation much easier, especially with AI tools. Good luck getting your team started