Embracing Documentation as Code with GitLab: A Modern Approach to Team Collaboration

In the evolving world of software development, teams are constantly seeking more efficient ways to collaborate, streamline workflows, and improve communication. One often overlooked aspect of this process is how we manage documentation. Traditionally, documentation has been seen as an afterthought, handled outside the development pipeline in separate tools like Word or Google Docs. This disconnection creates a number of challenges — version control issues, inconsistencies with the actual code, and the need for extra tools that don’t align with the development workflow.

But with GitLab, we can shift to a new model: Documentation as Code (Doc-as-Code). This approach treats documentation just like any other piece of software, integrating it into the same workflows and tools developers are already using. This whitepaper explores why teams should adopt Doc-as-Code within GitLab, how it works, and the benefits of leaving behind traditional documentation methods.

Why Traditional Documentation Is Holding Teams Back

The traditional method of documentation involves creating separate files or documents in third-party tools like word processors or cloud-based services. While this has been the go-to for years, it comes with significant downsides:

• Version Control Nightmares: Traditional documents are often siloed, with no proper version control. Multiple versions exist across different people, leading to confusion and outdated information.
• Lack of Automation: Documentation in separate tools doesn’t integrate into your CI/CD pipeline, making it difficult to automate and keep up-to-date with changes in the codebase.
• Inconsistency with Code: Documentation created separately can easily become outdated as the codebase evolves, leading to a disconnect between what’s documented and what’s actually implemented.

This outdated approach not only slows teams down but also creates bottlenecks in the development and delivery process. The answer? Treat documentation like code.

What Is Documentation as Code?

Documentation as Code (Doc-as-Code) is the practice of writing, maintaining, and version-controlling documentation in the same way you handle source code. Using GitLab’s capabilities, you can store documentation files (like Markdown or reStructuredText) in the same repository as your code, enabling version control, collaborative editing, and automation within your CI/CD pipelines.

With Doc-as-Code, your documentation becomes:

• Part of the codebase: Stored and versioned alongside the source code.
• Collaborative: Multiple people can contribute, review, and update documentation just like they would with code.
• Automated: Updates and changes can trigger automatic builds and deployment of the documentation.

Getting Started with GitLab Documentation as Code

GitLab provides a comprehensive platform for implementing Doc-as-Code seamlessly into your development process. Here's how teams can begin:

Step 1: Move to Markdown Start by writing your documentation in Markdown or similar lightweight markup languages. Markdown is easy to write and read, especially for developers. It integrates naturally with GitLab, where you can use it to create readable, well-formatted documentation stored alongside your code.

Step 2: Store Documentation in Repos Store your documentation within the same repository as your code. This ensures that it’s version-controlled and can evolve with your project. Every time your code changes, your documentation can be updated in sync, ensuring consistency.

Step 3: Use Merge Requests for Documentation Updates Just like with code, use GitLab’s merge request (MR) feature to review and approve changes to your documentation. By treating documentation updates as MRs, you can involve multiple team members, ensure accuracy, and avoid conflicting changes.

Step 4: Automate Documentation with CI/CD GitLab’s CI/CD capabilities can automate the generation and deployment of documentation. For example, whenever a new feature is merged, your CI/CD pipeline can automatically build and deploy updated documentation to a static site or documentation platform. This ensures that your documentation is always up-to-date and accessible.

The Benefits of Documentation as Code

The Doc-as-Code approach offers a range of benefits, many of which directly address the shortcomings of traditional documentation methods:

1. Version Control With GitLab, your documentation is treated as a first-class citizen in your repository, complete with version control. This allows for detailed tracking of changes, easy rollback to previous versions, and transparent ownership of contributions.

2. Collaboration Across Teams GitLab makes it easy for multiple team members to contribute to documentation, whether they are developers, testers, or product managers. Using merge requests and peer reviews, you can ensure that documentation is accurate and high-quality.

3. Automation By leveraging GitLab’s CI/CD pipelines, you can automate documentation builds and deployment. Every time code is committed or updated, your documentation pipeline can ensure that the corresponding documents reflect the latest state of the codebase.

4. Consistency and Alignment with Code With Doc-as-Code, there is no longer a gap between what’s documented and what’s implemented. The documentation evolves directly with the codebase, ensuring alignment and reducing the risk of outdated information.

5. Easier Maintenance Traditional documentation often becomes stale because it’s separate from the codebase. With Doc-as-Code, updating documentation becomes a natural part of the development process. When code changes, developers can quickly adjust the relevant documentation files within the same repository.

6. Transparency By treating documentation like code, every change is logged and tracked. This ensures transparency across the team, as everyone knows when and why changes were made. It also fosters accountability, as documentation is no longer an afterthought but an integral part of the development lifecycle.

Overcoming Common Challenges

While Doc-as-Code presents numerous advantages, some teams may encounter challenges when transitioning from traditional documentation methods. Here are a few solutions:

Challenge 1: Lack of Writing Experience Developers might feel less comfortable writing documentation. To address this, encourage collaborative writing. Product managers, QA teams, and technical writers can be involved in the process, offering different perspectives and skill sets.

Challenge 2: Learning Markdown Markdown is simple, but it can feel unfamiliar to some. Fortunately, learning the basics of Markdown takes only a short time, and there are plenty of online resources and tutorials available.

Challenge 3: Transitioning Existing Documents If your team already has a large volume of documentation in traditional formats, it may seem daunting to move everything to a GitLab repository. Start small by migrating key documents or new project documentation first. Over time, you can phase in the Doc-as-Code approach without overwhelming your team.

Conclusion: The Future of Documentation Is Code

In today’s fast-paced development environments, teams can no longer afford to treat documentation as an afterthought. Documentation needs to be up-to-date, accurate, and seamlessly integrated into the development process. By adopting Documentation as Code with GitLab, you ensure that your documentation evolves alongside your software, improving collaboration, consistency, and automation.

GitLab’s powerful version control and CI/CD features make it easy to implement Doc-as-Code, transforming how your team handles documentation. By embracing this approach, you’ll not only streamline your processes but also enhance the quality and accessibility of your documentation.

Now that I’ve adopted Doc-as-Code in my workflows, I can confidently say it’s an awesome way to leave behind the inefficiencies of traditional documentation methods. It’s time to move documentation into the future — and GitLab is the perfect platform to help you get there.

Key Takeaways:

• Documentation as Code (Doc-as-Code) integrates documentation into the development pipeline, making it version-controlled, collaborative, and automated.
• GitLab provides a seamless platform for Doc-as-Code, allowing teams to manage documentation alongside their code.
• Doc-as-Code enhances collaboration, consistency, and transparency, ensuring that documentation stays up-to-date with evolving projects.
• With automation through CI/CD, teams can automatically generate and deploy updated documentation as part of their development process.

By adopting Doc-as-Code with GitLab, your team can embrace a modern, efficient approach to documentation that matches today’s agile, collaborative development needs.