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For software documentation services to be successful, there must be documentation tracking the software’s production from the beginning to the end. There are 14 types of software documentation required for software development:

1. Process Documentation: Shows records of the software’s maintenance and development. Technical writers typically develop an initial concept and add relevant information for every step of the process.
2. Planning Documentation: Also known as Software Development Plan (SDP) Outlines and discusses the developers’ ideas and reasoning behind the project. It also portrays their ideal way of creating which includes:
   • Problems that the software will resolve
   • The team’s development approach.
   • The order of development.
   • Each team member’s responsibility
3. Estimate Documentation: Also known as, Effort Documentation, records the expenses and or the time the developer expects the process to start and end.
4. Standards Documentation: System of rules to create software. There are two types of standard documentation:
   Open Standards: Typically used for public companies that can access and create their software.
   Closed Standards: Descriptions that are unavailable formats and protocols that the developers use.
5. Metric Documentation: Records the measurable aspects of the developmental process and the product. It measures the size, complexity, and quality of the software to help accurately estimate and compare different development methods in real time.
6. Scheduling Documentation: Specialized software to create detailed schedules for developers and their teams, which assists the team in keeping track of deadlines.
7. Product Documentation: Describes the software that the developer team plans to create and gives instructions on how to change and use it. There are two types of product documentation includes:
   • System Documentation – used by the development team
   • User Documentation: used by end-users (consumers)
8. System Documentation: As previously mentioned, the system documentation is used by the development team to track progress, modify, and predict the function of the software by outlining the components of the software and how the functions work together to produce it. The functions include capability, design, limitations, operation, and maintenance.
9. Requirements Documentation: Outlines what the product requires to operate efficiently. Which include: hardware specifications, functionality requirements, and compatibility.
10. Architecture and Design Documentation: A basic form of information on how the software works. It includes an overview of the components, function, and purpose to ensure a design with a controlled flow of data for a positive experience for the consumer.
11. Technical Documentation: Describes how the software will use or build upon technological concepts to ensure quality user experience. This documentation is typically used by IT specialists and software engineers to use elements like Application Protocol Interface (API) and Software Development Kits (SDK).
12. User Documentation: As previously mentioned in Product Documentation, User Documentation teaches the consumers (end-users) how to use the product.
13. End-User Documentation: Given information to end-users using the finalized project software. Six types of information and guides are usually in End-User Documentation:
    • Operating System Requirements
    • Installation Instructions
    • How to Start
    • Photos of the Software Features
    • Troubleshooting Tips
    • Customer Service Contact Information
14. System Administrator Documentation: Assists the system administrators to manage the computer systems and servers to maintain the software.

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