Melbourne: Document the API | Technical Writing vs Knowledge Management

Document the API
Alec Clews, Technical Integration Manager at PaperCut Software

More and more companies are marketing, not just software products, but Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). This encourages customers and partners to add value to the software with product integrations and extensions.

Documenting APIs is, in many ways, similar to creating product documentation. But there are also some important differences and this talk briefly discusses these issues for technical writers who have not documented to APIs before.

Alec Clews provides an introduction to creating effective API documentation for technical writers who have only written product or user manuals.

Agenda

1. What is an API and the different types of API?
2. Why are APIs important?
3. Who is the audience for API documentation?
4. What does this audience need from technical documentation?
5. What should we include in API docs?
6. How can we make our writing lives easier? What tools can we use?
7. The role of API Doc tools like Swagger.
8. How does API documentation support the organisation's marketing message?

No prior technical knowledge is assumed, this talk is suitable for novices and anyone who has never documented an API before.

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Technical Writing vs Knowledge Management
Sara Marek, Knowledge and Systems Manager, Foxtel

This presentation focuses on the similarities and differences between "technical writing" and "knowledge management" and explores the pathways that exist between the two roles.

About the speaker

Sara is a technical writer and grammar enthusiast based in Melbourne. She has held technical writing (and similar) roles in various industries, across government, not-for-profit and small and medium enterprises. Like most technical writers, Sara is passionate about writing documents that readers find usable and helpful.