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Software documentation is written text or illustration that accompanies computer software or is embedded in the source code. The documentation either explains how the software operates or how to use it, and may mean different things to people in different roles. Documentation is an important part of software engineering. Types of documentation ...
Keeping documentation within source code comments is considered as one way to simplify the documentation process, as well as increase the chances that the documentation will be kept up to date with changes in the code. [17] Examples of documentation generators include the programs Javadoc for use with Java, Ddoc for D, Doxygen for C, C++, Java ...
Examples are user guides, white papers, online help, and quick-reference guides. Paper or hard-copy documentation has become less common. [citation needed] Documentation is often distributed via websites, software products, and other online applications.
Self-documenting code is ostensibly written using human-readable names, typically consisting of a phrase in a human language which reflects the symbol's meaning, such as article.numberOfWords or TryOpen. The code must also have a clear and clean structure so that a human reader can easily understand the algorithm used.
In programming, a docstring is a string literal specified in source code that is used, like a comment, to document a specific segment of code.Unlike conventional source code comments, or even specifically formatted comments like docblocks, docstrings are not stripped from the source tree when it is parsed and are retained throughout the runtime of the program.
Special tags within source code comments are often used to process documentation, two notable examples are javadoc and doxygen. The tools specify the use of a set of tags, but their use within a project is determined by convention. Coding conventions simplify writing new software whose job is to process existing software.
A programming language specification can take several forms, including the following: An explicit definition of the syntax and semantics of the language. While syntax is commonly specified using a formal grammar, semantic definitions may be written in natural language (e.g., the approach taken for the C language), or a formal semantics (e.g., the Standard ML [3] and Scheme [4] specifications).
For example, on the PDP-11, the operation 24576 can be referenced as ADD in the source code. [46] The four basic arithmetic operations have assembly instructions like ADD, SUB, MUL, and DIV. [46] Computers also have instructions like DW (Define Word) to reserve memory cells. Then the MOV instruction can copy integers between registers and memory.