Realtime documentation solution from DocStell
A new and extremely simple way to document your software processes, a new online software solution for organizing software processes. This days software programming has become an extremly complicated thing to organize. Let’s start with the basics: The markdown system in Docstell is very convenient to use. When a text block is added to a node you can begin typing your markdown right away. When leaving the edit area the text is automatically formatted. The idea with markdown is that it will save you a lot of time when formatting your texts. Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, which is then converted to valid HTML. Instead of getting frustrated about how a lot of common word processors format your text in every way but the one you want, markdown is very predictable and easy to learn.
Docstell is also adding functions to upload files to a node. You can upload any type of file and share with you team or keep it in a private node. Just drag it from you computer and drop it on the node you want to attach it to. They added a preview zone that makes it possible to preview files adjacent to your other information. You can view for example pdf, docx, xlsx, csv, txt, png, jpeg and mpeg4 files. If you for example receive a specification in a pdf file format you keep this file here together with the rest of the documentation and will easily be able to preview it and let all your team have access to it.
Super simple way to organise your information and keeping it structured and quickly accessible. All nodes has its own address which mean that it is easy to direct people for feedback or hide information not in scope. Drill in to the documentation to put focus on the right content. Really fast navigation back and forth throughout the information. Reorganise with drag and drop. If you are used to Workflowy you will instantly understand how Docstell is working. Docstell adds a different kind of tools to each node but the principle of nodes that can be indented, collapsed and drilled into is the same. See more info at Organize your software specifications.
Slack integration was recently implemented to Docstell. This lets you get alerted in your designed Slack channel when someone in your team is adding comments to your documentation. From the message in Slack you get a link back to the node with the comment in Docstell, this makes it convenient to answer the question in the right context and to build up the knowledge base where it should be. There will also be a number in the browser tab indicating the number of unresolved comments where you are mentioned. The background color of the comments icon is also changed to yellow. When clicking the comments icon you see the comments pane where it is possible to use the filter to see only the ones where you are mentioned.
How to avoid software documentation hell? The key to this is that it must be possible to hide information that is in the way to get the big picture but still be there to be found when it’s the details that you need. A good search function is vital of course, but it must not hinder you from seeing the information that might be adjacent to your search terms and crucial for your understanding. When everybody is on the same page you will notice that you can start to have fewer meetings and still be able to take better decisions.
Go simple, make it efficient and start to benefit from the power of having your documentation organised and accessible for your whole team. All the time. Keeping software documentation simple and super easy to update will prevent your team to invent new ways of adding specs in new formats and put it in places where it is hard to find. Read extra details at docstell.com.