Node.js documentation style guide

This guide provides clear and concise instructions to help you create well-organized and readable documentation for the Node.js community. It covers organization, spelling, formatting, and more to ensure consistency and professionalism across all documents.

Table of contents

1. General Guidelines
2. Writing Style
3. Punctuation
4. Document Structure
5. API Documentation
6. Code Blocks
7. Formatting
8. Product and Project Naming

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General guidelines

File naming

• Markdown Files: Use lowercase-with-dashes.md.
  • Use underscores only if they are part of the topic name (e.g., child_process).
  • Some files, like top-level Markdown files, may be exceptions.

Text wrapping

• Wrap documents at 120 characters per line to enhance readability and version control.

Editor configuration

• Follow the formatting rules specified in .editorconfig.
  • A plugin is available for some editors to enforce these rules.

Testing documentation

• Validate documentation changes using make test-doc -j or vcbuild test-doc.

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Writing style

Spelling and grammar

• Spelling: Use US spelling.
• Grammar: Use clear, concise language. Avoid unnecessary jargon.

Commas

• Serial Commas: Use serial commas for clarity.
  • Example: apples, oranges<b>,</b> and bananas

Pronouns

• Avoid first-person pronouns (I, we).
  • Exception: Use we recommend foo instead of foo is recommended.

Gender-neutral language

• Use gender-neutral pronouns and plural nouns.
  • OK: they, their, them, folks, people, developers
  • NOT OK: his, hers, him, her, guys, dudes

Terminology

• Use precise technical terms and avoid colloquialisms.
• Define any specialized terms or acronyms at first use.

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Punctuation

Terminal punctuation

• Place inside parentheses or quotes if the content is a complete clause.
• Place outside if the content is a fragment of a clause.

Quotation marks

• Use double quotation marks for direct quotes.
• Use single quotation marks for quotes within quotes.

Colons and semicolons

• Use colons to introduce lists or explanations.
• Use semicolons to link closely related independent clauses.

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Document structure

Headings

• Start documents with a level-one heading (#).
• Use subsequent headings (##, ###, etc.) to organize content hierarchically.

Links

• Prefer reference-style links ([a link][]) over inline links ([a link](http://example.com)).

Lists

• Use bullet points for unordered lists and numbers for ordered lists.
• Keep list items parallel in structure.

Tables

• Use tables to present structured information clearly. Ensure they are readable in plain text.

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API documentation

YAML comments

• Update the YAML comments associated with the API, especially when introducing or deprecating an API.

Usage examples

• Provide a usage example or a link to an example for every function.

Parameter descriptions

• Clearly describe parameters and return values, including types and defaults.
  • Example:
    markdownCopy

    * `byteOffset` {integer} Index of first byte to expose. **Default:** `0`.
    

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Code blocks

Language-aware fences

• Use language-aware fences (e.g., ```js) for code blocks.

  • Info String: Use the appropriate info string from the following list:

    Language	Info String
    Bash	bash
    C	c
    CommonJS	cjs
    CoffeeScript	coffee
    Terminal Session	console
    C++	cpp
    Diff	diff
    HTTP	http
    JavaScript	js
    JSON	json
    Markdown	markdown
    EcmaScript	mjs
    Powershell	powershell
    R	r
    Plaintext	text
    TypeScript	typescript

  • Use text for languages not listed until their grammar is added to remark-preset-lint-node.

Code comments

• Use comments to explain complex logic within code examples.
• Follow the standard commenting style of the respective language.

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Formatting

Escaping characters

• Use backslash-escaping for underscores, asterisks, and backticks: \_, \*, \`.

Naming conventions

• Constructors: Use PascalCase.
• Instances: Use camelCase.
• Methods: Indicate methods with parentheses: socket.end() instead of socket.end.

Function arguments and returns

• Arguments:
  markdownCopy

  * `name` {type|type2} Optional description. **Default:** `value`.
  

  Example:
  markdownCopy

  * `byteOffset` {integer} Index of first byte to expose. **Default:** `0`.
  

• Returns:
  markdownCopy

  * Returns: {type|type2} Optional description.
  

  Example:
  markdownCopy

  * Returns: {AsyncHook} A reference to `asyncHook`.
  

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Product and project naming

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Official styling

• Use official capitalization for products and projects.
  • OK: JavaScript, Google's V8
  • NOT OK: Javascript, Google's v8

Node.js references

• Use Node.js instead of Node, NodeJS, or similar variants.
  • For the executable, node is acceptable.

Version references

• Use Node.js and the version number in prose. Do not prefix the version number with v.
  • OK: Node.js 14.x, Node.js 14.3.1
  • NOT OK: Node.js v14

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For topics not addressed here, please consult the Microsoft Writing Style Guide.

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