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

General Guidelines
Writing Style
Punctuation
Document Structure
API Documentation
Code Blocks
Formatting
Product and Project Naming

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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:

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

Example:

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

Returns:

* Returns: {type|type2} Optional description.

Example:

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

Product and project naming

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

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

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