Choose the Doc Shape Before You Prompt AI
Classify a documentation request before prompting AI so the output matches the reader job.
The first prompt is not "write the doc." The first prompt is "what kind of doc is this?" Four shapes, four jobs Diataxis separates documentation by user need. A tutorial builds skill, a how-to gets a task done, reference supports lookup, and explanation builds understanding. That distinction matters more with AI because a language model will happily combine all four if you let it. The result feels comprehensive but behaves badly: beginners drown in API tables, operators skim past theory, and reviewers disagree because they are reviewing different implied documents. Why this works A clear type narrows the model and…
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