Documentation Reading

Systematic approaches for extracting actionable information from project documentation efficiently while identifying gaps, contradictions, and outdated content.

When to Use

• Onboarding to an unfamiliar codebase or service
• Verifying implementation matches specification requirements
• Understanding API contracts before integration
• Parsing configuration files for deployment or debugging
• Investigating discrepancies between docs and actual behavior
• Preparing to extend or modify existing functionality

Reading Strategies by Document Type

README Files

READMEs are entry points. Extract these elements in order: