Oops! APCOMTEC did it again!
The usual suspects have been considering how to expand on the successful Summer School organized since 2018 by TCeurope and now APCOMTEC.
As teachers and organizers were mingling in the Summer School earlier this year, we learned that Nick Hill had done an extended presentation of Docs as Code to STVY members. It dawned on us that we might capitalize on that presentation to kick-start our own Advanced School. Nick offered to expand his presentation with suitable practice, and I added Farfetch experience with REST API references.
The result is an Advanced Autumn School focused on the common needs of organizations (large and small) where developers are a fundamental part of the documentation lifecycle. Therefore, aligning the documentation with developer practices uncovers deeper forms of collaboration among all stakeholders.
The training will be delivered in English at ISCAP:
- Starting noon Nov 24 (Thursday)
- Ending Nov 26th after lunch (Saturday)
- Prices start at €70
- Details at apcomtec.org
Accommodation in Porto in late November should be affordable as well. Some support may be available to those in need. Make your case to schoolapcomtec@gmail.com.
Nick Hill, Docs as code: Theory and practice
This course demonstrates how to create and publish documentation using a docs as code approach.
- Day one offers a deep dive into the standard tools, workflows, and benefits of docs as code through a mix of presentations and demos.
- Day two allows you to practice what you have learned with a hands-on workshop.
Attendees will get a practical introduction to this topic, which is an in-demand theme at technical writing conferences and with some employers. After the course, participants will have a basic, practical understanding of docs as code and some suggestions on where they can learn more.
Joaquim Baptista, Nurturing References of REST APIs
References are a vital part of the developer documentation of large and complex systems, because they support effective collaboration among stakeholders to capture detail.
REST APIs are a style of communication among systems and their developers that has grown in popularity because of their simplicity, scalability, speed, and ability to handle structured data.
This course is for anyone responsible for managing or writing REST API references that meet the needs of users, especially developers or technical authors that want to:
- Identify reasons and decisions that led to the widespread usage of REST APIs.
- Identify details of commands and responses of REST APIs, and how developers specify them.
- Walk in the shoes of client developers to answer their questions in references.
- Visualize large APIs using UML diagrams.
- Improve incomplete and ambiguous API specifications.
The module assumes only the ability to use text editors and Web browsers.
And one more thing...
You may optionally stay during Saturday afternoon to participate in the opening workshop of the 4th Post-Graduate Course in Technical Communication and welcome the next batch of students.
If you know someone that might fancy a better professional future, consider recommending the Advanced School as a taster for the profession, and recommending the Post-Graduation as an entry point. ISCAP is still enrolling students for this year.
So, consider coming to Porto to learn and network.
— Joaquim Baptista, Farfetch, APCOMTEC, Euro-SIGDOC.
P.S.: STVY is the Finish APCOMTEC.
P.P.S.: We can now state with confidence that the students that engage with the course succeed in getting work in the area.
P.P.P.S: I recently attended Agile eXperience Lisbon, where I was reminded of Dave Snowden and Cynefin, who tweeted one the best Cynefin stories of recent times, in Ukraine.