Diátaxis

Diátaxis is a framework for technical documentation (Daniele Procida) that splits docs into four distinct types based on the user's current need:

• Tutorials — lesson-style, hand-held first experience. "Follow along and get the feel."
• How-to guides — step-by-step instructions for a specific goal. "Solve this problem."
• Reference — dry, complete, accurate lookup. "Tell me exactly what X does."
• Explanation — background, context, discussion. "Why does this even exist?"

The core insight is negative: mixing these types in one document frustrates everyone. A tutorial that pauses to explain the internals loses beginners; reference docs that tell a story waste experts' time. Each type has its own voice, structure, and reader mode.

Widely adopted in open-source projects — Django, Divio, GitLab docs — and a useful lens for structuring any kind of writing beyond pure notes.