Christopher Parrish Documentation
Assignments; questions and answers,
complete solution 2026
Christopher Parrish Documentation Assignments
Assignment 1: Code Documentation Fundamentals
Question 1
Define three core purposes of code documentation and explain why each is
essential for software development teams.
Answer:
1. Knowledge Preservation & Transfer: Documentation captures institutional
knowledge, enabling smooth onboarding of new developers and preventing "bus
factor" risks. This ensures continuity when original developers are unavailable.
2. Code Understanding & Maintenance: Well-documented code
explains why certain implementations were chosen (not just what the code does),
making future maintenance, debugging, and feature additions more efficient.
3. API/Interface Specification: For libraries and services, documentation defines
how external systems should interact with the code, reducing integration errors
and support requests.
,Question 2
Compare and contrast Javadoc, Doxygen, and Sphinx documentation generators.
Include at least two strengths and one limitation for each.
Answer:
Tool Strengths Limitations
1. Native Java integration with standard
Primarily Java-only, limited multi-language
Javadoc tags
support
2. Excellent IDE support (IntelliJ, Eclipse)
1. Extensive language support (C++, Java,
Python, etc.)
Doxygen Steeper learning curve; complex configuration
2. Advanced diagrams and graphs
generation
1. Excellent for Python ecosystems
Primarily Python-focused; less intuitive for non
Sphinx 2. High-quality HTML output with
Python languages
theming
Assignment 2: API Documentation
Question 1
Document the following REST API endpoint following OpenAPI 3.0 standards:
python
@app.route('/api/v1/users/<int:user_id>', methods=['GET'])
def get_user(user_id):
"""Returns user details if authenticated"""
, # Implementation omitted
Answer:
yaml
openapi: 3.0.0
info:
title: User API
version: 1.0.0
paths:
/api/v1/users/{user_id}:
get:
summary: Retrieve user details
description: Returns detailed information for a specific user
parameters:
- name: user_id
in: path
required: true
schema:
type: integer
minimum: 1
description: Numeric ID of the user to retrieve
responses:
'200':
description: Successful response
content:
application/json:
schema:
type: object
properties:
id:
type: integer
username:
type: string
email:
type: string
format: email
'404':
description: User not found
Assignments; questions and answers,
complete solution 2026
Christopher Parrish Documentation Assignments
Assignment 1: Code Documentation Fundamentals
Question 1
Define three core purposes of code documentation and explain why each is
essential for software development teams.
Answer:
1. Knowledge Preservation & Transfer: Documentation captures institutional
knowledge, enabling smooth onboarding of new developers and preventing "bus
factor" risks. This ensures continuity when original developers are unavailable.
2. Code Understanding & Maintenance: Well-documented code
explains why certain implementations were chosen (not just what the code does),
making future maintenance, debugging, and feature additions more efficient.
3. API/Interface Specification: For libraries and services, documentation defines
how external systems should interact with the code, reducing integration errors
and support requests.
,Question 2
Compare and contrast Javadoc, Doxygen, and Sphinx documentation generators.
Include at least two strengths and one limitation for each.
Answer:
Tool Strengths Limitations
1. Native Java integration with standard
Primarily Java-only, limited multi-language
Javadoc tags
support
2. Excellent IDE support (IntelliJ, Eclipse)
1. Extensive language support (C++, Java,
Python, etc.)
Doxygen Steeper learning curve; complex configuration
2. Advanced diagrams and graphs
generation
1. Excellent for Python ecosystems
Primarily Python-focused; less intuitive for non
Sphinx 2. High-quality HTML output with
Python languages
theming
Assignment 2: API Documentation
Question 1
Document the following REST API endpoint following OpenAPI 3.0 standards:
python
@app.route('/api/v1/users/<int:user_id>', methods=['GET'])
def get_user(user_id):
"""Returns user details if authenticated"""
, # Implementation omitted
Answer:
yaml
openapi: 3.0.0
info:
title: User API
version: 1.0.0
paths:
/api/v1/users/{user_id}:
get:
summary: Retrieve user details
description: Returns detailed information for a specific user
parameters:
- name: user_id
in: path
required: true
schema:
type: integer
minimum: 1
description: Numeric ID of the user to retrieve
responses:
'200':
description: Successful response
content:
application/json:
schema:
type: object
properties:
id:
type: integer
username:
type: string
email:
type: string
format: email
'404':
description: User not found
