Ark Documentation

Guidance for structuring Ark documentation using Diataxis adapted for Ark's needs.

When to use this skill

• Creating new documentation
• Deciding where content belongs
• Reviewing documentation PRs
• Restructuring existing documentation

ARK's Diataxis structure

docs/content/
├── Introduction
├── Quickstart
├── Tutorials          → Linear learning paths
├── How-to Guides      → Task-oriented, by persona
├── Core Concepts      → Understanding "why" and "how"
├── Reference          → Factual lookup material
├── Marketplace        → External link
└── Disclaimer

Terminology

The four quadrants

1. Tutorials (learning-oriented)

Purpose: Hands-on lessons for newcomers.

Characteristics: - Linear, numbered paths (1, 2, 3...) - Single prescribed path - no choices - Frequent visible results - Ends with "Next step" → How-to Guides

Writing style: - Use "we" language - Don't explain - link to Core Concepts

Content belongs here if: - It teaches a skill through doing - Reader is studying, not working - Success requires following steps in order

Examples: Quickstart, Running the Dashboard, Starting a New Project, Complete Worked Example

2. How-to guides (task-oriented)

Purpose: Help competent users complete specific tasks.

Organized by persona:

Build with ARK (application developers)

• Configure models, create agents, coordinate teams, run queries, add tools.

Extend ARK (contributors)

• Build services locally, implement APIs, build A2A servers, add tests.

Operate ARK (operators / SRE / security)

• Platform operations: Provisioning, deploying
• CI/CD and supply chain: Build pipelines
• Security & assurance: Pen testing, code analysis

Writing style: - Goal-oriented: "If you want X, do Y" - Assumes competence - Don't teach - link to Tutorials or Core Concepts

Content belongs here if: - Reader has a specific task to complete - Reader is working, not studying

3. Core concepts (understanding-oriented)

Purpose: Explain what ARK is, how it's designed, and why.

Topics: - What ARK is and how it works. - Design effective agentic systems. - Platform architecture concepts. - Extensibility concepts. - Security and identity concepts.

Writing style: - Discursive: "The reason for X is..." - Make connections between concepts - Provide design decision context

Content belongs here if: - It answers "why" or "how does this work" - Reader is deciding how to design/extend/operate - Content provides context, not procedures

4. Reference (information-oriented)

Purpose: Factual lookup material.

Organized by type: - Interfaces: ARK APIs. - Kubernetes API: CRDs, resources. - Evaluations: Guides, event-based evaluations. - System behavior: Query execution, relationships. - Operations: Upgrading, troubleshooting. - Project: Contributors.

Writing style: - Austere, factual, neutral - Structure mirrors product - No instruction, explanation, or opinion

Content belongs here if: - It describes what something IS - Reader needs to look up specific details - Content is consulted, not read cover-to-cover

Decision guide

Is the reader LEARNING or WORKING?
│
├─ LEARNING (studying)
│   ├─ Hands-on, step-by-step? → TUTORIALS
│   └─ Understanding concepts? → CORE CONCEPTS
│
└─ WORKING (applying)
    ├─ Completing a task? → HOW-TO GUIDES
    └─ Looking up facts? → REFERENCE

Hub pages

Hub pages link to content without moving files:

• tutorials.mdx - Lists tutorials in order.
• how-to-guides.mdx - Groups by persona.
• core-concepts.mdx - Groups by topic.
• reference/index.mdx - Groups by type.

Hub pages should: - Explain purpose in one sentence. - Group links logically. - Not duplicate content.

Personas

Writing guidelines

Lexicon

• The product is known as ARK rather than Ark.

General style

• Be concise and direct.
• Use simple language.
• Keep descriptions to 1-2 sentences.
• Use active voice: "Creates agent" not "Agent is created".
• Write "ARK" not "Ark".
• Use US English.
• Use Oxford commas in lists.

Bullets

• Capitalize the first word and end with a period.
• Use numbered lists only for sequences of instructions or when referencing items later.

Capitalization

• Capitalize only proper nouns (product names, tools, services).
• Use sentence case for titles: "An introduction to data visualization" not "An Introduction to Data Visualization".
• Don't capitalize: cloud, internet, machine learning, advanced analytics.

Headings

• Avoid gerunds: "Get started" not "Getting started," "Customize a layout" not "Customizing a layout".
• Keep titles short and descriptive for search discoverability.

Instructions

• Use imperatives: "Complete the configuration steps".
• Don't use "please".
• Don't use passive tense: "Complete the steps" not "The steps should be completed".

Links

• Make hyperlinks descriptive: Learn how to [contribute to ARK](url).
• Don't write: To contribute, see [here](url).

Avoid

• Gerunds in headings.
• Colloquialisms (may not translate across regions/languages).
• Business speak: "leverage", "utilize", "facilitate".

What not to mix

References

• Diataxis Framework
• Issue #338
• PR #620