Portfolio > Writing and Editing > Software Help Documentation > JavaScript Library Interface

Project Overview

Many web developers use JavaScript (JS) libraries to save time and write less code from scratch. The LabVIEW web module is a product offered as an add-on module to the LabVIEW test and measurement software that allows users to create web-based versions of their LabVIEW applications that can be viewed in a web browser, on any device. The LabVIEW web module team wanted their customers to be able to take advantage of the vast ecosystem of available JS libraries, so they created a JavaScript Library Interface (JSLI) feature that imports the JS functions in a library into LabVIEW to make them available for use in building a LabVIEW web application. I needed to create documentation for a primary audience that knew JS, but also provide extra context and resources for users that were unfamiliar with JS.

Skills

• Technical Writing & Editing

• Research

• DITA XML

• Interviewing Subject Matter Experts

• API Documentation

• JavaScript

The Process

Planning & Creation

To prepare for writing this content, I spent a lot of time interviewing the lead developer, researching JavaScript, and playing around with the feature. One of the most challenging aspects of this project was supporting users who were new to JS while not wasting the time of seasoned JS developers. Once I had gathered all the information I needed, I drafted several topics to guide the user through the process of importing a JS library using the JSLI feature.

The Product

Because the user would need to complete several tasks to accomplish their goal of importing a JS library and using the functions in their LabVIEW web application, I decided to create what I call a “super-task” topic that provides a linked list of all the task topics the user needs. To assist users that were unfamiliar with JS, I created a reference topic that provides a list of recommended resources for learning about JS in general and specific JS concepts users needed to understand to be successful with the JSLI feature.

The following image shows the super-task topic that provides the user with the four tasks they need to complete to successfully use JS library functions in their LabVIEW web application.

The first three topics in the super task detail the process that everyone needs to follow to use this feature; the fourth topic details an optional process that more advanced developers would need to use to make asynchronous JS calls. The process for creating asynchronous JS calls was not in its final form, and the development team hoped to mature this process over time. I was able to help the user and improve the product by providing documentation that made this evolving functionality easier to use. To create asynchronous JS calls, the user needs to create some additional JS code. To assist the user with this process, I provide a code sample that they can copy/paste and alter for their unique programming goals. As shown in the following image, I also provide numbered callouts with descriptions in a table below the code sample that explain the purpose of each section of code.