The Diátaxis framework aims to solve the problem of structure in technical documentation. It adopts a systematic approach to understanding the needs of documentation users in their cycle of interaction with a product.
The name Diátaxis comes from the Ancient Greek δῐᾰ́τᾰξῐς: dia (“across”) and taxis (“arrangement”).
Diátaxis identifies four modes of documentation - tutorials, how-to guides, technical reference and explanation. It derives its structure from the relationship between them.
In Diátaxis, each of these modes (or types) answers to a different user need, fulfils a different purpose and requires a different approach to its creation.
There is a secret that needs to be understood in order to write good software documentation: there isn’t one thing called documentation, there are four.
They are: tutorials, how-to guides, technical reference and explanation. They represent four different purposes or functions, and require four different approaches to their creation. Understanding the implications of this will help improve most documentation - often immensely.