Dialog Style: Brilliant Example of Communication

About a year ago, I stumbled upon Papa Parse (undoubtedly the best CSV parser out there). While I’m not here to talk about CSV parsing, I do want to highlight their website, which is a brilliant example of communication.

The site uses an engaging dialogue-style format to guide readers step-by-step through the nuances of CSV parsing. It starts with:

Isn't parsing CSV just String.split(',')?

Then it builds:

• "But I don't know the delimiter…"
• "Great, but I have a file to parse."
• "Did I mention the file is huge?"
• "Lovely. Now my web page locked up."

This style not only simplifies a complex topic but also keeps you hooked. I highly recommend checking it out: Papa Parse

Why is this relevant?

Throughout my career, I’ve worked on many migrations and standardization projects. One thing has always been clear: Good documentation is essential for success. But let’s be honest, documentation can be boring. It’s often dry, technical, and hard to follow.

Using a dialogue-style approach like Papa Parse is a fantastic way to guide readers through a process, almost like an interactive tutorial. It’s not just helpful for the reader, it also makes writing documentation easier because you’re actively anticipating the reader’s questions.