Code Documentation in the AI Era: Still Willing to Skip It?
Hello friends,
In this era of increasingly advanced artificial intelligence, there’s really no excuse to skip documenting our code anymore.
In the past, writing documentation was often seen as extra work that took too much time. But now, with AI assistance, much of the documentation process can be done faster and more efficiently.
Let’s take a look at how AI can simplify documentation in software development:
Explaining Code Flow & Structure
Explaining the workflow or code structure often takes a lot of time, especially for complex projects.
Nowadays, AI can read our files and code structure, then generate summaries or automated documentation that’s quite accurate. We just need to do some light editing to fit the context better.
Commit Messages
Finding the right wording for commit messages can be tricky.
But now, AI can directly read the code differences (diff) and suggest concise, clear commit messages—no need to overthink it.
Version Tags
In CI/CD practices, tagging versions is crucial to mark milestones in the project.
Now, AI can analyze changes and summarize them into sensible and easy-to-understand tag messages.
Release Notes
From a collection of commits spread throughout the development period, AI can help automatically generate well-structured release notes.
We just need to review and lightly edit to perfect the output.
With AI’s help, all these documentation tasks become faster, more consistent, and still informative. What used to feel like a heavy burden is now much lighter.
Why Is Documentation Important?
Some still see documentation as optional rather than essential. But good documentation is the foundation of teamwork and project sustainability. Here’s why:
✅ Helps understand code changes in the future
Not everyone—including ourselves—will always remember why a certain code was written. Documentation preserves context and eases maintenance.
✅ Saves teammates (and yourself) from mysterious debugging
With proper documentation, we don’t waste time just trying to figure out what happened in previous versions.
✅ Shows the project is managed seriously and professionally
Projects without documentation often look neglected. Documentation reflects the quality of the workflow and commitment to continuity.
From explaining flow and code structure, commit messages, version tags, to release notes—these are all parts of code documentation. And they’re essential parts of healthy, sustainable software development.
With AI support, we no longer have excuses to skip documenting our work.