title: Contextual documentation
text: # Contextual documentation
  
  Contextual documentation is an information block approach to writing in-situ documentation.
  
  It becomes particularly useful when dealing with in-situ documentation delivered to the software GUI, to devise a matrix of required help to users in a particular situation or context. This concept is based on DITA, where small topics are written when needed asking the right questions:
  
  * What is this and/or what does it do?
  * How do I use it?
  * Do I have an example?
  * Where am I in terms of a workflow?
  * What next?
  * What pitfalls to avoid?
  
  This is an editorial matrix, a content guideline as sorts. By no means are all items to be written exhaustively as if they were a form to be filled .
  
  