Classical Technical Writing vs Docs-as-Code

Dimension	Classical Technical Writing	Docs-as-Code Methodology
Authoring Tools	Word, FrameMaker, InDesign	Markdown, AsciiDoc, reStructuredText
Workflow Structure	Linear, editorial-first	Agile, iterative, version-controlled
Collaboration Model	Centralized ownership by documentation specialists	Distributed, cross-functional contributions
Publishing Format	PDF, Word documents, help files	Static websites, integrated with CI/CD pipelines
Update Process	Manual revisions, often delayed	Automated builds, frequent updates
Audience Control	Limited access, internal teams	Open or permissioned access via Git platforms
Versioning	Manual file management	Git-based version control
Visual Design	Template-driven, layout-focused	Lightweight markup, theme-based rendering
Integration with Dev	Separate from development workflows	Embedded in development toolchain
Learning Curve	Familiar to non-technical users	Requires technical fluency or onboarding