How to use DataCraft

How the sections, articles, navigation, and search fit together.

DataCraft is a reference you read in small pieces, not a book you read front to back. This page explains how it is put together so you can move through it quickly.

How sections are organized#

Everything is grouped by subject area — Fundamentals, Databases & SQL, Orchestration, and so on. Each area holds a tree of articles, sometimes nested under a specific technology.

On a wide screen every article page has three columns:

Left — section tree
Every article in the current subject area. The page you are on is highlighted.
Center — the article
Breadcrumb, title, a one-line description, then the content.
Right — on this page
The headings of the current article, tracking your scroll position.

Article URLs follow a predictable shape:

Text
/{section}/{slug}/{section}/{technology}/{slug}
/databases-sql/sql-querying-and-aggregations/get-started/welcome

Most sections use the two-part form. A section with several tools can add a {technology} layer between the section and the article, for example /orchestration/airflow/xcom.

Types of material#

There is one base article template, adapted to each topic rather than a rigid form per material type. A full article moves through these blocks:

BlockPurpose
Concept / WhyWhat this is and the problem it solves
Mental model / ArchitectureA picture you can hold in your head
Core componentsThe parts and how they relate
Practical exampleSomething you can run and adapt
Best practicesWhat to do on purpose
Common mistakesWhat tends to go wrong
Quick referenceThe one-screen summary to come back to
See alsoWhere to go next

Blocks that do not help a given topic are dropped; blocks that need more room get it. Extra elements — commands, verification steps, prerequisites, troubleshooting, a production checklist — are added only where a topic actually calls for them.

Difficulty levels

Each article is tagged Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced in its header. The tag describes assumed background, not how long the article is.

  1. Breadcrumb
    Shows the section, the technology if any, and the current article. The earlier parts are links.
  2. Section tree
    Groups collapse and expand. The active article is highlighted so you always know where you are.
  3. On this page
    Jumps to any heading in the current article and highlights the section you are reading.
  4. Previous / Next
    Walks the current section in its intended reading order.
  5. See also
    Links to closely related articles, usually in other sections.
  6. Edit this page
    Opens the article's source file so you can suggest a change.

Press Ctrl K — or K on macOS — from anywhere in the docs to open search. It matches article titles, descriptions, section names, and headings. Use the arrow keys to move through results and Enter to open one.

Fastest way around

You rarely need the mouse. Ctrl K to search, type a few letters, Enter to jump.

The See also block at the end of an article is a short, curated list — not every possible link, just the two or three pages that most naturally come next. Related pages often point back at each other.

Start from Welcome for the overview, or the Roadmap for a recommended path through the whole platform.