Powerforge Docs Builder

PowerForge Docs Builder

Use this skill when work is primarily documentation-pipeline related (not website theming).

Golden Path (Do This In Order)

1. Confirm docs scope first.
   • Module command docs/help (Module/Docs, Module/en-US/*-help.xml) vs authored source docs (Docs/*.md, code XML comments, Help/About/about_*).
2. Validate pipeline configuration.
   • Check New-ConfigurationDocumentation in build settings (Path, PathReadme, AboutTopicsSourcePath, StartClean, UpdateWhenNew).
3. Edit source, not generated output.
   • Cmdlet docs: C# XML comments/examples.
   • About docs: Help/About/about_*.help.txt|.txt|.md|.markdown.
   • Narrative docs: Docs/*.md.
4. Regenerate docs through the documentation gate.
   • Prefer .\Module\Build\Build-Module.ps1 -RunMode Documentation -NoInteractive -NoExitCode -NoSign.
   • Do not use stock platyPS or hand-authored MAML as the normal path; PSPublishModule owns Markdown and external-help generation.
5. Validate generated outputs.
   • Module/Docs pages present and updated.
   • Module/en-US/PSPublishModule-help.xml updated.
   • Confirm the build reported documentation parity between exported commands, generated Markdown pages, and MAML command entries.
6. Keep naming and discoverability consistent.
   • Prefer explicit entrypoint docs for New-* (scaffold), New-Configuration* (DSL object), Invoke-* (execute).
7. Commit generated docs only when source changes require them.

High-Value Commands

# Regenerate docs/help without signing, artefacts, publish, or install
.\Module\Build\Build-Module.ps1 -RunMode Documentation -NoInteractive -NoExitCode -NoSign

# Scaffold about-topic source
New-ModuleAboutTopic -TopicName 'Troubleshooting' -OutputPath '.\Help\About'

Decision Rules

• Treat Module/Docs as generated output that can be overwritten.
• Treat Module/en-US/*-help.xml as generated output from the same documentation gate, not as a hand-edit target.
• Keep durable guidance under Docs/*.md.
• When adding cmdlets/parameters, update XML docs comments first, then regenerate help.
• If documentation parity fails, fix the source export/help metadata or the generator; do not paper over it with generated-name substitutions.
• Add cross-links between docs so quickstart and deep reference docs stay connected.

Reference Files (Read As Needed)

• references/checklist.md for preflight and validation sequence.
• Docs/PSPublishModule.ModuleDocumentation.md for authored-vs-generated rules.
• Docs/PSPublishModule.DotNetPublish.Quickstart.md for dotnet publish command usage patterns.
• Module/Docs/New-ConfigurationDocumentation.md for documentation segment parameters.