170 Java Documentation

Java Documentation Generator with modular step-based configuration

Generate comprehensive Java project documentation through a modular, step-based interactive process that covers README.md, package-info.java, and Javadoc.

Core areas: README.md generation for single-module and multi-module Maven projects, package-info.java creation with basic/detailed/minimal documentation levels, Javadoc enhancement with comprehensive @param/@return/@throws tags, file handling strategies (overwrite/add/backup/skip), and final documentation validation with ./mvnw clean compile and ./mvnw javadoc:javadoc.

Prerequisites: Run ./mvnw validate or mvn validate before applying any documentation generation. If validation fails, stop immediately — do not proceed until all validation errors are resolved.

Multi-step scope: Step 1 assesses documentation preferences through targeted questions (README.md, package-info.java, Javadoc) to determine which subsequent steps to execute. Step 2 generates README.md files with software descriptions, build instructions, and optional sections based on code analysis — conditionally executed if selected. Step 3 generates package-info.java files for every package in src/main/java, with documentation depth matching the user's chosen level — conditionally executed if selected. Step 4 enhances Javadoc for public and protected APIs, adding missing @param, @return, @throws tags, and usage examples — conditionally executed if selected. Step 5 validates all generated documentation by compiling the project and running Javadoc generation, then produces a comprehensive summary of files created, modified, and skipped.

Before applying changes: Read the reference for detailed good/bad examples, constraints, and safeguards for each documentation generation pattern.

Reference

For detailed guidance, examples, and constraints, see references/170-java-documentation.md.