Documentation Generator

Documentation Generator

Automatically generate documentation for code, APIs, and projects.

Philosophy

Good documentation is as critical as good code.

Core Beliefs

1. Code Documents What, Docs Explain Why: Documentation provides context code cannot
2. Documentation Enables Adoption: Well-documented code gets used, undocumented code gets replaced
3. Up-to-Date Beats Comprehensive: Better to have accurate basics than stale details
4. Multiple Audiences Need Different Docs: Users need guides, developers need API references

Why Documentation Matters

• Onboarding: New team members get productive faster
• Maintenance: Future developers (including yourself) understand intent
• Adoption: Users can actually use your features
• Professional Quality: Documentation signals production-ready software

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when the user:

• Says "I need to document this"
• Asks "how do I write docs for this API?"
• Mentions "README", "documentation", or "user guide"
• Shows code and asks "what docs should I write?"
• Says "need API documentation"
• Asks about changelog or release notes
• Mentions "developer guide" or "setup instructions"

Decision Framework

Before generating documentation, determine:

What Type of Documentation Is Needed?

1. API Documentation - Code interfaces, parameters, return values → PHPDoc/JSDoc
2. User Guide - End-user instructions, screenshots → Markdown guide
3. Developer Documentation - Setup, architecture, contributing → README + guides
4. Changelog - Release notes, version history → Keep a Changelog format
5. Inline Documentation - Code comments, function docs → Language-specific format
6. Documentation Site - Multi-page documentation with search and navigation → Zensical site

Who Is the Audience?

• Developers - Technical details, code examples, architecture
• End Users - Simple language, step-by-step instructions, screenshots
• Contributors - Setup instructions, coding standards, PR process
• Stakeholders - High-level overview, features, roadmap

What's the Scope?

• Single function/class → Inline PHPDoc/JSDoc
• Module/component → Component documentation
• Feature → User guide + API docs
• Entire project → README + developer guide + API reference
• Release → Changelog entry

What Already Exists?

Check for:

• Existing README → Update vs. create new
• Existing API docs → Append vs. regenerate
• CHANGELOG.md → Add new entry vs. create file
• Documentation site → Match existing format

What Level of Detail?

• Minimal - Function signature, brief description → Quick reference
• Standard - Parameters, return values, usage example → Full API docs
• Comprehensive - Architecture, examples, edge cases, troubleshooting → Complete guide

Decision Tree

User requests documentation
    ↓
Identify documentation type
    ↓
Determine audience (dev/user/contributor)
    ↓
Check for existing docs
    ↓
Assess scope (function/module/project)
    ↓
Generate appropriate documentation
    ↓
Format for platform (CMS-specific if needed)

Workflow

1. Determine Documentation Type

API Documentation - For code interfaces:

• Functions, methods, classes
• Parameters and return types
• Examples and usage

README - For project overview:

• Installation instructions
• Quick start guide
• Features and requirements

User Guide - For end users:

• How to use features
• Screenshots and examples
• Troubleshooting

Developer Guide - For contributors:

• Architecture overview
• Setup and development
• Coding standards

Changelog - For releases:

• Version history
• What changed
• Migration guides

2. Analyze the Code/Project

For API Docs:

• Scan function signatures
• Identify parameters and return types
• Find existing comments
• Detect dependencies

For README:

• Check for package managers (composer.json, package.json)
• Identify framework (Drupal, WordPress, etc.)
• Find entry points and main features

For Guides:

• Understand user workflows
• Identify key features
• Note prerequisites

Documentation Templates

Complete templates are available for reference:

• API Documentation Templates - PHPDoc/JSDoc for Drupal & WordPress
• README Template - Complete project README structure
• User Guide Template - End-user documentation
• Changelog Template - Version history (Keep a Changelog format)

Use these templates as starting points, customizing for the specific project needs.

Documentation Site Generation

For comprehensive documentation sites, use Zensical - a modern static site generator from the creators of Material for MkDocs.

When to Use Zensical

• Multi-page documentation - Organize docs across multiple pages
• Search functionality - Built-in search for documentation
• Modern theming - Professional appearance with customization
• Navigation - Organized navigation with sections and subsections
• GitHub Pages deployment - Automated deployment via GitHub Actions

Zensical Setup

Install:

pip install zensical

Create new project:

zensical new my-documentation

Configuration (zensical.toml):

[project]
site_name = "Project Name"
site_description = "Brief description"
site_url = "https://yoursite.github.io/project/"
docs_dir = "docs"
site_dir = "site"

nav = [
  {"Home" = "index.md"},
  {"Getting Started" = [
    "installation.md",
    "quick-start.md"
  ]},
  {"API Reference" = "api/index.md"}
]

[project.theme]
variant = "modern"

Build and serve:

# Local preview
zensical serve

# Production build
zensical build --clean

GitHub Actions deployment:

name: Deploy Documentation
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
        with:
          python-version: '3.x'
      - run: pip install zensical
      - run: zensical build --clean
      - uses: actions/upload-pages-artifact@v4
        with:
          path: ./site

Generation Strategy

1. Gather Information

Ask clarifying questions:

• "What documentation type do you need?"
• "Who is the audience? (developers, end users, admins?)"
• "What specific features should be documented?"

2. Analyze Code

For API docs:

• Read function signatures
• Extract existing comments
• Identify dependencies
• Find usage examples

3. Structure Document

Follow standard patterns:

• Overview/introduction
• Prerequisites
• Main content (organized logically)
• Examples
• Troubleshooting
• Resources

4. Add Examples

Include:

• Code examples
• Screenshots (placeholder references)
• Before/after comparisons
• Common use cases

Integration with CMS Cultivator

This skill complements the /docs-generate slash command:

• This Skill: Automatically triggered during conversation

  • "How do I document this function?"
  • "Need docs for this API"
  • Quick single-function documentation

• /docs-generate Command: Explicit batch generation

  • Generate full project documentation
  • Create comprehensive README
  • Build complete user guides

Quick Response Patterns

For API Documentation

When user shows a class or function:

1. Identify the type (Drupal service, WordPress function, JS module)
2. Generate appropriate docblock format
3. Include:
   • Description of purpose
   • Parameter documentation
   • Return type documentation
   • Usage example in @code block
   • Related functions (@see tags)

For README

When user asks for project documentation:

1. Scan project structure (composer.json, package.json)
2. Identify platform (Drupal/WordPress/standalone)
3. Generate sections in order:
   • Title and description
   • Features list
   • Requirements
   • Installation (Composer first)
   • Quick start example
   • Links to detailed docs

For User Guides

When user needs end-user documentation:

1. Ask about target audience
2. Identify main workflows
3. Structure with:
   • Overview
   • Prerequisites checklist
   • Step-by-step instructions
   • Screenshots placeholders
   • Troubleshooting section
   • FAQs

For Changelogs

When user needs version history:

1. Use Keep a Changelog format
2. Categories: Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security
3. Include version numbers and dates
4. Link to GitHub comparisons

Example Interactions

Example 1: API documentation

User: "I need to document this service class"
[Shows DataProcessor class]

Skill: "I'll generate API documentation for your DataProcessor service.
I see it has 3 public methods and uses dependency injection.
I'll create docblocks with:
- Class description with usage example
- Constructor documentation
- Method documentation with @param and @return
- @code examples for each method

[Generates documented code following Drupal standards]

This follows Drupal documentation standards. Each method includes
parameter types, return types, and usage examples."

Example 2: README

User: "Need a README for my custom module"

Skill: "I'll create a comprehensive README for your module.
Let me check the project structure...

I see:
- Drupal 10 module
- Composer-based
- Custom services and admin routes

I'll generate a README with:
- Installation via Composer
- Feature list
- Configuration steps
- API usage examples
- Links to extended docs

[Generates README.md]"

Example 3: Changelog Entry

User: "What should I add to CHANGELOG for this release?"

Skill: "Based on your recent commits, I'll generate a changelog entry
following Keep a Changelog format:

## [1.2.0] - 2025-01-15

### Added
- User profile export functionality (#234)
- Bulk operations support

### Changed
- Improved query performance (30% faster)

### Fixed
- Permission check on admin pages (#145)

Would you like me to add this to your CHANGELOG.md?"

Best Practices

1. Clear and Concise - Write for your audience's level
2. Examples - Always include working code examples
3. Up to Date - Document current functionality, not planned features
4. Structured - Use consistent headings and format
5. Searchable - Include keywords users will search for
6. Complete - Cover common use cases and edge cases

Platform-Specific Guidelines

Drupal Documentation

• Use PHPDoc format with @param, @return, @throws
• Include @code examples in docblocks
• Document services with usage examples
• Reference related APIs with @see tags
• Follow Drupal API documentation standards

WordPress Documentation

• Use PHPDoc with @since tags
• Document hooks and filters
• Include usage examples in docblocks
• Reference WordPress functions
• Follow WordPress inline documentation standards

JavaScript Documentation

• Use JSDoc format
• Document parameters and return types
• Include examples
• Document React components with PropTypes
• Follow project-specific standards (ESDoc, TSDoc)

Markdown Style for Zensical Documentation

When generating markdown documentation for Zensical sites (like this plugin's documentation), follow these guidelines for proper rendering:

Use Headings, Not Bold Lists

DON'T:

1. **Category Name**
   - Sub-item 1
   - Sub-item 2

DO:

### Category Name

- Sub-item 1
- Sub-item 2

Use Headings for Section Titles

DON'T:

**Section Title:**
- Item 1
- Item 2

DO:

#### Section Title

- Item 1
- Item 2

Heading Hierarchy

• # - Document title (once at top)
• ## - Major sections
• ### - Subsections
• #### - Categories, steps, or sub-subsections

For Step-by-Step Instructions

DON'T:

1. **Step Name**: Description
   - Detail 1
   - Detail 2

DO:

#### 1. Step Name

Description

- Detail 1
- Detail 2

Complete style guide: See Markdown Style Guide for full details and examples.

Resources

• Write the Docs
• Drupal Documentation Standards
• WordPress Inline Documentation Standards
• Keep a Changelog
• Semantic Versioning