Doc

Maintain documentation under this repository's documentation policy. The implementation is the absolute source of truth.

Documentation Policy

1. Repository markdown must contain no WHAT or HOW that is derivable from code or scripts. AI agents and contributors read code directly; restating it in markdown creates drift, not value. If a markdown section can be reconstructed by reading the code, delete it.
2. WHY and non-derivable constraints live in JSDoc at the closest code. Spec citations, invariants, intended contracts, and known limitations belong in JSDoc on the symbol they constrain. Architecture-level WHY goes in module-level JSDoc at the owning package's entry point (src/index.ts).
3. JSDoc scope depends on visibility:
   • Public API symbols (exported from a published package entry point — lands in .d.ts and IDE hover) MAY contain WHAT for end users.
   • Internal code JSDoc must not restate WHAT — only WHY, constraints, and non-obvious contracts.
4. Do NOT create new ARCHITECTURE.md, docs/*.md, or similar explanatory markdown. That content belongs in JSDoc (rule 2).
5. Exempt — rule READMEs (packages/@markuplint/rules/src/*/README.md + README.ja.md): these are WEBSITE SOURCE (user-facing). Both languages MUST stay in sync — updating only one is a recurring mistake; always verify.
6. Exempt — package READMEs (packages/**/README.md): npm-facing user documentation, not covered by rule 1.
7. No plan-relative concepts in JSDoc, test names, or documentation: Phase/Step numbers, "this PR", "the old implementation", "to be introduced". Write self-contained descriptions of current behavior and intentional absences. External references are limited to issue / PR numbers.

Rules

• Use the language specified in each document
• NEVER modify the implementation when updating documentation — do not change function bodies, type definitions, export statements, or even the ordering of declarations
• NEVER include specific dependency version numbers (e.g., a version of a parser library) — versions change frequently and cause maintenance burden. package.json is the source of truth. Specification versions like ARIA 1.3 are not dependencies and may be mentioned.
• If the intent of code or documentation is unclear, ask the user rather than guessing

JSDoc

• Every exported function and type must have a JSDoc comment
• Required tags:
  • @param — for each parameter; type annotation may rely on TypeScript, but a description is mandatory
  • @returns — description of the return value is mandatory
  • @template — for each type parameter; include a description
• Do not add redundant type annotations that TypeScript already provides — describe purpose, semantics, and constraints

Final Step (MANDATORY)

After all documentation changes are complete, always run yarn lint to verify formatting, spelling, and style. Fix any errors before committing.