Add Documentation

Add Documentation

Overview

Write publication-quality XML documentation for DynamicData public APIs. Every behavioral claim must be traced from the implementation source, not guessed from naming conventions. The documentation will be extracted as HTML and published on the ReactiveUI docs site.

When to Use

• New operator or public API added
• Existing operator's behavior changed
• Batch documentation pass across a file
• PR reviewer requests improved documentation
• Any public type, interface, enum, or member needs docs

Core Rule: Additive Only

Never remove existing useful information from comments. After making changes, diff against main to confirm nothing substantive was lost.

Unified Template

Start from this template for any primary overload. Delete sections that do not apply.

/// <summary>
/// [1-3 sentences: what it does, why you'd use it. No behavioral details.]
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="TObject">The type of items.</typeparam>
/// <typeparam name="TKey">The type of the key.</typeparam>
/// <param name="source">The source <see cref="IObservable{IChangeSet{TObject, TKey}}"/> to [verb: filter, transform, sort, etc.].</param>
/// <param name="exampleParam">An <see cref="IComparer{TObject}"/> that determines sort order.</param>
/// <returns>[What it emits and what each emission represents.]</returns>
/// <exception cref="ArgumentNullException">Thrown when <paramref name="source"/> is <c>null</c>.</exception>
/// <remarks>
/// <para>[When to use. How it differs from alternatives. Multiple paragraphs fine.]</para>
///
/// <!-- SINGLE-SOURCE CHANGESET OPERATOR: one event table -->
/// <!-- MULTI-SOURCE OPERATOR: separate labeled tables per source (see below) -->
/// <!-- MUTATION HELPER: table describes what changeset is PRODUCED -->
/// <!-- NON-CHANGESET OUTPUT: table describes how source events affect subscriptions -->
///
/// <list type="table">
/// <listheader><term>Event</term><description>Behavior</description></listheader>
/// <!-- Cache operators -->
/// <item><term>Add</term><description>[specific outcome, bold output reasons]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Update</term><description>[specific outcome]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Remove</term><description>[specific outcome, mention cleanup]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Refresh</term><description>[specific outcome, trace carefully]</description></item>
/// <!-- List operators: also include these -->
/// <item><term>AddRange</term><description>[specific outcome]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Replace</term><description>[list equivalent of Update]</description></item>
/// <item><term>RemoveRange</term><description>[specific outcome]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Moved</term><description>[specific outcome]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Clear</term><description>[specific outcome]</description></item>
/// <!-- All operators -->
/// <item><term>OnError</term><description>[forwarded? swallowed? conditional?]</description></item>
/// <item><term>OnCompleted</term><description>[immediate? waits for children?]</description></item>
/// </list>
///
/// <!-- MULTI-SOURCE: use this pattern instead of the single table above -->
/// <para><b>Source changeset handling (parent events):</b></para>
/// <list type="table">
/// <listheader><term>Event</term><description>Behavior</description></listheader>
/// <item><term>Add</term><description>[subscribes to child / creates state]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Update</term><description>[disposes old, subscribes to new]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Remove</term><description>[disposes, emits downstream removes]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Refresh</term><description>[no effect / re-evaluates]</description></item>
/// </list>
/// <para><b>Per-item observable handling:</b></para>
/// <list type="table">
/// <listheader><term>Emission</term><description>Behavior</description></listheader>
/// <item><term>First value</term><description>[what appears downstream]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Subsequent values</term><description>[updates? replacements?]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Error</term><description>[terminates? swallowed?]</description></item>
/// <item><term>Completed</term><description>[freezes? removed?]</description></item>
/// </list>
///
/// <para><b>Worth noting:</b> [Non-obvious behavior, edge cases, disposal semantics.]</para>
/// </remarks>
/// <seealso cref="[OtherOverloadsInSet]"/>
/// <seealso cref="[SafeOrAsyncVariant]"/>
/// <seealso cref="[SimilarOperator]"/>
/// <seealso cref="[ComplementaryOperator]"/>

For secondary overloads in an overload set:

<!-- When the overload delegates to the primary (simpler signature, fewer params): -->
/// <inheritdoc cref="[PrimarySignature]"/>
/// <param name="[delta]">A <see cref="[Type]"/> that [specific difference].</param>
/// <remarks>This overload [what differs]. Delegates to <see cref="[Primary]"/>.</remarks>

<!-- When the overload has a different implementation (different input type, different behavior): -->
<!-- Use the full unified template above. It needs its own complete documentation. -->
<!-- Still link to the other overloads via seealso for discoverability. -->

Process

1. Analyze the Implementation

Read the actual source code. Trace each code path for every change reason the operator handles.

Key questions:

• What does each change reason produce downstream? Name the exact output.
• Are there conditional outcomes? (e.g., Filter's Update has four possible results)
• Does the operator create per-item subscriptions? When created/disposed?
• Are errors from child subscriptions forwarded or swallowed?
• Does OnCompleted wait for child subscriptions?

Refresh behavior varies significantly between operators: some re-evaluate (Filter), some forward as-is (Transform by default), some drop (FilterImmutable), some convert to other change types. But all change reasons deserve the same careful tracing.

2. Choose What to Include

3. Apply Quality Rules

Params: Every <param> must read as natural English with the type linked via <see cref="..."/> woven into the sentence. No type is exempt from linking (including enums, Optional, Change, IChangeSet, standard library types like IComparer, TimeSpan, IScheduler). Use <see langword="true"/> / <see langword="false"/> / <see langword="null"/> for C# keywords.

Param writing rules:

• Reads as English. Read it aloud. If it sounds wrong, it IS wrong.
• Starts with an article ("The", "A", "An") or a condition ("When", "If").
• Links the actual parameter type from the method signature. Use <see cref="..."/>. Get the generic type arguments right (e.g., IComparer{TObject} not IComparer{T} when the param type is IComparer<TObject>).
• Describes the purpose, not just the type. Every param description must answer: "what does the caller use this for?"
• No redundancy with the type name. The type IChangeSet already says "changeset", so don't add "changeset stream" after it. The type IObservable already says "observable", so don't add "observable" after it. The type IComparer already says "comparer", so don't add "comparer" after it.
• No double articles. "The source [type] the left stream" has two articles fighting each other.
• Combined nested crefs for observable changeset types. Write IObservable{IChangeSet{TObject, TKey}} as one cref. NEVER split into IObservable{T} + "of" + IChangeSet{...}.
• For deeply nested generics (3+ nesting levels), use {T} in the cref and describe the actual type in prose.
• For params array parameters, do not include [] in the cref.
• For Optional.None, use <see cref="Optional.None{T}"/>.

<!-- ======================== BAD EXAMPLES ======================== -->

<!-- BAD: split type into two parts -->
/// <param name="source">The source <see cref="IObservable{T}"/> of <see cref="IChangeSet{TObject, TKey}"/>.</param>

<!-- BAD: redundant "changeset stream" after IChangeSet type -->
/// <param name="source">The source <see cref="IObservable{IChangeSet{TObject, TKey}}"/> changeset stream.</param>

<!-- BAD: no purpose, just the type name -->
/// <param name="comparer">The <see cref="IComparer{TObject}"/>.</param>

<!-- BAD: echoes the type name ("comparer" after IComparer) -->
/// <param name="comparer">The <see cref="IComparer{TObject}"/> comparer used for sorting.</param>

<!-- BAD: double article ("The source ... the left") -->
/// <param name="left">The source <see cref="IObservable{IChangeSet{TLeft, TLeftKey}}"/> the left input.</param>

<!-- ======================== GOOD EXAMPLES ======================== -->

<!-- source params: "The source [type] to [operator verb]." -->
/// <param name="source">The source <see cref="IObservable{IChangeSet{TObject, TKey}}"/> to filter.</param>
/// <param name="source">The source <see cref="IObservable{IChangeSet{TObject, TKey}}"/> to transform.</param>
/// <param name="source">The source <see cref="IObservable{ISortedChangeSet{TObject, TKey}}"/> to bind.</param>
/// <param name="source">The <see cref="ISourceCache{TObject, TKey}"/> to add items to.</param>

<!-- join left/right params -->
/// <param name="left">The left <see cref="IObservable{IChangeSet{TLeft, TLeftKey}}"/> to join.</param>
/// <param name="right">The right <see cref="IObservable{IChangeSet{TRight, TRightKey}}"/> to join.</param>

<!-- destination/output params: describe what it receives -->
/// <param name="destination">The <see cref="IObservableCollection{TObject}"/> that will receive the changes.</param>
/// <param name="readOnlyObservableCollection">The output <see cref="ReadOnlyObservableCollection{TObject}"/> that will be populated with the results.</param>

<!-- comparer/equality params: describe what they control -->
/// <param name="comparer">The <see cref="IComparer{TObject}"/> that determines sort order.</param>
/// <param name="equalityComparer">An optional <see cref="IEqualityComparer{TObject}"/> for determining item equality.</param>

<!-- factory/selector params: describe what the function does -->
/// <param name="transformFactory">A <see cref="Func{TSource, TDestination}"/> that projects each source item into a destination item.</param>
/// <param name="filter">A <see cref="Func{TObject, bool}"/> predicate that determines which items to include.</param>
/// <param name="rightKeySelector">A <see cref="Func{TRight, TLeftKey}"/> that extracts the join key from each right item.</param>

<!-- scheduler/options params: describe what they configure -->
/// <param name="scheduler">An optional <see cref="IScheduler"/> for scheduling expiry timers.</param>
/// <param name="options">The <see cref="BindingOptions"/> that controls reset threshold and binding behavior.</param>

<!-- bool params: describe the effect -->
/// <param name="transformOnRefresh">When <see langword="true"/>, re-invokes the transform factory on Refresh changes instead of forwarding them.</param>
/// <param name="invokeOnUnsubscribe">When <see langword="true"/>, invokes the callback for all tracked items when the subscription is disposed.</param>

SeeAlso: Bidirectional for overload sets. Link safe/async/immutable variants, similar operators, complementary operators, commonly confused operators.

Type references: All types use <see cref="..."/>, including enums, structs, and standard library types. Method/event/property names use <c>...</c>. Internal types must not appear; describe behavior instead.

Tone: No em dashes. No emoji. No filler words (comprehensive, robust, seamlessly, leverage, utilize, facilitate). Be specific: "an Update is emitted" not "the change is propagated". Use "Worth noting" for non-obvious behavior.

4. Verify

dotnet build src/DynamicData/DynamicData.csproj --no-restore -c Release --framework net9.0

• 0 errors, no new CS1574 warnings
• No em dashes (Unicode 0x2014)
• No "The source." remaining
• Spot-check 3-5 operators against implementation
• Diff against main: confirm nothing lost

Before and After

BEFORE (old-style):

/// <summary>
/// Filters the specified source.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="source">The source.</param>
/// <param name="filter">The filter.</param>
/// <returns>An observable which emits change sets.</returns>

AFTER (publication-quality):

/// <summary>
/// Filters items from the source changeset stream using a static predicate.
/// Only items satisfying <paramref name="filter"/> are included downstream.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="source">The source <see cref="IObservable{T}"/> of <see cref="IChangeSet{TObject, TKey}"/>.</param>
/// <param name="filter">A <see cref="Func{T, TResult}"/> predicate. Items returning <c>true</c> are included.</param>
/// <returns>A changeset stream containing only items satisfying <paramref name="filter"/>.</returns>
/// <remarks>
/// <para>Use this overload when the predicate is fixed for the subscription's lifetime.</para>
/// <list type="table">
/// <listheader><term>Event</term><description>Behavior</description></listheader>
/// <item><term>Add</term><description>Predicate evaluated. If passes, <b>Add</b> emitted. Otherwise dropped.</description></item>
/// <item><term>Update</term><description>Re-evaluated. Both pass: <b>Update</b>. New passes only: <b>Add</b>. Old passed only: <b>Remove</b>. Neither: dropped.</description></item>
/// <item><term>Remove</term><description>If downstream, <b>Remove</b> emitted. Otherwise dropped.</description></item>
/// <item><term>Refresh</term><description>Re-evaluated. Now passes: <b>Add</b>. Still passes: <b>Refresh</b>. No longer passes: <b>Remove</b>. Still fails: dropped.</description></item>
/// <item><term>OnError</term><description>Forwarded.</description></item>
/// <item><term>OnCompleted</term><description>Forwarded.</description></item>
/// </list>
/// <para><b>Worth noting:</b> Refresh re-evaluation can promote or demote items.</para>
/// </remarks>
/// <seealso cref="FilterImmutable{TObject, TKey}"/>
/// <seealso cref="FilterOnObservable{TObject, TKey}"/>
/// <seealso cref="AutoRefresh{TObject, TKey}"/>

Batch Application

1. Dispatch parallel read-only agents to analyze implementations (group by family)
2. Apply edits via single agent or yourself (multiple agents editing one file clobber each other)
3. Build, audit metrics, spot-check accuracy
4. Diff against main for lost details

Common Mistakes