wiki-generation

name	wiki-generation
description	Generate structured documentation from codebases — architecture mapping, page writing, and onboarding guides. Use when asked to create a wiki, document a repo, generate onboarding docs, map architecture for documentation, or produce a documentation plan from source code.
lastReviewed	2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z

Wiki Generation

Generate structured technical documentation from codebases. Three integrated capabilities: architecture mapping (plan the wiki), page writing (produce the content), and onboarding generation (new-contributor guides).

When to Use

• User asks to "create a wiki", "document this repo", "generate docs"
• User wants onboarding documentation for new team members
• User needs a documentation plan or structure for an existing codebase
• User wants comprehensive technical deep-dives with source citations

When NOT to Use

• Writing a single API reference (use api-documentation)
• Fixing existing documentation (use doc-hygiene)
• Creating diagrams only (use markdown-mermaid)

---

Capability 1: Architecture Mapping

Generate a hierarchical documentation structure by analyzing the codebase.

Procedure

1. Scan the repository file tree, README, and build files
2. Detect project type, languages, frameworks, architectural patterns
3. Identify layers — presentation, business logic, data access, infrastructure
4. Generate catalogue — hierarchical structure with section titles, scope, and source file references

Output: Documentation Catalogue

## Documentation Structure

### Getting Started
- Overview (README + architecture summary)
- Setup (build files, env requirements)
- Quick Reference (key commands, endpoints)

### Architecture
- System Overview (layer diagram, component map)
- [Component A] (per major module)
- [Component B]
- Data Flow (how data moves through the system)

### Onboarding
- Principal-Level Guide (architectural deep-dive)
- Zero-to-Hero Guide (contributor walkthrough)

Constraints

• Max nesting depth: 4 levels
• Max 8 children per section
• Small repos (≤10 files): Getting Started only, skip Deep Dive
• Every section must reference specific source files
• Derive all titles from actual repository content — never use generic placeholders

---

Capability 2: Page Writing

Generate rich technical documentation pages with source citations and diagrams.

Depth Requirements (Non-Negotiable)

1. Trace actual code paths — do not guess from file names; read the implementation
2. Every claim needs a source — file path + function/class name
3. Distinguish fact from inference — if you read the code, say so; if inferring, mark it
4. First principles — explain WHY something exists before WHAT it does
5. No hand-waving — don't say "this likely handles..." — read the code or say "Unknown"

Page Structure

# [Component/Feature Name]

## Overview
Why this exists. What problem it solves. (1-2 paragraphs)

## Architecture
Mermaid diagram showing component relationships.

## Key Abstractions
The load-bearing interfaces and types.

## Data Flow
How data moves through this component (sequence diagram).

## Implementation Details
Non-obvious behaviors, algorithms, edge cases.
(Cite: `path/to/file.ts:functionName`)

## Error Handling
What can go wrong and how the system responds.

## References
- Source files cited in this page
- Related documentation

Rules

• Minimum 2 Mermaid diagrams per page (architecture + flow)
• Minimum 5 different source files cited per page
• If evidence is missing: mark as (Unknown — verify in path/to/check)
• Use Markdown tables for APIs, configs, and component summaries

---

Capability 3: Onboarding Generation

Generate two complementary onboarding documents for any codebase.

Guide A: Principal-Level (Senior Engineers)

Audience: Staff+ engineers who need the "why" behind decisions.

Required sections:

1. System Philosophy — design principles, invariants, key choices
2. Architecture Overview — component map with Mermaid diagram
3. Key Abstractions — load-bearing interfaces everything depends on
4. Decision Log — major architectural decisions with context and trade-offs
5. Dependency Rationale — why each major dependency was chosen
6. Data Flow — how data moves (traced from code, not guessed)
7. Failure Modes — what breaks, how errors propagate, recovery patterns
8. Performance Characteristics — bottlenecks, hot paths, scaling limits
9. Security Model — auth, trust boundaries, data sensitivity
10. Testing Strategy — what's tested, what isn't, testing philosophy
11. Known Technical Debt — honest assessment of shortcuts and risks

Guide B: Zero-to-Hero (New Contributors)

Audience: New contributors who need step-by-step practical guidance.

Required sections:

1. What This Project Does — 2-3 sentence elevator pitch
2. Prerequisites — tools, versions, accounts needed
3. Environment Setup — step-by-step with exact commands and expected output
4. Project Structure — annotated directory tree (what lives where and why)
5. Your First Task — end-to-end walkthrough of adding a simple feature
6. Development Workflow — branch strategy, commit conventions, PR process
7. Running Tests — how to run, what to test, how to add a test
8. Debugging Guide — common issues and how to diagnose them
9. Code Patterns — "If you want to add X, follow this pattern" templates
10. Common Pitfalls — mistakes every new contributor makes
11. Glossary — terms used in the codebase that aren't obvious
12. Quick Reference Card — cheat sheet of most-used commands and patterns

Rules for Both Guides

• Every claim backed by (file_path:line_number) citation
• All code examples in the detected primary language
• Every setup command must be copy-pasteable with expected output
• Include Mermaid diagrams for architecture and workflow

---

Language Detection

Scan repository for build files to determine primary language:

Build File	Language
package.json / tsconfig.json	TypeScript/JavaScript
*.csproj / *.sln	C# / .NET
Cargo.toml	Rust
pyproject.toml / setup.py	Python
go.mod	Go
pom.xml / build.gradle	Java

Use the primary language for all code examples. When explaining complex patterns, optionally include a comparison in a familiar language.

---

Error Handling

Scenario	Action
Repository has no README	Generate catalogue from file structure alone
Language detection fails	Default to most common language by file count
Repo has fewer than 3 files	Produce minimal single-section documentation
Build/setup commands unclear	Mark with "verify" annotations
Cited file paths cannot be verified	Mark as (Unknown — verify in path/to/check)
Insufficient source files (<5)	Cite what's available and note the gap

---

Example Workflow

User: "Create wiki documentation for this project"

1. Architecture Mapping → scan repo, produce documentation catalogue
2. User confirms structure (or adjusts)
3. Page Writing → generate each section with citations and diagrams
4. Onboarding → produce Principal-Level and Zero-to-Hero guides

Output: Complete documentation set grounded in actual source code, not assumptions.