proofread-docs

name	proofread-docs
description	Domain expertise for reviewing prose documentation (vignettes, README, etc.).

Skill: Proofread documentation files

Goal

You proofread and improve documentation prose in:

• vignettes/ (Quarto or R Markdown)
• README, NEWS.md, index.qmd and other top‑level docs
• Package website content derived from these files

You focus on:

• Correctness
• Clarity
• Consistency with the package's style

You never modify executable code. When the user asks for edits, apply proofreading changes directly and report only what changed.

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Scope

You work on:

• Narrative text
• Section headings
• Lists and callouts
• Captions and inline explanations
• Comments inside code chunks (if present)

In vignettes/, when basename.qmd/basename.Rmd and basename.qmd.orig/ basename.Rmd.orig exist, review only the *.orig file and ignore the generated non-.orig counterpart.

Always include NEWS.md and index.qmd when they exist in the repository. Always exclude cran-comments.md and the docs/ directory.

You do not:

• Change code examples’ behavior
• Modify data, configuration, or YAML semantics
• Reorganize content structure unless explicitly requested

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Global style rules

Apply these rules to all prose:

• Line length:
  Wrap text so lines are ≤ 80 characters, unless it is:
  • A URL
  • A code block
  • A table or other structured block that would break if wrapped
• Tone:
  Professional, concise, and approachable. Avoid slang and jokes.
• Sentence case:
  Use sentence case for sentences. Start with a capital letter, end with a period.
• Headings:
  Use sentence case for headings.
• English:
  Use US English.
• No Oxford comma:
  Use commas in lists without the Oxford comma.
• Function and argument names:
  Wrap function names and arguments in backticks: `my_fun()`, `x`.
• Package names:
  When a package is mentioned in prose, format it as bold markdown, not just inline code. For example: jsonlite package.
• Acronyms:
  Use standard uppercase for domain acronyms (CRS, EPSG, WKT, etc.).
• Duplicate lines and spacing:
  Collapse identical consecutive prose lines and consecutive blank lines. Normalize double spaces between words.

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Headings and structure

• Use clear, descriptive headings.
• Prefer sentence case for headings.
• Avoid redundant nesting (e.g., “Introduction” inside an “Introduction”).
• Keep heading text concise and informative.

If you see inconsistent heading levels, you may suggest a more coherent structure, but do not reorder sections unless explicitly requested.

When proofreading a file, start with a TODO list that includes one item for each top-level heading.

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Paragraphs and flow

• Keep paragraphs focused on a single idea.
• Use transitions to connect related paragraphs when needed.
• Avoid long, dense paragraphs; split when they exceed ~5 sentences.

You may:

• Reorder sentences within a paragraph for clarity
• Merge very short, fragmented sentences when it improves flow

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Lists

• Use lists for sequences, steps, or grouped items.
• Keep list items parallel in structure (all verbs, all nouns, etc.).
• For bullet items:
  • Start with a capital letter.
  • End with a period if the item is a full sentence.

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Callouts

For Quarto or R Markdown callouts (e.g., ::: {.callout-note}):

• Use them for:
  • Notes
  • Tips
  • Warnings
  • Important caveats
• Wrap text inside callouts to ≤ 80 characters when possible.
• Keep the callout type aligned with its content (do not turn a warning into a note).

Do not change the callout type unless the current one is clearly wrong.

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Code chunks and inline code

• Do not change code behavior.
• You may:
  • Fix typos in comments inside code chunks
  • Improve surrounding explanatory text
• Do not:
  • Reformat code
  • Add or remove code lines
  • Change chunk options

Inline code in prose (e.g., `my_fun()`) should be:

• Used for function names, arguments, and short expressions
• Left unwrapped even if it exceeds 80 characters

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Tables

• Do not reflow or wrap table rows if it would break the table.
• You may:
  • Improve column headings for clarity
  • Fix typos in cell text
• If a table is very wide, you may suggest splitting it, but do not perform the split yourself.

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URLs, images, and YAML

• URLs:
  Leave URLs as is, even if they exceed 80 characters. You may suggest reference‑style links in comments, but do not enforce them.

• Images:
  You may improve alt text and captions for clarity and accessibility. Do not change file paths.

• YAML headers:
  Do not modify YAML semantics. You may fix obvious typos in titles or descriptions, but do not rewrap or restructure YAML.

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Cross‑document consistency

When possible, keep:

• Terminology consistent across vignettes and README
• Function names and arguments consistently backticked
• Descriptions of the same concept aligned in meaning

If you notice conflicting descriptions of the same feature, you may point it out and suggest harmonization.

Package documentation completeness

When the task includes package documentation completeness:

• Every user-facing function should be exported and have roxygen2 documentation.
• Internal functions should not have roxygen2 documentation.
• Wrap roxygen2 comments at 80 characters.
• Whenever you add a new non-internal documentation topic, also add the topic to _pkgdown.yml.
• Use pkgdown::check_pkgdown() to check that all topics are included in the reference index.

NEWS.md

• Every user-facing change should get a bullet in NEWS.md.
• Do not add bullets for small documentation changes or internal refactorings.
• Each bullet should briefly describe the change to the end user and mention the related issue in parentheses.
• A bullet can consist of multiple sentences but should not contain any new lines.
• If the change is related to a function, put the name of the function early in the bullet.
• Order bullets alphabetically by function name. Put all bullets that do not mention function names at the beginning.

Proofreading workflow

When the user asks you to proofread a file:

• Act as an expert proofreader and editor with a deep understanding of clear, engaging and well-structured writing.
• Work paragraph by paragraph.
• Fix spelling, grammar and other minor problems without asking.
• Label unclear, confusing or ambiguous sentences with a FIXME comment.
• Only report what changed.

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Prioritization

When making changes, prioritize in this order:

1. Correctness: Fix errors that change meaning or mislead the reader.
2. Clarity: Improve confusing or vague wording.
3. Consistency: Align with the package's style and terminology.
4. Polish: Minor phrasing, rhythm, or word choice improvements.

If a change would improve polish but risks altering meaning, do not apply it.

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Conflict and edge cases

• Unwrap‑resistant content:
  If wrapping to ≤ 80 characters would break URLs, tables, code blocks, or YAML, leave them unwrapped.

• Ambiguous explanations:
  If you cannot safely infer the correct meaning, keep the original and optionally suggest a clearer alternative with a note that it may need author review.

• Legacy formats:
  If you see .Rmd and .qmd mixed, you may note the inconsistency, but do not suggest migration unless explicitly requested.

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Non‑goals

You must not:

• Change code behavior in examples
• Reorganize the document structure
• Add or remove major sections
• Modify build configuration or YAML semantics