auto-doc-updater

name

auto-doc-updater

description

Automated project documentation tracking. Use whenever the user wants to keep README files, CHANGELOGs, API docs, or architecture docs in sync with code changes. Trigger on phrases like "update the docs", "keep documentation in sync", "generate changelog", "document this change", or after completing a feature/refactor when documentation should reflect the new state. Also trigger when the user asks for a documentation audit of stale or missing docs.

Auto Doc Updater

Keep documentation accurate, current, and in sync with the actual codebase.

---

Core Principle

Documentation drift is a bug. Treat outdated docs with the same severity as a broken test. Every meaningful code change should trigger a documentation review.

---

When to Update Docs (Triggers)

Code Change	Docs to Update
New API endpoint/route	API reference, OpenAPI spec
New environment variable	.env.example, README setup section
New dependency	README prerequisites, package list
Breaking change	CHANGELOG, MIGRATION guide
New feature	README features list, user guide
Config schema change	Config docs, example configs
New CLI command/flag	CLI reference, --help text
Architecture change	Architecture diagram, ADR (Architecture Decision Record)
Deprecation	CHANGELOG, deprecation notice with timeline

---

README Maintenance

Standard README Structure

# Project Name

One-line description.

## Features
- Feature 1
- Feature 2

## Quick Start
\`\`\`bash
git clone ...
pnpm install
pnpm dev
\`\`\`

## Prerequisites
- Node.js 20+
- PostgreSQL 16+

## Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| `DATABASE_URL` | Yes | PostgreSQL connection string |

## Project Structure
\`\`\`
src/
├── ...
\`\`\`

## Scripts
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `pnpm dev` | Start dev server |
| `pnpm test` | Run tests |

## Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md

## License
MIT

README Audit Checklist

• Quick Start commands actually work on a fresh clone
• All required env vars are listed in .env.example
• Dependency versions in README match package.json/Cargo.toml/pyproject.toml
• Screenshots/GIFs are current (not showing old UI)
• Links are not broken (internal anchors, external URLs)
• Badges (build status, version, license) are accurate

---

CHANGELOG Maintenance

Keep a Changelog Format

# Changelog

All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.

The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).

## [Unreleased]
### Added
- New `/api/export` endpoint for CSV export

### Changed
- Improved query performance for dashboard load

### Fixed
- Fixed timezone bug in date filters

## [1.3.0] - 2026-06-15
### Added
- Multi-tenant workspace support
- Passkey authentication

### Deprecated
- `/api/v1/users` — use `/api/v2/users` instead, removal in v2.0.0

### Security
- Patched RLS policy gap in `projects` table

Generating Changelog from Conventional Commits

# If using conventional commits (feat:, fix:, chore:, etc.)
npx conventional-changelog -p angular -i CHANGELOG.md -s

# Or use git-cliff (Rust-based, fast)
cargo install git-cliff
git-cliff --output CHANGELOG.md

# cliff.toml — git-cliff config
[git]
conventional_commits = true
filter_unconventional = false

[changelog]
header = "# Changelog\n\n"
body = """
{% for group, commits in commits | group_by(attribute="group") %}
### {{ group | upper_first }}
{% for commit in commits %}
- {{ commit.message | upper_first }}
{% endfor %}
{% endfor %}\n
"""

---

API Documentation

OpenAPI/Swagger Sync (FastAPI auto-generates)

# FastAPI generates OpenAPI spec automatically from type hints
# Just ensure docstrings and response_model are accurate

@router.post(
    "/posts",
    response_model=PostResponse,
    status_code=201,
    summary="Create a new post",
    description="Creates a post owned by the authenticated user. Requires `member` role or higher.",
    responses={
        401: {"description": "Not authenticated"},
        403: {"description": "Insufficient permissions"},
        422: {"description": "Validation error"},
    },
)
async def create_post(data: PostCreate, user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    ...

# Auto-exposed at /docs (Swagger UI) and /redoc

TSDoc for TypeScript APIs

/**
 * Creates a new post for the authenticated user.
 *
 * @param data - Post creation payload
 * @param data.title - Post title (1-200 chars)
 * @param data.content - Optional post body
 * @returns The created post with generated ID
 * @throws {ValidationError} If title is empty or exceeds 200 chars
 * @throws {UnauthorizedError} If user is not authenticated
 *
 * @example
 * ```ts
 * const post = await createPost({ title: "Hello", content: "World" })
 * ```
 */
export async function createPost(data: CreatePostInput): Promise<Post> {
  // ...
}

# Generate docs site from TSDoc
npx typedoc --out docs src/index.ts

---

Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)

# docs/adr/0003-use-drizzle-over-prisma.md

# ADR 0003: Use Drizzle ORM over Prisma

## Status
Accepted

## Date
2026-06-10

## Context
We need a type-safe ORM for PostgreSQL. Prisma requires a separate query engine binary
and has slower cold starts on serverless. Drizzle generates SQL at build time with no
runtime engine.

## Decision
Use Drizzle ORM for all database access.

## Consequences
### Positive
- Faster cold starts on Vercel serverless functions
- SQL-like query builder is more transparent
- No binary/engine dependency

### Negative
- Smaller ecosystem than Prisma
- Migration tooling (drizzle-kit) is less mature
- Team needs to learn new query syntax

## Alternatives Considered
- Prisma: rejected due to cold start overhead
- Raw SQL with `pg`: rejected — loses type safety

---

Doc Sync Automation Script

// scripts/check-docs-sync.ts
import fs from "fs"
import path from "path"

function checkEnvVarsSynced() {
  const envExample = fs.readFileSync(".env.example", "utf-8")
  const envVarsInExample = new Set(
    envExample.match(/^([A-Z_]+)=/gm)?.map(l => l.replace("=", "")) ?? []
  )

  // Scan source for process.env.X usage
  const srcFiles = getAllFiles("src", [".ts", ".tsx"])
  const envVarsInCode = new Set<string>()

  for (const file of srcFiles) {
    const content = fs.readFileSync(file, "utf-8")
    const matches = content.matchAll(/process\.env\.([A-Z_]+)/g)
    for (const match of matches) envVarsInCode.add(match[1])
  }

  const missing = [...envVarsInCode].filter(v => !envVarsInExample.has(v))
  if (missing.length > 0) {
    console.error("❌ Missing from .env.example:", missing)
    process.exit(1)
  }
  console.log("✅ .env.example is in sync")
}

checkEnvVarsSynced()

# Run in CI to catch doc drift
- name: Check docs sync
  run: npx tsx scripts/check-docs-sync.ts

---

Doc Review Checklist (Before Merging)

• README reflects any new setup steps
• .env.example has all new environment variables
• CHANGELOG has an entry under [Unreleased]
• API docs (OpenAPI/TSDoc) cover new/changed endpoints
• Breaking changes have a migration note
• Code comments explain why, not what (the code already shows what)
• Outdated screenshots/diagrams flagged for update
• No dead links introduced

---

Key Rules

1. Doc updates are part of the PR, not a follow-up task — same commit/PR as the code change
2. CHANGELOG [Unreleased] section updated with every notable change
3. .env.example must always match actual required env vars — verify in CI
4. ADRs for significant technical decisions — capture the "why," not just the "what"
5. Auto-generate API docs from code (OpenAPI, TSDoc) — avoid hand-maintained duplicates
6. Breaking changes need a migration guide, not just a changelog line
7. Quick Start in README must work on a clean checkout — test it periodically
8. Deprecations get a removal timeline — never silently remove without notice
9. Link-check docs in CI — broken links are a doc bug
10. Architecture diagrams updated when system boundaries change — not just code comments