documentation-generator

name

documentation-generator

description

Generate comprehensive documentation for a codebase by reading the repository and producing READMEs, API docs, architecture docs, and technical references. Use when the user asks to "document this repo", "generate docs", "write a README", "create API documentation", "document this codebase", "write architecture docs", or "produce technical references" for an existing project. NOT for UX copy, button labels, or interface microcopy (use ux-writing). NOT for pedagogical code examples or tutorials (use example-design). NOT for inline code comments. NOT for navigation or sitemap design (use navigation-design).

Repository Documentation Generator

Generate documentation for repositories of any size - from a single README refresh to large monorepo documentation sets. Creates non-technical overviews, API docs, architecture docs, and technical references.

Use the lightweight path for small README-only tasks. Use the full workflow when the user asks for a documentation set, codebase documentation, API docs, architecture docs, or a repo-wide documentation audit.

---

Workflow Overview

1. ANALYSIS PHASE      → analysis.json (structure map)
2. PLANNING PHASE      → Audience table + prioritized doc backlog
3. STRUCTURE PHASE     → Diátaxis classification + navigation index
4. WRITING PHASE       → Per-doc-type required sections
5. COVERAGE PHASE      → Edge cases + user journey validation
6. VALIDATION PHASE    → DQI score + Known Gaps register

---

Work Modes

Request shape	Mode	Required output
"Write/update a README" for a small project	Lightweight README	README only, plus brief assumptions/gaps if needed
"Document this repo/codebase"	Full workflow	Audience table, doc backlog, Diátaxis labels, DQI score, Known Gaps register
"Create API docs"	Focused reference	API reference plus examples/error table; add audience/backlog only if scope expands
"Audit existing docs"	Validation mode	DQI score, drift findings, prioritized fixes, Known Gaps register

When in lightweight mode, do not force the full six-phase process. Still read the repository first, but produce the smallest useful documentation artifact.

---

Phase 1: Analysis

Run the analysis script first:

# Locate doc-gen.py (works regardless of installation path)
DOC_GEN=$(find ~/.claude -name "doc-gen.py" -path "*/documentation-generator/scripts/*" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
[ -z "$DOC_GEN" ] && DOC_GEN=$(find . -name "doc-gen.py" -path "*/documentation-generator/scripts/*" 2>/dev/null | head -1)

python "$DOC_GEN" analyze /path/to/repo --output analysis.json --pretty

If the script is unavailable, manually survey: public API surface, directory structure, existing docs (even if outdated), test files (they reveal use cases), and CI/CD configuration.

---

Phase 2: Planning

FULL WORKFLOW DELIVERABLE 1 — Audience Analysis

Before writing any documentation, produce a ## Target Audiences section in README.md or a dedicated docs/AUDIENCES.md file. Required table schema:

## Target Audiences

| Persona | Role | Background | Primary Question | First Doc to Read |
|---------|------|------------|-----------------|-------------------|
| New Backend Developer | Engineer | Knows the language, never seen this repo | "How do I run this locally in 5 minutes?" | GETTING-STARTED.md |
| DevOps / SRE | Infrastructure | Owns production | "What do I need to monitor and how do I deploy?" | OPERATIONS_RUNBOOK.md |
| External API Consumer | Integrator | Knows REST, unfamiliar with this system | "What endpoints exist and what do they return?" | API_REFERENCE.md |

Requirements:

• Minimum 2 distinct named personas. "Developer" or "User" without role/background/goal does NOT count.
• Each row must have a non-empty "First Doc to Read" pointing to an actual file you will produce.
• Derive personas from the codebase: test files reveal use cases; CI config reveals deployment audience; existing issues reveal confusion points.

FULL WORKFLOW DELIVERABLE 2 — Prioritized Documentation Backlog

Produce a ## Documentation Plan section (in a dedicated DOC_PLAN.md, HANDOFF_PLAN.md, or the README) with this schema:

## Documentation Plan

| Doc | Audience | Diátaxis Type | Priority | Rationale |
|-----|----------|---------------|----------|-----------|
| README.md | All | Explanation | P0 | Entry point for every reader |
| GETTING-STARTED.md | New developers | Tutorial | P0 | Blocks onboarding |
| API_REFERENCE.md | External consumers | Reference | P1 | Required for integration |
| ARCHITECTURE.md | Senior engineers | Explanation | P1 | Needed for contribution |
| RUNBOOK.md | DevOps | How-To | P1 | Required for operations |
| CONTRIBUTING.md | Contributors | How-To | P2 | Enables community |

Requirements:

• Diátaxis Type must be one of: Tutorial / How-To / Reference / Explanation (see Phase 3).
• Priority must be P0 (must ship), P1 (should ship), or P2 (nice to have).
• Every persona from Deliverable 1 must have at least one P0 or P1 doc that answers their Primary Question.

---

Phase 3: Structure — Diátaxis Classification

Every full documentation set must cover at least two of the four Diátaxis types. Blending types in one file (e.g., a README that is simultaneously tutorial + reference + explanation) produces docs that serve no reader well.

The four types — use these to label every doc you produce

Type	Reader's question	Structure	Anti-pattern
Tutorial	"Can I follow this and succeed?"	Steps, prerequisites, expected outcomes	Mixing reference into tutorials
How-To	"How do I solve this specific problem?"	Goal-first, steps, troubleshooting	Explaining why when the reader needs how
Reference	"What is the exact value/syntax/behavior?"	Tables, structured lists, no narrative	Adding tutorials or how-tos into reference
Explanation	"Why does this work this way?"	Prose, rationale, tradeoffs, history	Adding steps or commands

FULL WORKFLOW: Label each document with its type

Add one of these comments as the first line of every documentation file you produce:

<!-- Doc-Type: Tutorial -->
<!-- Doc-Type: How-To -->
<!-- Doc-Type: Reference -->
<!-- Doc-Type: Explanation -->

The documentation set MUST include at least one Tutorial AND one Reference. If the repo has an API, add an Explanation doc for the architecture. If the repo has operational complexity, add a How-To runbook.

Required sections by type

Every Tutorial must include:

<!-- Doc-Type: Tutorial -->

## Before You Begin
- [x] Prerequisite 1 (e.g., Node 18+ installed)
- [x] Prerequisite 2

**Estimated time:** ~N minutes

## What You Will Learn
- How to do X
- How to configure Y
- How to verify Z works

[...steps...]

## Next Steps
- [Link to How-To guide] — for solving specific problems
- [Link to Reference] — for full API details

Every How-To must include:

<!-- Doc-Type: How-To -->

## Goal
One sentence: what problem this solves.

[...steps...]

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------------|-----|
| Error message X | Missing env var Y | Set Y=... |
| Command fails with Z | Version mismatch | Upgrade to N+ |

Every Reference doc must include:

• A working code sample (5–20 lines) at the top, before parameter tables
• An error/exception table: | Code/Exception | Cause | How to Resolve |

Every Explanation doc must include:

• No numbered steps, no CLI commands in primary flow
• A "Why not X?" section addressing the most obvious alternative design

---

Phase 4: Writing

Use the templates in templates/ as structural scaffolding. The template directory includes:

• templates/readme/standard.md — README structure
• templates/architecture/adr-template.md — ADR with ## Status heading
• templates/operations/runbook.md — operational how-to
• templates/api/rest-endpoint.md — API reference per endpoint

ADR heading requirement

When generating Architecture Decision Records, use ## Status as a heading (not a table row):

## Status
Accepted  <!-- or: Proposed | Deprecated | Superseded by ADR-NNN -->

## Context
[Background and problem statement]

## Decision
[What was decided and why]

## Consequences
[Results — both positive and negative]

⛔ Do NOT use | Status | Accepted | as a table row. The heading format is required.

Content owner metadata

Every documentation file you create should include metadata near the top or bottom:

<!-- Last verified: YYYY-MM-DD | Owner: [team-name] -->

If the owner is unknown, use Owner: unknown — the placeholder is better than the absence.

---

Phase 5: Coverage

For each produced document, ask:

1. Edge cases — what can go wrong? Does every procedure have a Troubleshooting section?
2. User journey — can a reader reach mastery following only the docs? Walk the path: discovery → install → first task → advanced usage.
3. Version accuracy — does the doc state which version it was verified against?

Add a version note to every doc that describes behavior that may change:

<!-- Verified against v1.2.3 — update if behavior changes -->

---

Phase 6: Validation

FULL WORKFLOW DELIVERABLE 3 — Documentation Quality Score

After completing all documentation, compute a DQI score and include it in README.md or a dedicated docs/QUALITY.md. Use the criteria from references/quality/document-quality-index.md.

Required format:

## Documentation Quality Score

| Category | Score | Notes |
|----------|-------|-------|
| Structure (40 pts) | X/40 | [what's strong or weak] |
| Content (30 pts) | X/30 | [what's strong or weak] |
| Style (30 pts) | X/30 | [what's strong or weak] |
| **Total** | **X/100** | |

Threshold: 70/100 minimum to declare documentation complete.

If the score is below 70, add a P0 improvement item to the Documentation Backlog explaining what would close the gap.

FULL WORKFLOW DELIVERABLE 4 — Known Gaps Register

Produce a ## Known Gaps section (in the README, DOC_PLAN, or a dedicated docs/GAPS.md) listing what is intentionally deferred, incomplete, or undocumentable:

## Known Gaps

| Gap | Reason | Owner | Priority |
|-----|--------|-------|----------|
| Auth flow documentation | Requires internal SSO team input | @auth-team | P1 |
| gRPC proto reference | API not stable yet | @platform | P2 |

If there are no gaps, write: No known gaps as of YYYY-MM-DD. This proves the check ran.

---

Template Portfolio

This skill includes 24 comprehensive templates in templates/:

Core Documentation

Template	Location
README	templates/readme/standard.md
Quickstart	templates/getting-started/quickstart.md
Installation	templates/getting-started/installation.md
User Guide	templates/guides/user-guide.md
Configuration	templates/guides/configuration.md
Deployment	templates/guides/deployment.md
Contributing	templates/contributing/CONTRIBUTING.md
Changelog	templates/changelog/CHANGELOG.md

API Documentation

Template	Location
API Overview	templates/api/api-overview.md
REST Endpoint	templates/api/rest-endpoint.md
GraphQL Schema	templates/api/graphql-schema.md

Architecture Documentation

Template	Location
System Design	templates/architecture/system-design.md
Repository Structure	templates/architecture/repository-structure.md
Ownership Map	templates/architecture/ownership-map.md
Component Spec	templates/architecture/component-spec.md
Data Flow	templates/architecture/data-flow.md
ADR Template	templates/architecture/adr-template.md

Domain / Specs / Integrations / Operations

Template	Location
Domain Spec	templates/domain/domain-spec.md
Ontology	templates/domain/ontology.md
Product Spec	templates/specs/product-spec.md
Feature Spec	templates/specs/feature-spec.md
External Integration	templates/integrations/external-integration.md
Runbook	templates/operations/runbook.md
Troubleshooting	templates/operations/troubleshooting.md

---

Examples of Correct Output

The following shows what the full-workflow deliverables look like in practice.

A small Python library — correct Audience Analysis + Doc Backlog + Diátaxis labels ```markdown ## Target Audiences

Persona	Role	Background	Primary Question	First Doc to Read
Library Consumer	Backend engineer	Knows Python, needs to integrate this	"How do I install it and make a first call?"	GETTING-STARTED.md
Contributor	Open-source developer	Familiar with the language, wants to add a feature	"How do I run tests and submit a PR?"	CONTRIBUTING.md

</audience-analysis>
<doc-backlog>
```markdown
## Documentation Plan

| Doc | Audience | Diátaxis Type | Priority | Rationale |
|-----|----------|---------------|----------|-----------|
| README.md | All | Explanation | P0 | Entry point |
| GETTING-STARTED.md | Consumer | Tutorial | P0 | Blocks first use |
| API_REFERENCE.md | Consumer | Reference | P0 | Required for integration |
| CONTRIBUTING.md | Contributor | How-To | P1 | Enables contribution |
| ARCHITECTURE.md | Contributor | Explanation | P2 | Helps advanced contributors |

```markdown

Before You Begin

• Python 3.9+ installed
• pip available

Estimated time: ~10 minutes

What You Will Learn

• How to install the library
• How to make a basic API call
• How to handle errors

</diátaxis-label>
<quality-score>
```markdown
## Documentation Quality Score

| Category | Score | Notes |
|----------|-------|-------|
| Structure (40 pts) | 36/40 | Clear hierarchy; navigation index present |
| Content (30 pts) | 25/30 | API covered; missing edge-case table in reference |
| Style (30 pts) | 28/30 | Consistent tone and formatting throughout |
| **Total** | **89/100** | |

```markdown ## Known Gaps

Gap	Reason	Owner	Priority
Russian transliteration edge cases	No native speaker review yet	@l10n-team	P2

</known-gaps>
</example>
</examples>

---

## Script Commands

```bash
# Locate doc-gen.py once
DOC_GEN=$(find ~/.claude -name "doc-gen.py" -path "*/documentation-generator/scripts/*" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
[ -z "$DOC_GEN" ] && DOC_GEN=$(find . -name "doc-gen.py" -path "*/documentation-generator/scripts/*" 2>/dev/null | head -1)

# Full workflow
python "$DOC_GEN" full /path/to/repo

# Analyze structure
python "$DOC_GEN" analyze /path/to/repo --output analysis.json

# Generate docs
python "$DOC_GEN" generate /path/to/repo --output ./docs

# Validate and score (outputs DQI score)
python "$DOC_GEN" validate /path/to/docs --min-score 70

# Detect drift
python "$DOC_GEN" drift /path/to/repo --docs-path /path/to/docs

---

Decision Tree: Which Doc Type First?

What does the user need documented?
├─ New repo with no docs → README (Explanation) + GETTING-STARTED (Tutorial)
├─ Existing repo, docs outdated → Audit with drift detection, then update
├─ API for external consumers → API reference (Reference) + usage examples (How-To)
├─ Internal system → Architecture (Explanation) + runbooks (How-To)
├─ Onboarding problem → GETTING-STARTED (Tutorial) + user guide (How-To)
├─ Small README-only request → Lightweight README mode
└─ Full documentation project → Run all 6 phases; produce all 4 Full Workflow Deliverables

---

Anti-Patterns

• Writing docs before running analysis — scripts surface structure you will miss manually
• Applying full-workflow ceremony to a tiny README — lightweight requests need focused docs, not a planning packet
• Skipping Full Workflow Deliverables on repo-wide docs — audience table, doc backlog, DQI score, and gaps register are required for full documentation projects
• Blending Diátaxis types — a README that is simultaneously tutorial + reference + explanation serves no reader well; split into separate docs
• Generic personas — "developers" is not a persona; it must have a role, background, and primary question
• Template structure without required sections — producing a Tutorial without ## Before You Begin and ## What You Will Learn is incomplete
• No DQI score — undocumented documentation quality always drifts; measure it at the end
• Omitting the Known Gaps register — unstated gaps become invisible technical debt; list them explicitly

---

When NOT to Use This Skill

• UX microcopy, button labels, error messages, or interface copy — use ux-writing
• Creating navigation structure for a docs site — use navigation-design
• Building a tutorial with runnable code — use example-design
• Writing inline code comments — this is not documentation generation

---

Rules

1. Select the right mode first — lightweight README, focused reference, validation, or full workflow.
2. For full workflows, produce all 4 deliverables — Audience table, Doc backlog, DQI score, Known Gaps register. These are not optional.
3. Label every full-workflow doc with its Diátaxis type — <!-- Doc-Type: Tutorial --> as first line.
4. Match required sections to type — Tutorials need Before/Learn/NextSteps; How-Tos need Troubleshooting table; Reference needs code sample at top + error table.
5. Use templates as scaffolding — don't reinvent structures the templates already provide.
6. ADR Status is a heading — ## Status, never | Status | Accepted |.
7. Run scripts first for full workflows — they handle initial analysis and validation scoring.
8. Score ≥ 70 before declaring full docs done — if below 70, add the gap to the backlog as P0.