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Documentation Generation for Dana

(This document is a placeholder. It will discuss tools and processes for generating documentation for Dana code, including functions, structs, resources, and modules. Good documentation is key for usability and maintainability.)

Key Aspects of Documentation Generation:

  • Source of Documentation:
  • Docstrings/Comments in Dana Code: A standard format for writing documentation directly within Dana files (e.g., for functions, structs, fields, modules).
  • Syntax for docstrings (e.g., ### or ##* before a definition).
  • Tags or conventions for parameters, return types, errors raised, examples (similar to Javadoc, Python's reStructuredText/Google-style docstrings).

  • Markdown Files: Separate .md files for conceptual documentation, tutorials, and guides (like these design docs).

  • Documentation Generator Tool:

  • A command-line tool that parses Dana source files and/or Markdown files to produce browsable documentation (e.g., HTML website).

  • Inspired by tools like Sphinx (Python), Javadoc (Java), Doxygen (C++), TypeDoc (TypeScript).

  • Content to Extract/Generate:

  • From Dana Code:
  • Module/File overview.
  • Function signatures, parameter descriptions, return value descriptions, error descriptions.
  • Struct definitions, field descriptions.
  • Resource capabilities and method descriptions.
  • Code examples from docstrings.
  • Cross-referencing: Automatic linking between different parts of the documentation (e.g., from a function parameter type to its struct definition).

  • Inheritance/Composition Diagrams (Future): Visualizing relationships between structs or resources.

  • Output Formats:

  • HTML (primary for web browsing).
  • Markdown (for integration with other systems or simpler viewing).

  • PDF (optional).

  • Theming and Customization:

  • Allowing customization of the look and feel of the generated HTML documentation.

  • Integration with Build Process:

  • Running the documentation generator as part of a CI/CD pipeline to keep documentation up-to-date.

  • Search Functionality:

  • A search feature within the generated HTML documentation.

  • Documentation for Standard Library and Resources:

  • The Dana standard library and built-in resources should have comprehensive documentation generated using this system.

  • Versioning:

  • Handling documentation for different versions of Dana or Dana libraries.

Example (Conceptual Dana Docstring):

### Calculates the sum of two integers and logs the operation.
###
### Parameters:
### a: int - The first integer.
### b: int - The second integer.
###
### Returns: int
### The sum of `a` and `b`.
###
### Raises:
### TypeError: If `a` or `b` are not integers (hypothetical if Dana had stricter implicit typing or explicit checks).
###
### Example:
### private:total = sum_and_log(5, 3)
### # total would be 8
func sum_and_log(a: int, b: int) -> int:
 private:result = a + b
 log(f"Summing {a} and {b}, result: {result}")
 return result

Self-reflection: A good documentation generation tool, coupled with a clear standard for writing docstrings in Dana, will greatly aid developers in understanding and using Dana libraries and their own code. Leveraging existing documentation paradigms can make this easier for developers to adopt.