Documentation toolbox for your javascript / typescript projects based on JSDoc4 with @category, @component and @optional plugins.

This is how it looks:

Example

Example documentation can be found here: https://softwarebrothers.github.io/example-design-system/index.html

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Installation

``sh
npm install --save-dev better-docs
`

Theme Usage

With command line

Assuming that you have jsdoc installed globally:

`
jsdoc your-documented-file.js -t ./node_modules/better-docs
`

With npm and configuration file

In your projects package.json file - add a new script:

`
"script": {
"docs": "jsdoc -c jsdoc.json"
}
`

in your jsdoc.json file, set the template:

`json
"opts": {
"template": "node_modules/better-docs"
}
`

TypeScript support

better-docs has a plugin which allows you to generate documentation from your TypeScript codebase.

Usage

To use it update your jsdoc.json file

`
...
"tags": {
"allowUnknownTags": ["optional"] //or true
},
"plugins": [
"node_modules/better-docs/typescript"
],
"source": {
"includePattern": "\\.(jsx|js|ts|tsx)$",
},
...
`

And now you can run your jsdoc command and parse TypeScript files.

How it works?

It performs 4 operations:

* First of all it transpiles all .ts and .tsx files to .js, so that all comments used by you are treated
as a regular JSDoc comments.

Furthermore it:

* Converts all your commented type aliases to @typedef
* Converts all your commented interface definitions to @interface,
* Converts descriptions for your public, protected, static class members

so they can be printed by JSDoc automatically.

Examples

`
/**
* ActionRequest
* @memberof Action
* @alias ActionRequest
*/
export type ActionRequest = {
/**
* parameters passed in an URL
*/
params: {
/**
* Id of current resource
*/
resourceId: string;
/**
* Id of current record
*/
recordId?: string;
/**
* Name of an action
*/
action: string;

[key: string]: any;
};
}
`

is converted to:

`
/**
* ActionRequest'
* @memberof Action'
* @alias ActionRequest'
* @typedef {object} ActionRequest'
* @property {object} params parameters passed in an URL'
* @property {string} params.resourceId Id of current resource'
* @property {string} [params.recordId] Id of current record'
* @property {string} params.action Name of an action'
* @property {any} params.{...}'
*/
`

Also you can comment the interface in a similar fashion:

`
/**
* JSON representation of an {@link Action}
* @see Action
*/
export default interface ActionJSON {
/**
* Unique action name
*/
name: string;
/**
* Type of an action
*/
actionType: 'record' | 'resource' | Array<'record' | 'resource'>;
/**
* Action icon
*/
icon?: string;
/**
* Action label - visible on the frontend
*/
label: string;
/**
* Guarding message
*/
guard?: string;
/**
* If action should have a filter (for resource actions)
*/
showFilter: boolean;
/**
* Action component. When set to false action will be invoked immediately after clicking it,
* to put in another words: there wont be an action view
*/
component?: string | false | null;
}
`

or describe your class properties like that:

`
/**
* Class name
*/
class ClassName {
/**
* Some private member which WONT be in jsdoc (because it is private)
*/
private name: string

/**
* Some protected member which will go to the docs
*/
protected somethingIsA: number

/**
* And static member which will goes to the docs.
*/
static someStaticMember: number

public notCommentedWontBeInJSDoc: string

constructor(color: string) {}
}
`

@category plugin

better-docs also allows you to nest your documentation into categories and subcategories in the sidebar menu.

Usage

To add a plugin - update plugins section in your jsdoc.json file:

`
...
"tags": {
"allowUnknownTags": ["category"] //or true
},
"plugins": [
"node_modules/better-docs/category"
],
...
`

and then you can use @category and/or @subcategory tag in your code:

`
/**
* Class description
* @category Category
* @subcategory All
*/
class YourClass {
....
}
`

@component plugin [BETA]

Better-docs also allows you to document your React and Vue components automatically. The only thing you have to do is to add a @component tag. It will take all props from your components and along with an @example tag - will generate a __live preview__.

Installation instructions

Similar as before to add a plugin - you have to update the plugins section in your jsdoc.json file:

`
...
"tags": {
"allowUnknownTags": ["component"] //or true
},
"plugins": [
"node_modules/better-docs/component"
],
...
`

Since __component__ plugin uses parcel as a bundler you have to install it globally. To do this run:

`


if you use npm

npm install -g parcel

or yarn

yarn global add parcel
`

Usage

To document components simply add @component in your JSDoc documentation:

`jsx
/**
* Some documented component
*
* @component
*/
const Documented = (props) => {
const { text } = props
return (


)
}

Documented.propTypes = {
/**
* Text is a text
*/
text: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
}

export default Documented
`

The plugin will take the information from your PropTypes and put them into an array.

For Vue it looks similar:

`vue

`

In this case, props will be taken from props property.

Preview

@component plugin also modifies the behaviour of @example tag in a way that it can generate an actual __component preview__. What you have to do is to add an @example tag and return component from it:

React example:

`jsx
/**
* Some documented component
*
* @component
* @example
* const text = 'some example text'
* return (
*
* )
*/
const Documented = (props) => {
///...
}
`

Vue example 1:

`vue

`

Vue example 2:

`vue

`

You can put as many @example tags as you like in one component and "caption" each of them like this:

`javascript
/**
* @component
* @example Example usage of method1.
* // your example here
*/
`

Mixing components in preview

Also you can use multiple components which are documented with @component tag together. So lets say you have 2 components and in the second component you want to use the first one as a wrapper like this:

`javascript
// component-1.js
/**
* Component 1
* @component
*
*/
const Component1 = (props) => {...}

// component-2.js
/**
* Component 2
* @component
* @example
* return (
*
*
*
*
* )
*/
const Component2 = (props) => {...}
`

Wrapper component [only React]

Most probably your components will have to be run within a particular context, like within redux store provider or with custom CSS libraries.
You can simulate this by passing a component.wrapper in your jsdoc.json:
_(To read more about passing options - scroll down to __Customization__ section)_

`json
// jsdoc.json
{
"opts": {...},
"templates": {
"better-docs": {
"name": "Sample Documentation",
"component": {
"wrapper": "./path/to/your/wrapper-component.js",
},
"...": "...",
}
}
}
`

Wrapper component can look like this:

`javascript
// wrapper-component.js
import React from 'react'
import { BrowserRouter } from 'react-router-dom'
import { createStore } from 'redux'
import { Provider } from 'react-redux'

const store = createStore(() => ({}), {})

const Component = (props) => {
return (






{props.children}



)
}

export default Component
`

Styling React examples

Better-docs inserts all examples within an iframe. This results in the following styling options:

1. If you pass styles inline - they will work right away.

2. For css modules to work with parcel bundler - you have to install postcss-modules package:

`
yarn add postcss-modules
`

and create a .postcssrc file:


`json
// .postcssrc
{
"modules": true
}
`

3. For styled-components you have to use wrapper component which looks like this:

`jsx
import React from 'react'
import { StyleSheetManager } from 'styled-components'

const Component = (props) => {
const { frameContext } = props
return (

{props.children}

)
}

export default Component
`

Adding commands to bundle entry file

@component plugin creates an entry file: .entry.js in your _docs_ output folder. Sometimes you might want to add something to it. You can do this by passing: component.entry option, which is an array of strings.

So let's say you want to add babel-polyfill and 'bulma.css' framework to your bundle. You can do it like this:

`json
// jsdoc.json
{
"opts": {...},
"templates": {
"better-docs": {
"name": "Sample Documentation",
"component": {
"entry": [
"import 'babel-polyfill';",
"import 'bulma/css/bulma.css';"
]
},
"...": "...",
}
}
}
`

Customization

First of all, let me state that better-docs extends the default template. That is why default template parameters are also handled.

[BETA]: You must explicitly set the search option of the default template to true to enable search

To customize the better-docs pass options to templates['better-docs']. section in your jsdoc configuration file.

Example configuration file with settings for both default and better-docs templates:

`json
{
"tags": {
"allowUnknownTags": ["category"]
},
"source": {
"include": ["./src"],
"includePattern": ".js$",
"excludePattern": "(node_modules/|docs)"
},
"plugins": [
"plugins/markdown",
"jsdoc-mermaid",
"node_modules/better-docs/category"
],
"opts": {
"encoding": "utf8",
"destination": "docs/",
"readme": "readme.md",
"recurse": true,
"verbose": true,
"tutorials": "./docs-src/tutorials",
"template": "better-docs"
},
"templates": {
"cleverLinks": false,
"monospaceLinks": false,
"search": true,
"default": {
"staticFiles": {
"include": [
"./docs-src/statics"
]
}
},
"better-docs": {
"name": "Sample Documentation",
"logo": "images/logo.png",
"title": "", // HTML title
"css": "style.css",
"trackingCode": "tracking-code-which-will-go-to-the-HEAD",
"hideGenerator": false,
"navLinks": [
{
"label": "Github",
"href": "https://github.com/SoftwareBrothers/admin-bro"
},
{
"label": "Example Application",
"href": "https://admin-bro-example-app-staging.herokuapp.com/admin"
}
]
}
}
}
`

Extras

$3

better-docs also has one extra plugin for handling typescript'like types imports like (it has to be one-liner):

`
/* @typedef {import('./some-other-file').ExportedType} ExportedType /
`

It simply removes that from the code so JSDoc wont throw an error. In order to use it add this plugin to your plugins section:

`
"plugins": [
"node_modules/better-docs/typedef-import"
],
`

Setting up for the development

If you want to change the theme locally follow the steps:

1. Clone the repo to the folder where you have the project:

`
cd your-project
git clone git@github.com:SoftwareBrothers/better-docs.git
`

or add it as a git submodule:

`
git submodule add git@github.com:SoftwareBrothers/better-docs.git
`

2. Install the packages

`
cd better-docs

npm install

or

yarn
`

3. Within the better-docs folder run the gulp script. It will regenerate documentation every time you change something.

It supports following EVN variables:

* DOCS_COMMAND - a command in your root repo which you use to generate documentation: i.e. DOCS_COMMAND='jsdoc -c jsdoc.json' or npm run docs if you have docs command defined in package.json file
* DOCS_OUTPUT - where your documentation is generated. It should point to the same folder your jsdoc --destination conf. But make sure that it is relative to the path where you cloned better-docs.
* DOCS - list of folders from your original repo what you want to watch for changes. Separated by comma.

`
cd better-docs
DOCS_COMMAND='npm run docs' DOCS=../src//,../config// DOCS_OUTPUT=../docs cd better-docs && gulp
`

The script should launch the browser and refresh it whenever you change something in the template or in DOCS`.

Setting up the jsdoc in your project

If you want to see how to setup jsdoc in your project - take a look at these brief tutorials:

- JSDoc - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl6WARA3IhQ
- better-docs and Mermaid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBMYogTzsBk

License

better-docs is Copyright © 2019 SoftwareBrothers.co. It is free software and may be redistributed under the terms specified in the LICENSE file - MIT.

About SoftwareBrothers.co

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* If you want to work for us - check out the career page.