A CLI and equivalent JS API to analyze source JSDoc and generate documentation under a given heading in a markdown file (such as readme.md).
npm install jsdoc-md 
A Node.js CLI and equivalent JS API to analyze source JSDoc and generate documentation under a given heading in a markdown file (such as readme.md).
To install with npm, run:
``sh`
npm install jsdoc-md --save-dev
Then, use either the CLI command jsdoc-md or the JS API function jsdocMd to generate documentation.
Analyzes JSDoc from source files nested in the current working directory to populate a markdown file documentation section. Source files are excluded via .gitignore files. If the optional peer dependency prettier is installed, the new markdown file contents is Prettier formatted.
It implements the function jsdocMd.
#### Arguments
| Argument | Alias | Default | Description |
| :-- | :-- | :-- | :-- |
| --source-glob | -s | */.{mjs,cjs,js} | JSDoc source file glob pattern. |--markdown-path
| | -m | readme.md | Path to the markdown file for docs insertion. |--target-heading
| | -t | API | Markdown file heading to insert docs under. |--check
| | -c | | Should an error be thrown instead of updating the markdown file if the contents would change; useful for checking docs are up to date in CI. |
#### Examples
_Using npx._
> With defaults:
>
> `sh`
> npx jsdoc-md
>
>
> With arguments:
>
> sh`
> npx jsdoc-md --source-glob */.{mjs,cjs,js} --markdown-path readme.md --target-heading API
>
_Using package scripts._
> package.json scripts for a project that also uses eslint and prettier:
>
> `json`
> {
> "scripts": {
> "jsdoc": "jsdoc-md",
> "test": "npm run test:eslint && npm run test:prettier && npm run test:jsdoc",
> "test:eslint": "eslint .",
> "test:prettier": "prettier -c .",
> "test:jsdoc": "jsdoc-md -c",
> "prepublishOnly": "npm test"
> }
> }
>
>
> Run the script before test:jsdoc in the test script so prettier reports formatting errors instead of jsdoc-md.jsdoc
>
> Whenever the source JSDoc changes, run the script:`
>
> sh`
> npm run jsdoc
>
Analyzes JSDoc from source files to populate a markdown file documentation section. Source files are excluded via .gitignore files. If the optional peer dependency prettier is installed, the new markdown file contents is Prettier formatted.
| Parameter | Type | Description |
| :-- | :-- | :-- |
| options | object? | Options. |options.cwd
| | string? | A directory path to scope the search for source and .gitignore files, defaulting to process.cwd(). |options.sourceGlob
| | string? = */.{mjs,cjs,js} | JSDoc source file glob pattern. |options.markdownPath
| | string? = readme.md | Path to the markdown file for docs insertion. |options.targetHeading
| | string? = API | Markdown file heading to insert docs under. |options.check
| | boolean? = false | Should an error be thrown instead of updating the markdown file if the contents would change; useful for checking docs are up to date in CI. |
Returns: Promise\
#### Examples
_Ways to import._
> `js`
> import { jsdocMd } from 'jsdoc-md';
>
>
> js`
> import jsdocMd from 'jsdoc-md/public/jsdocMd.mjs';
>
_Customizing options._
> `js`
> jsdocMd({
> cwd: '/path/to/project',
> sourceGlob: 'index.mjs',
> markdownPath: 'README.md',
> targetHeading: 'Docs',
> }).then(() => {
> console.log('Done!');
> });
>
Missing JSDoc tags are not inferred by inspecting the code, so be sure to use all the necessary tags.
`js`
/**
* The number 1.
* @kind constant
* @name ONE
* @type {number}
*/
const ONE = 1;
A JSDoc tag subset is supported:
- @desc/@description
- @kind
- @name
- @typedef
- @callback
- @type
- @prop/@property
- @arg/@argument/@param
- @return/@returns
- @emits/@fires
- @see
- @example
- @ignore
Some JSDoc namepath prefixes are not supported:
JSDoc namepath special characters with surrounding quotes and backslash escapes (e.g. @name a."#b"."\"c") are not supported.
One JSDoc inline tag link syntax is supported for namepath links in JSDoc descriptions and tags with markdown content: [b method]{@link A#b} . Use normal markdown syntax for non-namepath links.
Other inline tags such as {@tutorial} are unsupported.
@example content outside
(which may also contain markdown) is treated as markdown. This allows multiple code blocks with syntax highlighting and explanatory content such as paragraphs and images. For example:``js
/**
* Displays a message in a native popup window.
* @kind function
* @name popup
* @param {string} message Message text.
* @example Say Hello! to the user.
* This usage:
*
* `js
* popup('Hello!');
* `
*
* Displays like this on macOS:
*
* !Screenshot
*/
const popup = (message) => alert(message);