Codebase Documenter
Generates comprehensive documentation explaining how a codebase works, including architecture, key components, data flow, and development guidelines. Use when user wants to understand unfamiliar code, create onboarding docs, document architecture, or explain how the system works.
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# Codebase Documenter Generates comprehensive documentation for codebases - architecture, components, data flow, development guidelines. ## When to Use - "explain this codebase" - "document the architecture" - "how does this code work" - "create developer documentation" - "generate codebase overview" - "create onboarding docs" ## What It Documents ### 1. Project Overview - Purpose & vision - Target users - Key features - Technology stack - Project status ### 2. Architecture - High-level structure - Design patterns - Data flow - Control flow - Diagrams (Mermaid) - Architectural decisions ### 3. Directory Structure - Organization purpose - Naming conventions - Entry points - Core modules - Configuration locations ### 4. Key Components - Major modules - Classes & functions - Responsibilities - Interactions - Extension points - Code examples ### 5. External Integrations - APIs consumed - Databases & schemas - Authentication - Caching - Message queues - File storage ### 6. Data Models - Database schema - Data structures - Validation - Migrations - Data transformations ### 7. Development Setup - Prerequisites - Installation steps - Configuration - Running the app - Testing - Debugging - Troubleshooting ### 8. Development Guidelines - Coding conventions - Testing approach - Error handling - Logging - Security practices - Performance patterns ### 9. Deployment - Build process - Deployment steps - Environments - Monitoring - Rollback procedures ### 10. Contributing - Development workflow - Code review guidelines - Testing requirements - Documentation updates ## Approach 1. **Explore** using Explore agent (thorough) 2. **Map structure** with Glob 3. **Read critical files** (README, entry points, core modules) 4. **Identify patterns** with Grep (imports, exports) 5. **Trace execution** paths 6. **Extract knowledge** from docs, comments, tests 7. **Synthesize** into cohesive documentation ## Output Creates markdown documentation: ``` docs/ ├── README.md # Overview and quick start ├── ARCHITECTURE.md # System architecture ├── DEVELOPMENT.md # Development guide ├── API.md # API documentation ├── DEPLOYMENT.md # Deployment guide └── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution guidelines ``` Or single comprehensive doc if preferred. ## Depth Levels - **Quick**: High-level overview (15-30 min) - **Standard**: Comprehensive coverage (30-60 min) - **Deep**: Exhaustive with examples (60+ min) ## Visual Elements - Mermaid diagrams (architecture, flow charts, sequence) - Code examples from codebase - Specific file:line references - Tables for structured info - Lists for guidelines ## Tools Used - **Task (Explore agent)**: Codebase exploration - **Glob**: Map directory structure - **Grep**: Find patterns, imports, exports - **Read**: Analyze key files - **Write**: Create documentation - **Bash**: Extract metadata (git log, versions) ## Success Criteria - Complete coverage of all areas - Clear explanations with examples - Visual diagrams for complex concepts - Specific file:line references - Actionable setup/development instructions - New developer can onboard using only docs - Organized, navigable structure - Accurate and current information ## Integration - **code-auditor**: Includes quality/security context - **project-bootstrapper**: Documents bootstrap decisions - **visual-html-creator**: Create visual diagrams
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