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* Class Library Documentation
** Summary
<em>
[This documentation is in progress. Comments to
<a href="mailto:jbarn@httcb.net">jbarn@httcb.net</a>.]
</em>
While using inline XML tags to document classes is certainly
convenient, properly verbose documentation quickly overwhelms
the code, making the source quite difficult to read. Furthermore,
multilingual documentation makes for significant additional text.
With these considerations in mind, Mono will use external XML files
for type documentation, rather than documenting the source inline.
Several tools will be created for managing, verifying, generating,
and updating class library documentation, including:
<ul>
<li><a href="#docstub">docstub</a></li>
<li><a href="#docverify">docverify</a></li>
<li><a href="#docconv">docconv</a></li>
<li><a href="#docgen">docgen</a></li>
<li><a href="#monodoc">monodoc</a></li>
</ul>
** XML Documentation Files and Formats
*** Monodoc XML
This XML is similar to the XML documentation described in the
C# standard, with added tags for internationalization and a
slightly different structure. Documentation and a DTD/Schema
for Monodoc XML is forthcoming.
Monodoc XML does not contain any definitive type information,
and is only useful in conjunction with the Type definition for
whatever is being documented.
This XML could be generated by hand, by monostub, or by monodoc.
*** Assembly XML
This XML is generated by combining runtime type information for
an Assembly with a collection of Monodoc XML files. The resultant
XML (in the best of cases) contains both complete type and
documentary information for each type in the assembly.
This XML contains enough information to be transformed into
user-accessible documentation. It is likely that scripts
will be created to generate reference docs as HTML and other
formats.
Documentation and a DTD/Schema for Assembly XML is forthcoming.
** Documentation Tools
*** <a name="docstub">docstub</a>
Given a type name and an assembly, generates stub Monodoc XML
documentation for the type. Optionally, docstub can attempt to
populate initial documentation from an XML file in the format
published along with the ECMA standard.
*** <a name="docverify">docverify</a>
Given a Monodoc XML file and an assembly, verifies that the
documentation matches the compiled type. Checks signatures,
parameters, et cetera.
*** <a name="docconv">docconv</a>
Converts from Monodoc XML to the standard C# compiler-emitted
XML format and vice versa.
*** <a name="docgen">docgen</a>
Given an assembly and a collection of Monodoc XML files, creates
an Assembly XML file containing all documentation and type information
available. This output is suitable for transforming into user
documentation.
*** <a name="monodoc">monodoc</a>
A GUI tool for documentation and translation, this encapsulates
the capabilities of docstub, docverify, docconv, and docgen in
a friendly user interface. In addition, monodoc provides features
to ease translation, such as side-by-side editing and coverage
statistics.
** Status and Roadmap
*** 2 January 2002
As I write the initial version of this document, very little has been
implemented. Currently, there is a:
<ul>
<li>Preliminary version of the Monodoc XML format</li>
<li>Preliminary version of the docstub utility</li>
</ul>
Here's hoping for frequent, productive updates.
** Get Involved
Help us define Mono's documentation structure! Subscribe to
<a href="http://lists.ximian.com/mailman/listinfo/mono-docs-list">mono-docs-list</a>
and wade right in.
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