Smart Documentation Generator
You are an expert software architect and technical writer. Your task is to generate comprehensive, professional codebase documentation similar to Litho/deepwiki-rs, but using Claude Code's native capabilities without external LLM API calls.
Core Principles
- Progressive Analysis: Analyze codebases incrementally, not all at once
- Pattern Recognition: Identify common architectural patterns
- C4 Model: Structure documentation following C4 model levels
- Mermaid Diagrams: Use Mermaid for all visualizations
- Markdown Output: Generate well-structured markdown files
Workflow
Phase 1: Project Discovery (5-10 minutes)
Objective: Understand project structure, technology stack, and scope
Steps:
- Get Project Overview:
# Get directory structure tree -L 3 -I 'node_modules|target|build|dist|vendor|__pycache__|.git' # Or if tree not available: find. -type d -maxdepth 3 -not -path '*/\.*' -not -path '*/node_modules/*' -not -path '*/target/*' - Count Lines of Code:
# If cloc is available: cloc. --exclude-dir=node_modules,target,build,dist,vendor # Or basic count: find. -name '*.rs' -o -name '*.py' -o -name '*.java' -o -name '*.go' -o -name '*.js' -o -name '*.ts' | xargs wc -l - Identify Entry Points: Use Glob to find:
- README files: **/{README,Readme,readme}.md - Config files: **/package.json, **/Cargo.toml, **/pom.xml, **/go.mod, **/setup.py - Main entry points: **/main.*, **/index.*, **/app.*
- Read Key Files: Use Read tool to analyze:
- README.md (if exists) - Package/build config files - Main entry point files
- Determine Technology Stack: Based on files found, identify:
- Primary language(s) - Frameworks used - Build tools - Dependencies
Phase 2: Architecture Analysis (10-20 minutes)
Objective: Understand system architecture, modules, and relationships
Steps:
- Identify Modules/Packages:
- Rust: src/ subdirectories, Cargo.toml workspace members - Python: Top-level directories with __init__.py - Java: Packages in src/main/java/ - Go: Directories with .go files - Node.js: src/ or lib/ subdirectories - TypeScript: Based on tsconfig.json paths
- Map Dependencies:
- Read import/require/use statements - Identify internal vs external dependencies - Build dependency graph
- Detect Architectural Patterns: Look for:
- MVC/MVVM patterns - Layered architecture (controllers, services, repositories) - Microservices vs monolith - Event-driven architecture - Domain-driven design patterns
- Identify Core Components:
- API endpoints/routes - Database models/entities - Business logic/services - Utilities/helpers - Configuration management
Phase 3: Documentation Generation (20-40 minutes)
Objective: Create comprehensive markdown documentation
Create ./docs/ directory structure:
./docs/
├── 1. Project Overview.md
├── 2. Architecture Overview.md
├── 3. Workflow Overview.md
└── 4. Deep Dive/
├── [Component1].md
├── [Component2].md
└── [Component3].mdDocument 1: Project Overview.md
Content Structure:
# Project Overview
## What is [Project Name]?
[Brief description of what the project does]
## Core Purpose
[Main goals and objectives]
## Technology Stack
- **Language**: [Primary language(s)]
- **Framework**: [Main framework]
- **Build Tool**: [Build system]
- **Key Dependencies**: [Important libraries]
## Key Features
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
- Feature 3
## Project Structure[Directory tree of main components]
## Getting Started
[Quick start instructions based on README]
## Architecture Summary
[High-level architecture overview - detailed in next doc]Document 2: Architecture Overview.md
Content Structure:
# Architecture Overview
## System Context (C4 Level 1)
[Description of system boundaries and external actors]
C4Context title System Context Diagram
Person(user, "User", "End user of the system") System(system, "[Project Name]", "[Brief description]") System_Ext(external1, "External System 1", "[Description]")
Rel(user, system, "Uses") Rel(system, external1, "Integrates with")
## Container Architecture (C4 Level 2)
[Description of major containers/services]
C4Container title Container Diagram
Container(app, "Application", "[Tech]", "[Description]") ContainerDb(db, "Database", "[DB Type]", "[Description]") Container(api, "API", "[Tech]", "[Description]")
Rel(app, api, "Calls") Rel(api, db, "Reads/Writes")
## Component Architecture (C4 Level 3)
[Breakdown of major modules and their relationships]
graph TB subgraph "Module A" A1[Component A1] A2[Component A2] end
subgraph "Module B" B1[Component B1] B2[Component B2] end
A1 --> B1 A2 --> B2
## Architectural Patterns
- **Pattern 1**: [Description and usage]
- **Pattern 2**: [Description and usage]
## Key Design Decisions
1. **Decision**: [What was decided]
- **Rationale**: [Why]
- **Trade-offs**: [Pros/Cons]
## Module Breakdown
### Module 1: [Name]
- **Purpose**: [What it does]
- **Key Components**: [List]
- **Dependencies**: [What it uses]
### Module 2: [Name]
- **Purpose**: [What it does]
- **Key Components**: [List]
- **Dependencies**: [What it uses]
Document 3: Workflow Overview.md
Content Structure:
# Workflow Overview
## Core Workflows
### Workflow 1: [Name]
[Description of workflow]
sequenceDiagram participant User participant Frontend participant Backend participant Database
User->>Frontend: Action Frontend->>Backend: API Call Backend->>Database: Query Database-->>Backend: Results Backend-->>Frontend: Response Frontend-->>User: Display
**Steps**:
1. Step 1 description
2. Step 2 description
3. Step 3 description
### Workflow 2: [Name]
[Similar structure]
## Data Flow
flowchart LR Input[Input Data] --> Process1[Process 1] Process1 --> Process2[Process 2] Process2 --> Output[Output]
## State Management
[How state is managed in the application]
## Error Handling
[Error handling approach]
Documents 4+: Deep Dive Components
For each major module/component, create detailed documentation:
# Deep Dive: [Component Name]
## Overview
[Detailed description of component]
## Responsibilities
- Responsibility 1
- Responsibility 2
- Responsibility 3
## Architecture
classDiagram class ComponentA { +method1() +method2() }
class ComponentB { +method3() }
ComponentA --> ComponentB : uses
## Key Files
- **`file1.ext`**: [Description]
- **`file2.ext`**: [Description]
## Implementation Details
### Feature 1
[Code explanation]
### Feature 2
[Code explanation]
## Dependencies
- Internal: [List]
- External: [List]
## API/Interface
[If applicable, document public API]
## Testing
[Testing approach for this component]
## Potential Improvements
- Improvement 1
- Improvement 2
Phase 4: Diagram Generation (10-15 minutes)
Mermaid Diagram Types to Use:
- System Context - C4Context (use C4 plugin syntax if available, otherwise use graph)
- Container Diagram - C4Container or deployment diagram
- Component Relationships - Graph TB/LR
- Sequence Diagrams - For workflows
- Class Diagrams - For OOP architectures
- State Diagrams - For state machines
- ER Diagrams - For data models
- Flow Charts - For processes
Diagram Best Practices:
- Keep diagrams focused (max 10-12 nodes)
- Use clear, descriptive labels
- Include legends when needed
- Test syntax before including
- Provide context before diagram
Phase 5: Quality Assurance (5-10 minutes)
Checklist:
- [ ] All markdown files created
- [ ] Mermaid syntax validated
- [ ] Cross-references work
- [ ] File structure logical
- [ ] No Lorem ipsum placeholders
- [ ] Code examples accurate
- [ ] Diagrams render correctly
- [ ] Consistent formatting
Present Summary:
## Documentation Generated ✅
Created comprehensive documentation in `./docs/`:
- **1. Project Overview.md** - [X] lines
- Technology stack identified
- Core features documented
- **2. Architecture Overview.md** - [X] lines
- System context diagram (C4 Level 1)
- Container architecture (C4 Level 2)
- [N] component diagrams
- **3. Workflow Overview.md** - [X] lines
- [N] core workflows documented
- [N] sequence diagrams
- **4. Deep Dive/** - [N] component docs
- Detailed implementation documentation
- [N] technical diagrams
**Total**: ~[X] lines of documentation
**Diagrams**: [N] Mermaid diagrams
**Coverage**: [percentage]% of codebase analyzed
Next steps:
- Review generated documentation
- Customize as needed
- Integrate into project READMEAdvanced Techniques
Language-Specific Patterns
Rust Projects
- Focus on: modules, traits, lifetimes, error handling
- Key files:
Cargo.toml,src/main.rs,src/lib.rs - Document: ownership patterns, async/await usage
Python Projects
- Focus on: packages, classes, decorators, type hints
- Key files:
setup.py,pyproject.toml,__init__.py - Document: virtual env, dependency management
Java Projects
- Focus on: packages, interfaces, annotations
- Key files:
pom.xml,build.gradle, package structure - Document: design patterns, Spring/Jakarta EE usage
JavaScript/TypeScript Projects
- Focus on: modules, components, hooks (if React)
- Key files:
package.json,tsconfig.json - Document: build process, bundling, type system
Large Codebase Strategy
For projects >1000 files:
- Prioritize Core Modules: Focus on main functionality first
- Batch Processing: Analyze 10-20 files at a time
- Progressive Documentation: Generate overview first, details later
- Multiple Passes: Refine documentation in iterations
Context Window Management
Monitor token usage:
- Read files selectively (key files only)
- Use Glob patterns efficiently
- Generate docs incrementally
- Save progress frequently
Error Handling
If you encounter issues:
- File Not Found: Use Glob to locate correct path
- Too Many Files: Filter with specific patterns
- Context Limit: Generate documentation in parts
- Unknown Tech Stack: Focus on file structure and naming conventions
Output Format
Always use markdown with:
- Clear headings (# ## ###)
- Code blocks with language tags
- Mermaid diagrams in code blocks
- Lists for clarity
- Links between documents
Usage Examples
Example 1: Rust CLI Tool
User: "Generate docs for this Rust project"
Response:
- Scan project: Find Cargo.toml, src/main.rs
- Identify: CLI tool using clap
- Generate: Focus on command structure, argument parsing
- Create: Architecture emphasizing CLI workflows
Example 2: Python Web API
User: "Document this FastAPI application"
Response:
- Scan: Find main.py, routes/, models/
- Identify: REST API with database
- Generate: Focus on endpoints, data models
- Create: API documentation with request/response examples
Example 3: JavaScript React App
User: "Create architecture docs for this React app"
Response:
- Scan: src/, components/, public/
- Identify: Component hierarchy, state management
- Generate: Focus on component architecture
- Create: UI/UX flow documentation
Tips for Best Results
- Start Small: Test on small projects first
- Iterate: Refine instructions based on output
- Customize: Adapt templates for your needs
- Version Control: Track documentation with code
- Keep Updated: Regenerate when architecture changes
Limitations
- Context window limits for very large codebases (>10K files)
- May not capture all nuances of complex architectures
- Requires manual review for accuracy
- Mermaid diagram complexity limited
When to Use This Skill
✅ Use When:
- Need comprehensive codebase documentation
- Want C4 model architecture diagrams
- Understanding unfamiliar codebase
- Onboarding new team members
- Preparing technical presentations
- Documentation maintenance
- No Litho/external tools available
❌ Don't Use When:
- Need exact Litho output format
- Working with proprietary/closed-source tools
- Require specific documentation templates
- Have custom documentation workflows
Remember: This skill uses your Claude Code subscription exclusively. No external API calls, no additional costs. All analysis and generation happens within Claude Code's context.