Docco is a lightweight documentation generator built around the concept of literate programming. Rather than producing a conventional API reference, it presents annotated source code alongside explanatory prose, helping readers understand how a program works.
The application processes source files and creates HTML pages that show documentation and implementation together. Comments become readable explanations, while the corresponding source code remains visible. This arrangement is especially suitable for examples, tutorials and smaller projects where the reasoning behind the implementation is as important as the API itself.
Its approach is deliberately simple, making it useful when developers want to explain code without adopting a complex documentation framework. It is less suitable for automatically extracting detailed class hierarchies or API relationships from large software projects.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Generates HTML documentation from annotated source code files.
- Provides a two-column presentation showing explanatory text alongside the corresponding implementation.
- Converts source comments into formatted prose using Markdown.
- Uses Highlight.js for syntax highlighting of code examples.
- Produces a separate documentation page for each processed source file.
- Automatic navigation links connect the generated documentation pages.
- Supports numerous programming languages through configurable comment syntax.
- Recognises literate source files where Markdown is the primary content and indented sections contain code.
- Configurable output directories and templates allow basic customisation of generated documentation.
- Can document its own source code, providing a practical demonstration of the literate programming approach.
Website: github.com/jashkenas/docco
Support:
Developer: Jeremy Ashkenas
License: The Lil License v1
Docco is written in CoffeeScript. Learn CoffeeScript with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Documentation Generators | |
|---|---|
| JSDoc | API documentation generator for JavaScript |
| Javadoc | Generate API documentation in HTML format |
| Sphinx | Create intelligent and beautiful documentation for Python projects |
| phpDocumentor | Complete documentation solution for PHP |
| Doxygen | Documentation system for C, C++, Java, Python and other languages |
| Docusaurus | Build, deploy and maintain documentation websites |
| mdBook | Create modern online books from Markdown files |
| YARD | Ruby documentation tool |
| Starlight | Documentation website framework |
| Docco | Literate-programming-style documentation generator |
| Natural Docs | Documentation generator that supports 21 different languages |
| Quarto | Scientific and technical publishing system |
| Antora | Modular documentation site generator |
| Crycco | Quick and dirty documentation generator |
| ROBODoc | Documentation tool similar to Javadoc |
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