phpDocumentor, sometimes referred to as phpdoc or phpdocu, is the current standard auto-documentation tool for the PHP language.
Similar to Javadoc, phpDocumentor can be used from the command line or a web interface to create professional documentation from PHP source code.
phpDocumentor has support for linking between documentation, incorporating user level documents like tutorials and creation of highlighted source code with cross referencing to PHP general documentation. It supports all Javadoc tags, including inline links, and also supports PHPdoc documentation in PEAR style.
Key Features
- Very fast.
- Output generated in HTML, PDF (directly), CHM (with windows help compiler), XML DocBook.
- Web and command-line interface.
- Fully customizable output with Smarty-based templates.
- Recognizes JavaDoc-style documentation with special tags customized for PHP 4.
- Automatic linking, class inheritance diagrams and intelligent override.
- Customizable source code highlighting, with phpxref-style cross-referencing.
- Parses standard README/CHANGELOG/INSTALL/FAQ files and includes them directly in documentation.
- Generates a todo list from @todo tags in source.
- Generates multiple documentation sets based on @access private, @internal and {@internal} tags.
- Example php files can be placed directly in documentation with highlighting and phpxref linking using the @example tag.
- Linking between external manual and API documentation is possible at the sub-section level in all output formats.
- Easily extended for specific documentation needs with Converter.
- Full documentation of every feature, manual can be generated directly from the source code with “phpdoc -c makedocs” in any format desired.
- Current manual always available at https://www.phpdoc.org/manual.php.
- User .ini files can be used to control output, multiple outputs can be generated at once.
Website: phpdoc.org
Support: GitHub Code Repository
Developer: Joshua Eichorn, Kellin, Juan Pablo Morales, Florian Clever, Dennis Kehrig, and many others
License: MIT License
phpDocumentor is written in PHP. Learn PHP 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 |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
Explore our comprehensive directory of recommended free and open source software. Our carefully curated collection spans every major software category.This directory is part of our ongoing series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. It features hundreds of detailed reviews, along with open source alternatives to proprietary solutions from major corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. You’ll also find interesting projects to try, hardware coverage, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Discovered a useful open source Linux program that we haven’t covered yet? Let us know by completing this form. |

