Julia: Documentation

In this lecture, we'll explore how to effectively document Julia code. We'll cover the use of doc strings, introduce Documenter.jl for creating comprehensive documentation, and discuss how to build and host a documentation website.

Doc Strings in Julia

Basics of Doc Strings

  • Docstrings: Documentation that lives side-by-side with the source code

Advanced Features in Doc Strings

  • Including mathematical expressions using LaTeX syntax
  • Adding code examples within doc strings
  • Documenting function signatures for clarity
  • It's best practice to write informative and clear doc strings

Code Example: Writing a Doc String

Here's a simple example of how to write a doc string in Julia:

"""
    add(x, y)

Compute the sum of `x` and `y`.

# Arguments
- `x::Int`: The first integer
- `y::Int`: The second integer

## Mathematical formula

```math
  (x,y) \\mapsto x+y
```

# Examples
```julia
julia> add(2, 3)
5
```
"""
function add(x::Int, y::Int)
return x + y
end

This example shows how to document a function's purpose, its arguments, and provide a usage example.

Introduction to Documenter.jl

Documenter.jl is a tool for producing documentation in Julia. We'll look at how to set it up and use it to generate high-quality documentation for your projects.

Setting Up Documenter.jl

  • Installing Documenter.jl (import Pkg; Pkg.add("Documenter"))
  • Basic setup and configuration

Creating an Index with Documenter.jl

  • Organizing your documentation structure
  • Writing an index.md file to serve as the entry point
  • See example docu (live)

Including Additional Markdown Files

  • How to integrate additional markdown files into your documentation
  • Structuring and linking various parts of the documentation for better navigation

Rendering Examples Automatically

  • Utilizing Documenter.jl to automatically execute and render code examples
  • Ensuring that examples in the documentation remain up-to-date and functional

Inspecting the resulting index.html

  • Generating the HTML documentation locally, and open in local webbrowser

Optional: Building a Documentation Website

Optional: Continuous Integration for Documentation Updates

  • Setting up CI workflows to automatically update documentation and host it
  • Rather needed for big open source projects

To conclude, effective documentation is crucial for any Julia project. Utilizing doc strings and Documenter.jl can greatly enhance the usability and accessibility of your code. Remember, good documentation is as important as the code itself!

For more details, visit the Documenter.jl documentation.