Documentation Generation with Claude
Automatically generate comprehensive documentation for your codebase including API docs, README files, and inline comments
title: Documentation Generation with Claude description: Automatically generate comprehensive documentation for your codebase including API docs, README files, and inline comments
Good documentation is essential but time-consuming. Claude Code can generate comprehensive documentation from your codebase, saving hours of manual work while ensuring accuracy and consistency.
Types of Documentation
Claude can generate:
| Type | Description | Best For | |------|-------------|----------| | README files | Project overview and setup | Open source projects | | API documentation | Endpoint references | REST/GraphQL APIs | | JSDoc/TSDoc | Inline function docs | Libraries and SDKs | | Architecture docs | System design overview | Complex applications | | User guides | How-to instructions | End-user documentation |
Quick Start: Generate a README
The simplest documentation task:
Generate a comprehensive README.md for this project.
Include:
- Project description
- Features list
- Installation instructions
- Usage examples
- Configuration options
- Contributing guidelines
Claude will analyze your codebase and create a complete README.
Generating API Documentation
REST API Documentation
Generate API documentation for all endpoints in the /api directory.
For each endpoint include:
- HTTP method and path
- Description
- Request parameters
- Request body schema
- Response schema
- Example requests/responses
- Error codes
Example Output:
## POST /api/users
Create a new user account.
### Request Body
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| email | string | Yes | User's email address |
| password | string | Yes | Minimum 8 characters |
| name | string | No | Display name |
### Response
**201 Created**
```json
{
"id": "usr_123",
"email": "user@example.com",
"name": "John Doe",
"createdAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}
Errors
| Code | Description | |------|-------------| | 400 | Invalid email or password format | | 409 | Email already registered |
### OpenAPI/Swagger Generation
Generate an OpenAPI 3.0 specification for all API routes. Include request/response schemas, authentication requirements, and example values.
## Generating Code Documentation
### JSDoc for JavaScript/TypeScript
Add comprehensive JSDoc comments to all exported functions in the utils directory. Include:
- Description
- @param tags with types and descriptions
- @returns tag with type and description
- @throws tag for error conditions
- @example with usage code
**Before:**
```typescript
export function formatCurrency(amount, currency, locale) {
return new Intl.NumberFormat(locale, {
style: 'currency',
currency
}).format(amount);
}
After:
/**
* Formats a number as currency according to locale conventions.
*
* @param {number} amount - The numeric amount to format
* @param {string} currency - ISO 4217 currency code (e.g., 'USD', 'EUR')
* @param {string} [locale='en-US'] - BCP 47 locale identifier
* @returns {string} Formatted currency string
* @throws {RangeError} If currency code is invalid
*
* @example
* formatCurrency(1234.56, 'USD', 'en-US')
* // Returns: '$1,234.56'
*
* @example
* formatCurrency(1234.56, 'EUR', 'de-DE')
* // Returns: '1.234,56 EUR'
*/
export function formatCurrency(
amount: number,
currency: string,
locale: string = 'en-US'
): string {
return new Intl.NumberFormat(locale, {
style: 'currency',
currency
}).format(amount);
}
Python Docstrings
Add Google-style docstrings to all functions in the services module.
Include Args, Returns, Raises, and Examples sections.
Example Output:
def calculate_discount(price: float, percentage: float, max_discount: float = None) -> float:
"""Calculate discounted price with optional maximum limit.
Applies a percentage discount to the original price. If max_discount
is specified, the discount amount will not exceed this value.
Args:
price: Original price in dollars.
percentage: Discount percentage (0-100).
max_discount: Maximum discount amount in dollars. Defaults to None.
Returns:
The final price after applying the discount.
Raises:
ValueError: If price is negative or percentage is outside 0-100.
Examples:
>>> calculate_discount(100.0, 20)
80.0
>>> calculate_discount(100.0, 50, max_discount=25.0)
75.0
"""
Generating Architecture Documentation
System Overview
Create architecture documentation for this project including:
1. High-level system diagram description
2. Component responsibilities
3. Data flow between components
4. External dependencies
5. Security boundaries
Database Schema Documentation
Document the database schema including:
- Table descriptions
- Column definitions with types and constraints
- Relationships between tables
- Indexes and their purposes
- Common query patterns
Generating User Documentation
Feature Documentation
Create user documentation for the authentication feature.
Include:
- How to sign up
- How to log in
- Password reset process
- Two-factor authentication setup
- Common troubleshooting
Configuration Reference
Generate a configuration reference document listing all
environment variables, their purposes, default values,
and example values.
Example Output:
## Environment Variables
### Required Variables
| Variable | Description | Example |
|----------|-------------|---------|
| `DATABASE_URL` | PostgreSQL connection string | `postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb` |
| `JWT_SECRET` | Secret key for JWT signing | `your-256-bit-secret` |
### Optional Variables
| Variable | Description | Default |
|----------|-------------|---------|
| `PORT` | Server port | `3000` |
| `LOG_LEVEL` | Logging verbosity | `info` |
| `RATE_LIMIT` | Requests per minute | `100` |
Documentation Workflows
Workflow 1: New Project Setup
1. Generate README.md with project overview
2. Create CONTRIBUTING.md with guidelines
3. Generate API.md for endpoint documentation
4. Create CHANGELOG.md template
Workflow 2: Code Documentation Sprint
Day 1: Document all public APIs
Day 2: Add inline comments to complex functions
Day 3: Create architecture overview
Day 4: Write deployment guide
Day 5: Review and refine all docs
Workflow 3: Continuous Documentation
Set up a pre-commit hook:
# .claude/commands/update-docs.md
Check if any exported functions are missing documentation.
If found, generate appropriate JSDoc/docstrings.
Best Practices
1. Provide Context
This is a payment processing library used by e-commerce sites.
Users are developers integrating payments into their apps.
Generate documentation assuming intermediate JavaScript knowledge.
2. Specify Audience
Generate documentation for:
- Audience: Backend developers
- Experience level: Intermediate
- Primary use case: Building REST APIs
3. Maintain Consistency
Follow these documentation standards:
- Use present tense ("Returns" not "Will return")
- Use active voice ("Call this function" not "This function should be called")
- Include code examples for every function
- Document error conditions
4. Keep It Updated
Review existing documentation and update it to match
the current implementation. Flag any outdated sections.
Documentation Templates
README Template
Generate a README following this structure:
# Project Name
Brief description
## Features
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
## Quick Start
bash commands
## Installation
Step-by-step
## Usage
Code examples
## Configuration
Options table
## API Reference
Link to detailed docs
## Contributing
How to contribute
## License
License info
API Endpoint Template
Document each endpoint with:
## [METHOD] /path
Description paragraph.
### Authentication
Required auth type
### Parameters
Table of params
### Request Body
JSON schema
### Response
Success response
### Errors
Error codes table
### Example
curl command
Generating Documentation Files
All-in-One Command
Generate complete project documentation:
1. README.md - Project overview (main directory)
2. docs/API.md - Full API reference
3. docs/ARCHITECTURE.md - System design
4. docs/DEPLOYMENT.md - Deployment guide
5. docs/CONTRIBUTING.md - Contribution guidelines
Use markdown format with table of contents.
Limitations
Claude cannot:
- Access private APIs - Document only what's in the codebase
- Verify accuracy - Review generated docs for correctness
- Update diagrams - Cannot create visual diagrams (text descriptions only)
- Know runtime behavior - Documents static code, not runtime state
Next Steps
- Code Review - Review your documented code
- Test Generation - Generate tests with documentation
- Real-World Projects - See documentation in action