document
apply documentation philosophy: explain why, not what.
when to use
- •writing jsdocs for components or functions
- •updating README or project docs
- •adding inline comments during implementation
- •reviewing existing documentation for cleanup
workflow
- •check if documentation is needed — if it describes obvious behavior, skip it
- •identify the non-obvious why: design constraints, behavioral consequences, inheritance warnings
- •write terse, lowercase prose
- •delete anything that merely restates the code
quick reference: why over what
delete this:
typescript
/** context provider that wraps children in a DisclosureProvider. */
keep this:
typescript
/** * blocks CompositeContext so nested Lists create isolated focus loops. * essential for "Simple API" goal — our List is "greedy" and would * otherwise join parent's arrow-key navigation. */
what to document
- •design rationale and constraints
- •context shadowing / inheritance warnings
- •non-obvious behavioral consequences
- •internal decisions affecting correctness
what to delete
- •obvious behavior ("renders a button")
- •what the function name already says
- •what types already express
jsdoc structure
typescript
/** * one-line description of purpose or behavior. * * additional context if design rationale is complex (keep brief). * * @prop propName - what it does * @example * ```tsx * <Component>content</Component> * ``` */
maintainer notes
preserve @bdsqqq notes or similar when they explain non-obvious decisions:
typescript
/** * @bdsqqq notes: alpha colors avoided for strokes due to compounding * overlap issues at intersection points. */
colocate context with code
jsdocs are source of truth. upon finishing a task, colocate valuable context as jsdocs — only notes that explain non-obvious why. delete everything else.
tone
- •lowercase only (ALL CAPS for emphasis)
- •terse, no unsupported claims
- •specific over general; describe, don't emote