User Manual Generator

Generate comprehensive, deployment-ready user documentation from application codebases using intelligent code analysis and documentation best practices.

Overview

This skill analyzes your codebase to automatically generate user-focused documentation (not developer/API docs). It creates deployment-ready static sites compatible with GitHub Pages, Netlify, and Vercel, following the Diataxis framework (tutorials, how-to guides, reference, explanation).

Use this skill when you need to:

• •Create end-user documentation for web apps, APIs, CLI tools, or desktop applications
• •Generate documentation that helps users accomplish tasks, not just understand code
• •Deploy professional documentation sites quickly
• •Establish a documentation foundation that evolves with your code

Don't use this skill for:

• •API-only documentation (use OpenAPI/Swagger generators instead)
• •Internal developer documentation (use JSDoc/Sphinx/Godoc)
• •Simple README files (write those manually)

Workflow

When invoked, follow these phases in order. Load each phase's context file only when you reach that phase to minimize context usage:

Phase 1: Discovery & Requirements

Context: Read phases/01-discovery.md

Ask clarifying questions and analyze the codebase to understand:

• •Application type (web, API, CLI, desktop)
• •Target audience
• •Preferred static site generator
• •Documentation depth needed

Phase 2: Feature Extraction

Context: Read phases/02-feature-extraction.md

Extract user-facing features from code:

• •Routes and navigation (web apps)
• •Endpoints and schemas (APIs)
• •Commands and options (CLI)
• •Menus and settings (desktop)

Phase 3: Structure Planning

Context: Read phases/03-structure-planning.md

Plan documentation structure using Diataxis framework:

• •Tutorials (learning-oriented)
• •How-to guides (task-oriented)
• •Reference (information-oriented)
• •Explanation (understanding-oriented)

Phase 4: Content Generation

Context: Read phases/04-content-generation.md Templates: Read from templates/ directory as needed

Generate documentation content using templates:

• •Writing guidelines for user-focused content
• •Templates for each documentation type
• •Example formats and placeholders

Phase 5: Static Site Setup

Context: Read phases/05-static-site-setup.md SSG Config: Read from ssg/ directory based on user's choice

Set up the chosen static site generator:

• •MkDocs Material (ssg/mkdocs.md)
• •Docusaurus (ssg/docusaurus.md)
• •VitePress (ssg/vitepress.md)
• •Plain Markdown (ssg/plain-markdown.md)

Phase 6: Quality Assurance

Context: Read phases/06-quality-assurance.md

Perform quality checks:

• •Completeness verification
• •Link validation
• •Code sample verification
• •Accessibility checks

Phase 7: Handoff

Context: Read phases/07-handoff.md

Generate final deliverables:

• •Generation report
• •TODO list for manual work
• •Deployment instructions
• •Summary message for user

Reference Materials

Load these only when needed for specific situations:

Quick Reference: Templates

Expected Outcome

• •70-80% time saved vs manual documentation
• •Deployment-ready site in minutes
• •Solid foundation requiring ~20% manual refinement
• •Maintainable docs that evolve with code

Success Criteria

• •Non-technical users can complete tasks using docs
• •All major features covered
• •Zero build errors
• •Passes basic accessibility checks
• •Deployable to chosen hosting platform