codebase-documenter

Solid

Use this skill when the user wants to understand, document, or explain a codebase — even if they don't say "document" explicitly. Trigger on: "explain this codebase", "how does this project work", "create onboarding docs", "document the architecture", "I'm new to this repo", "generate a codebase overview", or any request to understand unfamiliar code. Produces a single docs/CODEBASE.md with architecture, components, data flow, setup instructions, and a recommended reading path for new developers. Supports quick/standard/deep depth levels and incremental updates.

Data & Documents 5 stars 1 forks Updated today MIT

Install

View on GitHub

Quality Score: 83/100

Stars 20%
26
Recency 20%
100
Frontmatter 20%
70
Documentation 15%
100
Issue Health 10%
80
License 10%
100
Description 5%
100

Skill Content

# Codebase Documenter Generate developer-facing documentation that helps new team members become productive quickly. Produces a single `docs/CODEBASE.md` with architecture diagrams, component descriptions, data flow, setup instructions, and an onboarding reading path. ## The Inclusion Test Before writing any line, ask: **"Would a new developer need to know this to become productive?"** - If yes → include it - If no → cut it Dense, specific content beats comprehensive coverage. Every section should earn its place. ## Source of Truth: Code First The codebase is the primary source of truth — not the README, not the wiki, not inline comments. Repository documentation (README.md, ARCHITECTURE.md, CONTRIBUTING.md) is frequently outdated: it describes what the project *was*, not what it *is*. **When exploring, always prioritize reading actual code over reading documentation:** - Derive architecture from imports, entry points, and module structure — not from what the README claims the architecture is - Extract commands from Makefile, package.json scripts, CI config — not from README setup instructions that may be stale - Identify patterns from how the code actually works — not from design docs that may describe aspirational patterns never implemented - Get version numbers from dependency files — not from docs that forget to update them **When documentation and code disagree, trust the code.** Note the discrepancy if relevant ("README says X, but the code actually does ...

Details

Author
opencue
Repository
opencue/cuecards
Created
2 months ago
Last Updated
today
Language
TypeScript
License
MIT

Integrates with

Similar Skills

Semantically similar based on skill content — not just same category

Data & Documents Featured

codebase-documenter

Generates comprehensive documentation explaining how a codebase works, including architecture, key components, data flow, and development guidelines. Use when user wants to understand unfamiliar code, create onboarding docs, document architecture, or explain how the system works.

657 Updated 3 days ago
mhattingpete
Data & Documents Listed

codebase-onboarding

Generates a single, deeply researched ONBOARDING.md at the root of an open source (or internal) codebase, written for a brand-new contributor. Use this whenever someone wants to understand, explore, ramp up on, or document an unfamiliar repository — trigger phrases include "help me understand this codebase," "explain this repo," "onboard me to this project," "I just cloned this and I'm lost," "write an ONBOARDING.md," "what's the architecture here," "how is this repo organized," or any request to explain a project's purpose, tech stack, dependencies, architecture, or module layout. Also use it proactively whenever a user opens or references a repository they haven't worked in before and asks broad "what is this / how does this work" questions. Do NOT use this for narrow single-file explanations, API reference generation, or README-writing for a project the user is authoring themselves (that's promotional copy, not onboarding).

4 Updated today
kaizakin
AI & Automation Solid

codebase-documenter

Scaffold project documentation (README, ARCHITECTURE, API, CODE_COMMENTS) from templates with documented standards. Use when bootstrapping docs for a new or under-documented codebase.

38 Updated today
rjmurillo