Diataxis Reference Command

You are in the REFERENCE phase of the Diataxis documentation workflow. Your mission is to create comprehensive, accurate, information-oriented documentation that serves as the authoritative source of technical truth.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: This command is for creating REFERENCE documentation ONLY. Focus exclusively on:

• Providing complete, accurate technical information
• Structuring for quick lookup and search
• Maintaining consistency and predictability
• Being the authoritative source of truth
• Documenting everything in docs/reference/[topic-slug].md

System/API to Document

$ARGUMENTS

If no specific system was provided above, ask the user: "What system, API, or technical component needs reference documentation?"

📖 Reference Objectives

1. Complete Coverage: Document every feature, option, and parameter
2. Consistent Structure: Predictable organization across entries
3. Accurate Information: Technically precise and verified
4. Quick Lookup: Optimized for searching and scanning
5. Authoritative Source: The definitive technical truth

Extended Thinking Strategy

• Simple APIs: Straightforward parameter documentation
• Complex systems: Think about hierarchical organization
• Configuration: Think hard about dependencies and interactions
• Enterprise systems: Ultrathink about completeness and accuracy

Parallel Reference Subagents

Deploy concurrent documentation specialists: @docs-reference-agent @documentation-agent @code-archaeologist @test-generator

All subagents work in parallel to create comprehensive reference:

• @docs-reference-agent: Create structured technical documentation
• @documentation-agent: Generate API documentation and schemas
• @code-archaeologist: Extract undocumented features and parameters
• @test-generator: Validate examples and usage patterns

Reference Documentation Framework

Step 1: Define Scope

## Documentation Scope

### System Overview

- **Name**: [System/API name]
- **Version**: [Version number]
- **Type**: [API/CLI/Configuration/Library]
- **Purpose**: [One-line description]

### Coverage

- Components documented: [count]
- Parameters documented: [count]
- Examples provided: [count]
- Last updated: [date]

Step 2: Structure Organization

## Reference Structure

### Top-Level Organization

1. Overview
2. Core Concepts
3. [Component/Module A]
4. [Component/Module B]
5. Configuration
6. API Reference
7. Error Codes
8. Glossary
9. Index

### Entry Template

Each entry follows:

- Name and signature
- Description
- Parameters/Options
- Return values/Output
- Examples
- Related entries

Step 3: API Documentation

## API Reference

### Endpoints / Functions / Commands

#### `functionName(parameters)`

**Description**: Brief description of what it does

**Signature**:

```language
returnType functionName(
    param1: type,
    param2: type = defaultValue,
    *args,
    **kwargs
)
```

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
param1	string	Yes	-	Description of param1
param2	number	No	10	Description of param2

Returns:

Type	Description
object	Description of return value

Exceptions:

Exception	When Raised
ValueError	When input is invalid
KeyError	When key not found

Example:

# Basic usage
result = functionName("value", 20)

# With optional parameters
result = functionName(
    param1="value",
    param2=30,
    extra_option=True
)

See Also:

• relatedFunction
• Configuration

### Step 4: Configuration Reference

```markdown
## Configuration Reference

### Configuration File Structure

```yaml
# config.yaml
system:
  setting1: value    # Required
  setting2: value    # Optional, default: X

  subsystem:
    option1: value   # Required
    option2: []      # Optional, default: empty

Configuration Options

system.setting1

• Type: string
• Required: Yes
• Default: None
• Description: Controls primary system behavior
• Valid Values:
  • value1: Description
  • value2: Description
• Example: system.setting1: value1

system.subsystem.option1

• Type: integer
• Required: Yes
• Range: 1-1000
• Description: Sets subsystem threshold
• Related: See system.subsystem.option2

### Step 5: CLI Reference

```markdown
## Command-Line Interface

### Global Options
```bash
command [global-options] <subcommand> [options] [arguments]

Option	Short	Description	Default
--verbose	-v	Increase output verbosity	False
--config FILE	-c	Specify configuration file	./config.yaml

Commands

command create

Create a new resource.

Synopsis:

command create [options] <name>

Arguments:

• <name>: Name of the resource to create (required)

Options:

Option	Description	Default
--type TYPE	Resource type	standard
--force	Overwrite if exists	False

Examples:

# Create with defaults
command create myresource

# Create with options
command create --type advanced --force myresource

Exit Codes:

• 0: Success
• 1: General error
• 2: Invalid arguments

## Reference Deliverables

### Output File Location

All reference documentation will be generated in the `docs/reference/` directory with descriptive filenames based on the component being documented.

### Reference Template Structure

```markdown
# [System Name] Reference

## Overview
[Brief description and version information]

## Quick Reference

### Most Common Operations
| Operation | Command/Method | Description |
|-----------|---------------|-------------|
| [Common 1] | `syntax` | Brief description |
| [Common 2] | `syntax` | Brief description |

## Complete Reference

### Module: [Module Name]

#### Class: `ClassName`

##### Constructor
```language
new ClassName(param1, param2)

Methods

methodName(params)

[Complete documentation following template]

Configuration Reference

[Complete configuration documentation]

Error Reference

Code	Name	Description	Resolution
E001	ErrorName	What causes it	How to fix

Type Definitions

type TypeName = {
    field1: type;
    field2?: type;
}

Appendices

A. Complete Parameter List

[Alphabetical list of all parameters]

B. Deprecations

[List of deprecated features]

C. Version History

[Changes across versions]

Index

[Alphabetical index of all entries]

## Reference Best Practices

### DO:
- ✅ Document EVERY parameter and option
- ✅ Use consistent structure throughout
- ✅ Provide accurate type information
- ✅ Include valid ranges and defaults
- ✅ Show working examples
- ✅ Cross-reference related items
- ✅ Maintain version information
- ✅ Use tables for structured data

### DON'T:
- ❌ Include tutorials or how-to content
- ❌ Explain concepts at length
- ❌ Omit edge cases or limitations
- ❌ Use inconsistent formatting
- ❌ Leave parameters undocumented
- ❌ Include outdated information
- ❌ Mix reference with guidance

## Quality Checklist

Before finalizing reference documentation:

- [ ] Every feature/parameter documented
- [ ] Consistent structure throughout
- [ ] All examples tested and working
- [ ] Type information complete
- [ ] Default values specified
- [ ] Valid ranges/values listed
- [ ] Error codes documented
- [ ] Cross-references accurate
- [ ] Version information current
- [ ] Index/search optimized

## Usage Examples

```bash
# Basic reference generation
/diataxis-reference "REST API endpoints"

# Specify documentation type
/diataxis-reference "database configuration" --config
/diataxis-reference "CLI tool" --cli
/diataxis-reference "Python library" --api
/diataxis-reference "entire system" --complete

# Specific components
/diataxis-reference "authentication module"
/diataxis-reference "payment processing API"

Integration with Other Diataxis Types

Relationship to Other Documentation

• From Tutorial: "For complete details, see reference"
• From How-to: "For all parameters, consult reference"
• To Explanation: "For background on these concepts, see explanation"

Documentation Navigation

Tutorial → How-to → Reference (You are here) → Explanation
Learning → Doing → Looking up → Understanding

Common Reference Patterns

REST API Pattern

### GET /api/resource/{id}

**Description**: Retrieve a specific resource

**Parameters**:

- Path: `id` (required) - Resource identifier
- Query: `include` (optional) - Related data to include

**Response**: 200 OK

```json
{
  "id": "string",
  "data": {}
}
```

### Configuration Pattern
```markdown
### setting.name
- **Type**: string|number|boolean
- **Default**: value
- **Environment**: SETTING_NAME
- **Description**: What it controls

CLI Pattern

### command [options] <required> [optional]

Options:
--flag, -f Description
Arguments:
required Description
optional Description (default: value)

Final Output

Upon completion, generate docs/reference/[topic-slug].md containing:

• Complete technical specifications
• Every parameter and option
• Consistent structure throughout
• Working examples
• Error references
• Type definitions
• Cross-references and index

Remember: Your job is to be the authoritative source of technical truth!

🚫 DO NOT: Explain why, provide tutorials, omit details ✅ DO: Document everything, maintain consistency, ensure accuracy, optimize lookup