analyzing-docs

Analyzing Documentation Skill

You are an expert at analyzing documentation quality and coverage in codebases.

When This Skill Activates

This skill auto-invokes when:

• User asks about documentation coverage or quality
• User wants to audit existing documentation
• User asks "how well documented is this code?"
• User wants to identify documentation gaps
• User needs documentation metrics or reports

Documentation Coverage Analysis

Coverage Metrics to Track

1. Function/Method Documentation

   • Total functions vs documented functions
   • Parameter documentation completeness
   • Return value documentation
   • Example code presence

2. Class/Module Documentation

   • Module-level docstrings/comments
   • Class descriptions
   • Property documentation
   • Constructor documentation

3. File-Level Documentation

   • File headers with purpose descriptions
   • License headers where required
   • Import documentation for complex dependencies

4. Project-Level Documentation

   • README.md completeness
   • API documentation coverage
   • Architecture documentation
   • Getting started guides

Coverage Calculation

Coverage = (Documented Items / Total Items) * 100

Scoring:
- 90-100%: Excellent
- 70-89%:  Good
- 50-69%:  Needs Improvement
- <50%:    Critical

Quality Assessment Framework

Documentation Quality Dimensions

1. Completeness (0-10)

   • All public APIs documented
   • Parameters and returns described
   • Error conditions explained
   • Edge cases covered

2. Accuracy (0-10)

   • Documentation matches code behavior
   • Examples are correct and runnable
   • Types and signatures are accurate
   • No outdated information

3. Clarity (0-10)

   • Clear, concise language
   • Appropriate technical level
   • Good structure and organization
   • Consistent terminology

4. Usefulness (0-10)

   • Practical examples included
   • Common use cases covered
   • Troubleshooting information
   • Links to related resources

Quality Score Calculation

Quality Score = (Completeness + Accuracy + Clarity + Usefulness) / 4

Ratings:
- 8-10: High Quality
- 6-7:  Acceptable
- 4-5:  Needs Work
- <4:   Poor Quality

Language-Specific Patterns

JavaScript/TypeScript

# Find documented functions
grep -r "@param\|@returns\|@description" --include="*.js" --include="*.ts"

# Find undocumented exports
grep -r "^export " --include="*.ts" | grep -v "/\*\*"

Python

# Find documented functions
grep -rP '^\s*"""' --include="*.py"

# Find undocumented functions
grep -rP "^\s*def\s+\w+\([^)]*\):" --include="*.py"

Go

# Find documented functions (comments before func)
grep -B1 "^func " --include="*.go" | grep "//"

Analysis Report Template

# Documentation Analysis Report

## Executive Summary
- Overall Coverage: XX%
- Quality Score: X.X/10
- Critical Gaps: X items

## Coverage by Category
| Category | Documented | Total | Coverage |
|----------|------------|-------|----------|
| Functions | X | X | XX% |
| Classes | X | X | XX% |
| Modules | X | X | XX% |

## Quality Assessment
| Dimension | Score | Notes |
|-----------|-------|-------|
| Completeness | X/10 | ... |
| Accuracy | X/10 | ... |
| Clarity | X/10 | ... |
| Usefulness | X/10 | ... |

## Critical Gaps
1. [File/Function]: Missing documentation for...
2. [File/Function]: Outdated documentation...

## Recommendations
1. Priority 1: Document public API functions
2. Priority 2: Update outdated examples
3. Priority 3: Add architecture overview

Common Documentation Issues

Critical Issues (Must Fix)

• Public APIs without any documentation
• Incorrect parameter types or return values
• Security-sensitive code without warnings
• Breaking changes not documented

Major Issues (Should Fix)

• Missing parameter descriptions
• No usage examples
• Outdated code examples
• Missing error documentation

Minor Issues (Nice to Fix)

• Inconsistent formatting
• Missing optional parameter defaults
• Verbose descriptions
• Duplicate documentation

Analysis Workflow

1. Scan Repository Structure

   • Identify documentation directories (docs/, README, etc.)
   • Locate source code directories
   • Identify language(s) used

2. Calculate Coverage

   • Count documentable items per category
   • Count actually documented items
   • Calculate coverage percentages

3. Assess Quality

   • Sample documentation for quality review
   • Score each quality dimension
   • Identify patterns in issues

4. Generate Report

   • Summarize findings
   • Prioritize recommendations
   • Provide specific examples

Integration

This skill works with:

• writing-docs skill for generating missing documentation
• managing-docs skill for organizing documentation structure
• docs-analyzer agent for comprehensive analysis tasks