sync-docs

Sync Docs — correct documentation against code reality

sync-docs is a correct op-cell: restore the invariant that public docs, examples, versions, and changelog entries describe the current code. It starts from a diff, maps the changed code to coupled Markdown, applies only the safe subset, and flags every semantic drift item with evidence.

Safe means text substitution with a mechanically known target: version-number bump and CHANGELOG ## [Unreleased] entry. Everything else is flag-only until a human or implementer verifies the intended prose change.

When to Apply / NOT

Apply when a branch changes public APIs, imports, CLI flags, config names, package versions, exported symbols, examples, or user-visible behavior and docs may lag.

NOT apply for generated documentation refreshes, mass prose rewrites, API design review, release-note authorship from scratch, or docs whose source of truth is intentionally external. For those, report drift signals but do not edit.

Inputs

• Mode: report (default) or apply. apply still edits only safe-fix issues.
• Scope:
  • recent: changed files from the current branch or last few commits.
  • before-pr: branch diff against the PR base; use before publishing.
  • all: scan all tracked code and docs; slower, useful after migrations.
• Base: explicit base ref is preferred. If absent, resolve the default branch, then fall back to HEAD~5 for recent.

Workflow

1. Pick scope and base. Refuse ambiguous review scope when the user expects PR readiness. Use these commands as the runnable recipe:

   # before-pr: whole branch against the remote default branch
   remote_head=$(git symbolic-ref --short refs/remotes/origin/HEAD || printf origin/main)
   base=${remote_head#origin/}
   git diff --name-status "origin/$base"...HEAD
   
   # recent: if the default-branch diff fails, run the fallback explicitly
   git diff --name-status HEAD~5..HEAD
   
   # all: tracked docs and code inventory, not a behavioral diff
   git ls-files
   

   In ODIN tool mode, use bash only for the git commands; use find, search, read, lsp, ast_grep, and edit for everything else.

2. Compute changed code. Keep only source/config/package files that can change docs. Exclude pure docs, vendored/generated paths, lockfiles unless version docs mention package manager output, and deleted files that were never public.

   Output shape:

   {"status":"M|A|D|R","oldPath":"src/old.ts","path":"src/new.ts","basename":"client","modulePath":"src/new","kind":"source|manifest|config|cli"}
   

3. Extract coupling terms. For each changed code file, derive:

   • filename stem: client, auth-server.

   • full path and path without extension: src/auth/client.ts, src/auth/client.

   • import strings from the diff: from "pkg/auth", require("pkg/auth"), dynamic imports.

   • exported/public symbols from codegraph_search / codegraph_explore when indexed.

   • fallback symbols from language syntax:

     ast-grep --pattern 'export function $NAME($$$)' --lang ts <file>
     ast-grep --pattern 'export class $NAME { $$$ }' --lang ts <file>
     ast-grep --pattern 'pub fn $NAME($$$)' --lang rust <file>
     git grep -nE '^(export |pub |def |class |func )' -- <file>
     

4. Discover related docs. Search only live doc surfaces first: README.md, CHANGELOG.md, docs/**/*.md, *.md at repo root. For each coupling term, search docs and record doc, line, term, referenceType (filename, full-path, import, symbol, url-path, version). Default ignore list lives in references/doc-issues.md.

   Runnable fallback:

   git grep -n -- '*.md' README.md CHANGELOG.md docs/ -- '<term>'
   git grep -nE 'from ["'"''][^"'"'']+["'"'']|require\(["'"''][^"'"'']+["'"'']\)' -- '*.md'
   

   ODIN tool equivalent: search each escaped term across README.md, CHANGELOG.md, docs/**/*.md, then read the surrounding lines.

5. Classify issues. Use the taxonomy in references/doc-issues.md. Preserve certainty:

   • HIGH: manifest version mismatch with exact current version; deleted/renamed public export still documented with symbol proof; changed import path in fenced example where the old path no longer resolves.
   • MEDIUM: stale code example that mentions a changed file/symbol but needs semantic review; undocumented public export after entry-point/internal filtering; docs describing codegraph-reported dead code.
   • LOW: doc-drift from zero code-coupling or weak filename-only coupling; broad stale prose suspicion.

6. Apply safe fixes only. In apply mode:

   • Version bump: replace stale semver strings in docs with the manifest version when the line clearly labels a version (version, package badge, install snippet with @x.y.z). Avoid broad numeric replacement.
   • CHANGELOG ## [Unreleased] entry: insert a minimal bullet under the existing section, or create the section at the top if absent. Use commit messages or changed-file summaries; do not invent product claims.

   Do not auto-edit removed exports, import paths, examples, undocumented exports, dead-code docs, or doc-drift prose. Those require intent.

7. Flag the rest. Emit a compact report sorted by severity, then file path:

   HIGH docs/api.md:42 removed-export `createClient` no current public symbol; changed in src/client.ts
   MEDIUM README.md:88 stale-code-example imports old path `pkg/client`; verify replacement `pkg/auth/client`
   LOW docs/legacy.md:? doc-drift zero code-coupling; no live filename/import/symbol references
   

8. Return fix ledger. For every edit, record file, line, type, before, after, and evidence source. For every flag-only item, record reasonFlagOnly.

Native Detection Recipes

Code graph first

When the repo is indexed, use the codegraph MCP for symbol truth:

• codegraph_search: locate changed public symbols by name.
• codegraph_callers / codegraph_callees: determine whether docs describe dead wrappers or removed API surfaces.
• codegraph_impact: judge blast radius before calling an export undocumented.
• codegraph_files: confirm entry points and module layout.

Fallback when not indexed:

git grep -nE 'export (function|class|const|let|var)|export \{|module\.exports|pub (fn|struct|enum|trait)|^def |^class ' -- ':!node_modules' ':!generated'
ast-grep --pattern 'import $X from $Y' --lang ts src
ast-grep --pattern 'from $M import $$$N' --lang python .

Manifest versions

Read manifests directly and compare against doc mentions:

• JavaScript/TypeScript: package.json version.
• Rust: Cargo.toml package.version.
• Python: pyproject.toml project.version, fallback setup.cfg / setup.py only as MEDIUM.
• Go: module version is usually tag-derived; do not auto-fix unless a manifest line gives an exact version.

Search docs for labeled semver:

git grep -nE '(version|v|@)[[:space:]:="'"'']*[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+' -- '*.md'

CHANGELOG evidence

Use commits only as evidence, not as prose authority:

git --no-pager log --oneline --no-merges "origin/$base"..HEAD
git diff --name-only "origin/$base"...HEAD

If CHANGELOG.md has no ## [Unreleased], create one immediately below the title. If it exists, insert under an appropriate subsection only when the subsection already exists; otherwise add a plain bullet under ## [Unreleased].

Anti-patterns

• Regex-only confidence on public API removal: require codegraph, LSP, ast-grep, or exact diff evidence before HIGH.
• Mass replacing version-looking numbers: examples, ports, years, protocol versions, and dates are not package versions.
• Fixing examples by guess: changed import path is usually flag-only unless the diff explicitly contains a one-to-one rename.
• Treating CHANGELOG as drift: append-only history has intentionally low code coupling.
• Reporting generated/versioned docs as stale: they are snapshots unless explicitly in scope.
• Inventing release notes: changelog bullets must cite commits or changed files.

Validation Gates

Gate	Pass Criteria	Blocking
Scope resolved	Base ref, scope, changed files, and ignored paths are listed	Stop with exact missing base or empty diff
Evidence attached	Every issue has file:line when a line exists, plus the changed code source	Do not report line-specific claims without a read/search hit
Safe-fix boundary	Only version bump and CHANGELOG Unreleased entry are in fixes	Reclassify everything else as flag-only
Version fix exactness	Replacement value comes from manifest; matched line is version-labeled	Do not edit
Changelog restraint	Entry cites commit/file evidence and lands under ## [Unreleased]	Do not edit
Post-edit check	Re-read edited ranges; no unrelated prose changed	Revert the edit and report flag-only
Residual flags	All non-safe issues remain in the report with reason	Completion blocked until listed

Output Contract

Return both machine-readable and human-readable surfaces when possible:

{
  "opCell": "correct",
  "scope": "recent|all|before-pr",
  "base": "origin/main",
  "changedCode": [{"status":"M","path":"src/client.ts"}],
  "relatedDocs": [{"doc":"README.md","line":42,"term":"createClient","referenceType":"symbol"}],
  "fixesApplied": [{"type":"version-mismatch","file":"README.md","line":12,"before":"1.2.0","after":"1.3.0"}],
  "flagged": [{"type":"stale-code-example","severity":"MEDIUM","file":"docs/api.md","line":88,"reasonFlagOnly":"example intent cannot be inferred safely"}]
}

Completion means the safe fixes are applied or explicitly unavailable, and all remaining drift is flagged. A clean report with no edits is valid only after the diff-to-doc mapping and taxonomy pass ran.