codebase-documenter

SKILL.md

Codebase Documenter

Generates comprehensive documentation for codebases - architecture, components, data flow, development guidelines.

When to Use

"explain this codebase"

"document the architecture"

"how does this code work"

"create developer documentation"

"generate codebase overview"

"create onboarding docs"

What It Documents
1. Project Overview

Purpose & vision

Target users

Key features

Technology stack

Project status

2. Architecture

High-level structure

Design patterns

Data flow

Control flow

Diagrams (Mermaid)

Architectural decisions

3. Directory Structure

Organization purpose

Naming conventions

Entry points

Core modules

Configuration locations

4. Key Components

Major modules

Classes & functions

Responsibilities

Interactions

Extension points

Code examples

5. External Integrations

APIs consumed

Databases & schemas

Authentication

Caching

Message queues

File storage

6. Data Models

Database schema

Data structures

Validation

Migrations

Data transformations

7. Development Setup

Prerequisites

Installation steps

Configuration

Running the app

Testing

Debugging

Troubleshooting

8. Development Guidelines

Coding conventions

Testing approach

Error handling

Logging

Security practices

Performance patterns

9. Deployment

Build process

Deployment steps

Environments

Monitoring

Rollback procedures

10. Contributing

Development workflow

Code review guidelines

Testing requirements

Documentation updates

Approach

Explore using Explore agent (thorough)

Map structure with Glob

Read critical files (README, entry points, core modules)

Identify patterns with Grep (imports, exports)

Trace execution paths

Extract knowledge from docs, comments, tests

Synthesize into cohesive documentation

Output

Creates markdown documentation:

docs/
├── README.md              # Overview and quick start
├── ARCHITECTURE.md        # System architecture
├── DEVELOPMENT.md         # Development guide
├── API.md                 # API documentation
├── DEPLOYMENT.md          # Deployment guide
└── CONTRIBUTING.md        # Contribution guidelines

Or single comprehensive doc if preferred.

Depth Levels

Quick: High-level overview (15-30 min)

Standard: Comprehensive coverage (30-60 min)

Deep: Exhaustive with examples (60+ min)

Visual Elements

Mermaid diagrams (architecture, flow charts, sequence)

Code examples from codebase

Specific file:line references

Tables for structured info

Lists for guidelines

Tools Used

Task (Explore agent): Codebase exploration

Glob: Map directory structure

Grep: Find patterns, imports, exports

Read: Analyze key files

Write: Create documentation

Bash: Extract metadata (git log, versions)

Success Criteria

Complete coverage of all areas

Clear explanations with examples

Visual diagrams for complex concepts

Specific file:line references

Actionable setup/development instructions

New developer can onboard using only docs

Organized, navigable structure

Accurate and current information

Integration

code-auditor: Includes quality/security context

project-bootstrapper: Documents bootstrap decisions

visual-html-creator: Create visual diagrams