Documentation Management
Maintain clarity and coherence across the repository's documentation.
Documentation Architecture
SAPPHIRE Structure
README.md # Landing page: what is this, quick start
│
├── /doc # Comprehensive documentation
│ ├── index.md # Documentation home (MkDocs)
│ ├── user_guide.md # End-user workflows
│ ├── configuration.md # Configuration reference
│ ├── deployment.md # Deployment procedures
│ ├── development.md # Developer setup & contribution
│ ├── workflows.md # Pipeline workflow documentation
│ ├── dashboard.md # Dashboard features & usage
│ ├── bulletin_template_tags.md # Bulletin templating
│ │
│ ├── /luigi_daemon # Luigi daemon operations
│ ├── /maintenance # System maintenance docs
│ ├── /monitoring # System monitoring docs
│ ├── /modules # Module-specific docs (planned)
│ │
│ └── /plans # Planning and issue tracking
│ ├── module_issues.md # Issue index
│ ├── issues/ # Detailed issue plans (gi_*.md)
│ ├── documentation_improvement_plan.md
│ └── *.md # Architecture/planning docs
│
└── /apps/<module>/ # Module-level READMEs
└── README.md # Quick overview, links to /doc/modules/
Key Principles
- •Single source of truth — Each topic in one place, others link to it
- •Progressive disclosure — README → doc/index → specific guides → module READMEs
- •Hybrid module docs — Brief README in module, details in doc/modules/
- •Flat by default — Only nest when clearly necessary (operations, modules)
Task 1: Documentation Audit
1.1 Inventory existing docs
| File | Location | Audience | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| README.md | root | all | current? |
| user_guide.md | /doc | users | current? |
| development.md | /doc | developers | current? |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
1.2 Check against improvement plan
Read doc/plans/documentation_improvement_plan.md for:
- •Completed items (✅)
- •In-progress items
- •Pending priorities
1.3 Identify issues
- •Orphaned docs — Files not linked from anywhere
- •Gaps — Missing docs for existing functionality
- •Redundancies — Same info in multiple places
- •Stale content — Docs that don't match current code
- •Misplaced docs — Files in wrong location
Task 2: Documentation Planning
2.1 Use existing roadmap
The doc/plans/documentation_improvement_plan.md contains:
- •7 phases of documentation work
- •Priority-ordered tasks
- •Status tracking
2.2 For new documentation needs
Use the issue-planning skill to:
- •Analyze what's needed
- •Plan the implementation
- •Create a well-structured issue or add to improvement plan
Task 3: Writing & Updating Docs
3.1 Before writing, determine:
- •Audience: end-user, developer, operator?
- •Location: doc/ or module README?
- •Links: What should link here? What should this link to?
3.2 Module README template
# Module Name Brief description (1-2 sentences). ## Purpose Why this module exists. ## Quick Start ```bash ieasyhydroforecast_env_file_path=/path/to/.env python script.py
Inputs
- •
input_file.csv— description
Outputs
- •
output_file.csv— description
Full Documentation
### 3.3 Detailed doc template (for doc/modules/) ```markdown # Module Name ## Overview What this module does and who it's for. ## Environment Variables | Variable | Description | Required | |----------|-------------|----------| | `VAR_NAME` | What it does | Yes/No | ## Data Formats ### Input - Format specification ### Output - Format specification ## Architecture [Mermaid diagram if complex] ## Troubleshooting Common issues and solutions.
3.4 Writing checklist
- • Audience is defined
- • Purpose clear in first paragraph
- • Examples included
- • Links to related docs added
- • Placed in correct location
- • Linked from parent doc
- • No redundancy with existing docs
Task 4: Maintenance Routines
On code changes
- • Does this change affect any documentation?
- • Update relevant docs in same PR/commit
- • If larger doc update needed, create separate issue
Periodic review
- • Check documentation_improvement_plan.md for pending items
- • Verify quick start instructions still work
- • Test links aren't broken
Quick Commands
Audit documentation: "Audit the documentation. Start by reading doc/plans/documentation_improvement_plan.md for context, then inventory current docs and identify gaps."
Plan documentation improvements: "Review the documentation improvement plan and help me prioritize next steps."
Write new module documentation: "Help me write documentation for the [module] module. Create both a brief README and detailed doc/modules/ entry."
Check for doc impact: "I'm changing [describe change]. What documentation might need updating?"
Related Skills
- •issue-planning: For creating documentation improvement issues
- •software-architecture: For understanding module structure when documenting