Update Documentation
Guide for keeping project documentation in sync after code changes.
Step 1: Identify What Changed
If the user told you specifically what changed, use that information. If not, figure it out by looking at the git history.
Check for staged/unstaged changes first:
bash
git diff --name-only git diff --staged --name-only
If there are no local changes, look at the last few commits instead:
bash
git log --name-only --oneline -5
Review the diffs to understand what changed semantically (new command, new flag, version bump, architecture change, etc.).
Step 2: Update Documentation
Use the table below to determine which documentation files need updating based on the type of change.
Documentation Map
| Change | Files to Update |
|---|---|
| New CLI command | README.md (Quick Reference table, Usage examples if needed), AGENTS.md (available commands list in Architecture > Commands), skills/azure-pipelines-tool/SKILL.md (Command Reference table, Workflows section if applicable, Key Flags table if the command has flags) |
| New/changed flag on existing command | README.md (Key Flags table), skills/azure-pipelines-tool/SKILL.md (Key Flags table, usage examples) |
| Version bump | src/AzurePipelinesTool/AzurePipelinesTool.csproj (MajorVersion/MinorVersion/PatchVersion), .claude-plugin/plugin.json (version field), .claude-plugin/marketplace.json (metadata.version and plugins[0].version) — all three must match |
| New service/layer in architecture | AGENTS.md (Key layers section) |
| New NuGet dependency | AGENTS.md only if it introduces a new architectural concept |
| Changed authentication or config | AGENTS.md (Authentication/Configuration sections), README.md (Requirements section), skills/azure-pipelines-tool/SKILL.md (Requirements section) |
| Changed error handling patterns | AGENTS.md (Error handling section) |
| Changed test framework or conventions | AGENTS.md (Tests section), .github/instructions/csharp.instructions.md (Tests section if style changed) |
| Changed build/publish process | docs/development/README.md, AGENTS.md (Build and Test Commands section) |
| Changed code style conventions | .github/instructions/csharp.instructions.md, AGENTS.md (Code Style section) |
| New workflow or CI change | docs/development/README.md (if publishing-related) |
File Purposes
These are all the documentation files in the project and what each one is responsible for:
- •
README.md— User-facing: installation, quick reference command table, usage examples with workflows, key flags table, agent skill installation instructions. - •
AGENTS.md— Developer/agent-facing: project overview, build/test commands, architecture description, error handling patterns, pipeline resolution, configuration, versioning rules, test conventions, code style summary. - •
CLAUDE.md— Entry point for Claude; references AGENTS.md. Rarely needs changes. - •
skills/azure-pipelines-tool/SKILL.md— Agent skill: how to invokeazpcommands viadnx, workflows, key flags, command reference. This file is also embedded as a resource in the built tool. - •
.claude-plugin/plugin.json— Plugin metadata: name, description, version. Version must match csproj. - •
.claude-plugin/marketplace.json— Marketplace metadata: marketplace name, version, plugin list. Version must match csproj. - •
docs/development/README.md— Development guide: prerequisites, build/test, publishing setup, version management, release procedures. - •
.github/instructions/csharp.instructions.md— C# coding style guidelines applied to**/*.csfiles. - •
src/AzurePipelinesTool/AzurePipelinesTool.csproj— Source of truth for version numbers (MajorVersion, MinorVersion, PatchVersion).
Step 3: Verify Consistency
After making updates, check that:
- •Command lists match: The command list in
README.md,AGENTS.md,skills/azure-pipelines-tool/SKILL.md, andProgram.csshould all list the same user-facing commands. - •Versions are in sync: The version in
AzurePipelinesTool.csproj,.claude-plugin/plugin.json, and.claude-plugin/marketplace.jsonmust all match. - •Key flags are consistent: The flags table in
README.mdandskills/azure-pipelines-tool/SKILL.mdshould list the same flags.