How to use Specador Documentation Generator in DVT IDE for VS Code

Overview

Using Specador from DVT IDE streamlines documentation creation and maintenance. Not only can you generate documentation straight from the IDE, but you also get an instant preview of how it looks like for various project elements.

Details

Specador, the HTML and PDF documentation generator, integrates with the DVT IDE for VS Code. Not only can you generate documentation straight from the IDE, but you also get an instant preview of how the generated documentation looks for various project elements.

Generating Documentation

From the command palette, run Specador: Generate Documentation and select Default Preferences.

In the Common tab of the dialog, you can customize the documentation:

  • title
  • author
  • copyright notice
  • output format

By default, the documentation is generated in the specador_docs directory, located within the currently open folder.

In the Advanced tab, you can:

  • Specify a custom table of contents
  • Link extra documentation content in RST or Markdown format
  • Configure how comments are collected from source code
  • Define filters, for example, to skip third-party APIs

Select the libraries or packages you want to export in the API Selection tab.

And finally, specify what types of diagrams should be included in the documentation.

Specador Preferences XML File

All these customizations are serialized in .dvt/specador_preferences.xml. The next time you start, you can simply pick this file. Alternatively, browse for a preferences XML anywhere on disk.

Previewing Documentation

To quickly get a preview of how the generated documentation looks like for the class, module, or entity you are currently working on, simply run Specador: Show HTML Preview. The preview is shown in a dedicated view and gets automatically updated for new changes. For example, let's update some port description in a comment and insert a WaveDrom Timing Diagram.

You can set different preferences for the preview. For example, let's see how it looks with a block diagram included.

Note: By using DVT IDE and Specador, you can simplify and speed up the process of creating and maintaining documentation for your project.