Docdepend

Docdepend is a term used to describe concepts and, in practice, tools that manage dependencies between software documentation and source code. It aims to keep documentation in sync with code by modeling how documentation artifacts relate to code elements such as modules, APIs, and configuration options.

In its typical model, docdepend represents documents and code elements as nodes in a directed graph. Edges express relationships such as describes, references, or requires. The graph is generated by parsing documentation sources and code annotations, and by analyzing references within the docs themselves. The resulting model supports queries to identify which documents would be affected by a code change or which code areas lack sufficient documentation.

Common features include automatic graph generation, change impact analysis, and integration with continuous integration pipelines. Output formats often include visualizations via Graphviz or similar viewers, as well as machine-readable exports in JSON or YAML. Some implementations integrate with documentation generators like Sphinx or MkDocs to enforce consistency and to flag drift between code and its documentation. Support for multiple languages and versioned documentation is also observed in various approaches.

Use cases for docdepend include large software projects with extensive APIs, teams that maintain documentation separately from code, and release processes that require documentation updates to accompany code changes. By surfacing dependencies between documentation and code, docdepend helps reduce drift, improve traceability, and streamline documentation maintenance.

Note: docdepend is a generic concept applied across different tools and practices, and specific implementations may vary in scope, features, and licensing.