Refdoc

Refdoc is a term used in software engineering to refer to reference documentation or to a family of tools that generate reference documentation from source code, annotations, or metadata. The primary purpose of refdoc is to provide precise, searchable descriptions of software interfaces—functions, classes, APIs, data structures—so developers can understand how to use them without consulting the original source code.

In practice, a refdoc pipeline typically includes parsing source or annotations, aggregating descriptions, and resolving cross references between modules. It may support multiple languages and doc formats, with common outputs including HTML, Markdown, or PDF, as well as structured formats like JSON or YAML for API schemas.

Common inputs include inline comments or docstrings, code annotations, or separate documentation sources. Tools may integrate with build systems and CI/CD pipelines to regenerate docs on every release. Features often include search, indexing, versioning, localization, and the ability to link to external references such as standards or external libraries.

Despite its name, refdoc is not a single standardized tool; rather, it is a generic concept. Some projects implement bespoke refdoc pipelines, while others reuse established documentation generators such as Javadoc, Doxygen, Sphinx, or OpenAPI-based tools. The design choice depends on language, ecosystem, and documentation goals.

Historically, reference documentation has evolved from manual API notes to automated doc generation, emphasizing consistency and accuracy. Refdoc tooling is now often integrated into developer portals and ecosystem docs sites to provide up-to-date interfaces.