doclet

A doclet is a small, self-contained piece of documentation, often associated with source code. It typically refers to a specific element within a larger documentation system, such as a function, class, or variable. Doclets are designed to provide concise and relevant information about their associated code element, aiding developers in understanding and using it.

The term "doclet" is most commonly encountered in the context of Java documentation generation. The Javadoc tool, a standard for creating API documentation for Java programs, uses doclets to process and format source code comments. These comments, when written in a specific format (often using tags like @param, @return, and @see), are extracted by the doclet and transformed into HTML or other output formats.

Beyond Java, the concept of doclets can be applied to other programming languages and documentation tools. The core idea remains the same: a discrete unit of documentation linked to a specific code artifact. Effective doclets are clear, accurate, and adhere to established documentation conventions. They contribute significantly to the maintainability and usability of software projects by providing readily accessible explanations of code components.