OpenParable
Skip to content
← Back to skills

Codebase Documenter

Documents
codebase-documenter

Codebase Documenter is an Agent Skill for documents published in the mhattingpete/claude-skills-marketplace repository on GitHub: a SKILL.md instruction file an AI agent can load to do this task.

Generates comprehensive documentation explaining how a codebase works, including architecture, key components, data flow, and development guidelines. Use when user wants to understand unfamiliar code, create onboarding docs, document architecture, or explain how the system works.

View on GitHub ↗
QUICK START

How to use this skill

Bring this guide into your coding agent with a prompt tailored to the tool you use.

  1. Open your project in Codex.
  2. Copy and paste the prompt below.
  3. Review files and risks before approving any action.
Prompt to paste
Inspect the Agent Skill at https://github.com/mhattingpete/claude-skills-marketplace/blob/HEAD/productivity-skills-plugin/skills/codebase-documenter/SKILL.md and all supporting files. Report provenance, permissions, scripts, dependencies, and security risks. Propose an exact installation into .agents/skills/codebase-documenter, but wait for my approval before writing files or running scripts.

Copying this prompt does not install or run the skill. Review third-party files before use.

Codebase Documenter

Generates comprehensive documentation for codebases - architecture, components, data flow, development guidelines.

When to Use

  • "explain this codebase"
  • "document the architecture"
  • "how does this code work"
  • "create developer documentation"
  • "generate codebase overview"
  • "create onboarding docs"

What It Documents

1. Project Overview

  • Purpose & vision
  • Target users
  • Key features
  • Technology stack
  • Project status

2. Architecture

  • High-level structure
  • Design patterns
  • Data flow
  • Control flow
  • Diagrams (Mermaid)
  • Architectural decisions

3. Directory Structure

  • Organization purpose
  • Naming conventions
  • Entry points
  • Core modules
  • Configuration locations

4. Key Components

  • Major modules
  • Classes & functions
  • Responsibilities
  • Interactions
  • Extension points
  • Code examples

5. External Integrations

  • APIs consumed
  • Databases & schemas
  • Authentication
  • Caching
  • Message queues
  • File storage

6. Data Models

  • Database schema
  • Data structures
  • Validation
  • Migrations
  • Data transformations

7. Development Setup

  • Prerequisites
  • Installation steps
  • Configuration
  • Running the app
  • Testing
  • Debugging
  • Troubleshooting

8. Development Guidelines

  • Coding conventions
  • Testing approach
  • Error handling
  • Logging
  • Security practices
  • Performance patterns

9. Deployment

  • Build process
  • Deployment steps
  • Environments
  • Monitoring
  • Rollback procedures

10. Contributing

  • Development workflow
  • Code review guidelines
  • Testing requirements
  • Documentation updates

Approach

  1. Explore using Explore agent (thorough)
  2. Map structure with Glob
  3. Read critical files (README, entry points, core modules)
  4. Identify patterns with Grep (imports, exports)
  5. Trace execution paths
  6. Extract knowledge from docs, comments, tests
  7. Synthesize into cohesive documentation

Output

Creates markdown documentation:

docs/
├── README.md              # Overview and quick start
├── ARCHITECTURE.md        # System architecture
├── DEVELOPMENT.md         # Development guide
├── API.md                 # API documentation
├── DEPLOYMENT.md          # Deployment guide
└── CONTRIBUTING.md        # Contribution guidelines

Or single comprehensive doc if preferred.

Depth Levels

  • Quick: High-level overview (15-30 min)
  • Standard: Comprehensive coverage (30-60 min)
  • Deep: Exhaustive with examples (60+ min)

Visual Elements

  • Mermaid diagrams (architecture, flow charts, sequence)
  • Code examples from codebase
  • Specific file:line references
  • Tables for structured info
  • Lists for guidelines

Tools Used

  • Task (Explore agent): Codebase exploration
  • Glob: Map directory structure
  • Grep: Find patterns, imports, exports
  • Read: Analyze key files
  • Write: Create documentation
  • Bash: Extract metadata (git log, versions)

Success Criteria

  • Complete coverage of all areas
  • Clear explanations with examples
  • Visual diagrams for complex concepts
  • Specific file:line references
  • Actionable setup/development instructions
  • New developer can onboard using only docs
  • Organized, navigable structure
  • Accurate and current information

Integration

  • code-auditor: Includes quality/security context
  • project-bootstrapper: Documents bootstrap decisions
  • visual-html-creator: Create visual diagrams