smart-docs_skill

Overview

This skill generates comprehensive, professional documentation for whole codebases using an AI-driven analysis workflow. It inspects project structure, detects architecture patterns, and produces C4-aligned diagrams and polished Markdown documentation. Designed to work across all languages, it is optimized for Rust projects and uses Claude Code capabilities without external API calls.

How this skill works

The skill performs progressive analysis: it discovers the project, reads key files, and incrementally analyzes modules and dependencies. It detects architectural patterns, maps containers and components, and generates Mermaid diagrams for context, container, component, sequence, and class views. Finally, it writes a structured docs/ tree with Project Overview, Architecture Overview, Workflow Overview, and Deep Dive component pages.

When to use it

• Document an unfamiliar or legacy codebase for onboarding
• Create C4 model diagrams and technical architecture overviews
• Generate developer guides, API surface docs, and workflow sequences
• Produce Markdown docs and Mermaid visuals for presentations
• Maintain and version documentation alongside code

Best practices

• Start with a short discovery run to capture entry points and key files before deep analysis
• Process large codebases in batches (10–20 files) and iterate to avoid context limits
• Prioritize core modules and generate overview docs first, then deep dives
• Validate Mermaid syntax and cross-links after generation
• Customize templates for project-specific conventions and repeat periodically to keep docs current

Example use cases

• Rust CLI: scan Cargo.toml and src/, document command structure, ownership, and async patterns
• Web API: identify routes/models, produce endpoint docs with sequence diagrams and example requests
• Monolith to microservices assessment: map internal modules, extract container diagrams, and recommend decomposition areas
• Onboarding pack: generate a condensed Project Overview, key workflows, and component deep dives for new engineers
• Technical presentation: produce C4Context and Container diagrams with concise design decisions and trade-offs