eslint-doc-generator

Automatic documentation generator for ESLint plugins and rules.

Generates the following documentation based on ESLint and top ESLint plugin conventions:

• README.md rules table
• Rule doc titles and config/fixable/etc. notices

Also performs some basic section consistency checks on rule docs:

• Contains an ## Options / ## Config section and mentions each named option (for rules with options)

Used by popular ESLint plugins like:

• eslint-plugin-ava
• eslint-plugin-ember
• eslint-plugin-eslint-plugin
• eslint-plugin-jsx-a11y
• eslint-plugin-qunit
• eslint-plugin-react
• eslint-plugin-unicorn

Motivation

• Standardize documentation across thousands of ESLint plugins and rules
• Improve the discoverability of key rule information and thus rule usability
• Streamline the process of adding new rules by automating part of the documentation
• Eliminate the custom documentation scripts and tests previously built and maintained by many ESLint plugins

Setup

Install it:

npm i --save-dev eslint-doc-generator

Add scripts to package.json:

• Both a lint script to ensure everything is up-to-date in CI and an update script for contributors to run locally
• Add any config options in the update:eslint-docs script only
• Alternative scripts may be needed with build tools or prettier

{
  "scripts": {
    "lint": "npm-run-all \"lint:*\"",
    "lint:docs": "markdownlint \"**/*.md\"",
    "lint:eslint-docs": "npm-run-all \"update:eslint-docs -- --check\"",
    "lint:js": "eslint .",
    "update:eslint-docs": "eslint-doc-generator"
  }
}

Delete any old rules list from your README.md. A new one will be automatically added to your ## Rules section (along with the following marker comments if they don't already exist):

<!-- begin auto-generated rules list -->
<!-- end auto-generated rules list -->

Delete any old recommended/fixable/etc. notices from your rule docs. A new title and notices will be automatically added to the top of each rule doc (along with a marker comment if it doesn't exist yet).

<!-- end auto-generated rule header -->

And be sure to enable the recommended rules from eslint-plugin-eslint-plugin as well as eslint-plugin/require-meta-docs-description to ensure your rules have consistent descriptions for use in the generated docs.

Usage

Run the script from package.json to start out or any time you add a rule or update rule metadata in your plugin:

npm run update:eslint-docs

Example

Generated content in a rule doc (everything above the marker comment) (intentionally showing all possible notices):

# Disallow using foo (`test/no-foo`)

✅ This rule is enabled in the `recommended` config.

💼 This rule is enabled in the following configs: ✅ `recommended`, 🎨 `stylistic`.

🎨<sup>⚠️</sup> This rule _warns_ in the `stylistic` config.

🎨<sup>🚫</sup> This rule is _disabled_ in the `stylistic` config.

🔧 This rule is automatically fixable by the [`--fix` CLI option](https://eslint.org/docs/user-guide/command-line-interface#--fix).

💡 This rule is manually fixable by [editor suggestions](https://eslint.org/docs/developer-guide/working-with-rules#providing-suggestions).

🔧💡 This rule is automatically fixable by the [`--fix` CLI option](https://eslint.org/docs/latest/user-guide/command-line-interface#--fix) and manually fixable by [editor suggestions](https://eslint.org/docs/developer-guide/working-with-rules#providing-suggestions).

💭 This rule requires type information.

❗ This rule identifies problems that could cause errors or unexpected behavior.

📖 This rule identifies potential improvements.

📏 This rule focuses on code formatting.

❌ This rule is deprecated. It was replaced by [prefer-bar](prefer-bar.md).

<!-- end auto-generated rule header -->

Description.

## Examples

Examples.

...

Generated rules table in README.md (everything between the marker comments) (intentionally showing all possible columns):

# eslint-plugin-test

## Rules

<!-- begin auto-generated rules list -->

💼 Configurations enabled in.\
✅ Enabled in the `recommended` configuration.\
✅<sup>⚠️</sup> Warns in the `recommended` configuration.\
✅<sup>🚫</sup> Disabled in the `recommended` configuration.\
🎨 Enabled in the `stylistic` configuration.\
🔧 Automatically fixable by the [`--fix` CLI option](https://eslint.org/docs/user-guide/command-line-interface#--fix).\
💡 Manually fixable by [editor suggestions](https://eslint.org/docs/developer-guide/working-with-rules#providing-suggestions).\
💭 Requires type information.\
🗂️ The type of rule.\
❗ Identifies problems that could cause errors or unexpected behavior.\
📖 Identifies potential improvements.\
📏 Focuses on code formatting.\
❌ Deprecated.

| Name                                     | Description        | 💼    | 🔧  | 💡  | 💭  | 🗂️  | ❌  |
| :--------------------------------------- | :----------------- | :---- | :-- | :-- | :-- | :-- | :-- |
| [no-foo](docs/rules/no-foo.md)           | disallow using foo | ✅    | 🔧  |     |     | ❗  |     |
| [prefer-bar](docs/rules/prefer-bar.md)   | enforce using bar  | ✅ 🎨 |     | 💡  | 💭  | 📖  |     |
| [require-baz](docs/rules/require-baz.md) | require using baz  |       | 🔧  |     |     | 📏  | ❌  |

<!-- end auto-generated rules list -->

...

The table will hide columns that don't apply to any rules, and the legend will include only the symbols that are used in the table.

Badge

While config emojis are recommended (see --config-emoji), you can alternatively define badges for configs at the bottom of your README.md.

Here's a badge for a custom fun config that displays in blue:

[fun]: https://img.shields.io/badge/-fun-blue.svg

And how it looks:

Configuration options

All options are optional.

--rule-doc-title-format

Where no-foo is the rule name, Disallow use of foo is the rule description, and eslint-plugin-test is the plugin name.

Compatibility

Build tools

If you have a build step for your code like Babel or TypeScript, you may need to adjust your scripts to run your build before this tool:

{
  "build": "tsc",
  "update:eslint-docs": "npm run build && eslint-doc-generator"
}

markdownlint

The output of this tool should be compatible with markdownlint which you might use to lint your markdown. However, if any of your ESLint configs disable your rules or set them to warn, you'll need to exempt some elements used for emoji superscripts from no-inline-html:

{
  "no-inline-html": { "allowed_elements": ["br", "sup"] }
}

prettier

If you use prettier to format your markdown, you may need to adjust your scripts to run prettier formatting after running this tool:

{
  "format": "prettier --write .",
  "lint:eslint-docs": "npm run update:eslint-docs && git diff --exit-code",
  "update:eslint-docs": "eslint-doc-generator && npm run format"
}

Related

• eslint-plugin-eslint-plugin - Linter for ESLint plugins (related list)
• generator-eslint - Generates initial ESLint plugin and rule files but without the sophisticated documentation provided by eslint-doc-generator