
We use the [jsdoc](https://github.com/jsdoc/jsdoc) tool to create API documentation.  
  
What does the documentation consist of:
* Static documentation - here is a tutorial and description of classes
* Description of API methods - located in the API implementation files. 
* Snapshots - here is the generated documentation for each version.
* index.html - this is the entry point for https://musescore.github.io 
* Tools for generation - here you will find a documentation extractor for API methods, a documentation generator (jsdoc) and automation scripts.
* Generation and update process - see description below  

### Static documentation

location: [docs/apidocs_static](https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/tree/master/docs/apidocs_static)  

This is where static documentation is stored in the jsdoc format.
* index.md - home page of documentation
* Tutorials - see [jsdoc documentation about tutorials](https://jsdoc.app/about-tutorials). 


### Description of API  

Descriptions of API methods are located in `.cpp,.h` files where the implementation of the methods is located.   
The description is in `jsdoc` format (see [https://jsdoc.app](https://jsdoc.app)), but the first line should indicate that this is APIDOC documentation.  

#### Namesapces 
Like `api.log.`, `api.interactive.`...

```
/** APIDOC
 * Write messages to log and console
 * @namespace log
 */
LogApi::LogApi(api::IApiEngine* e)
    : ApiObject(e)
{
}
```
There must be the `@namespace` tag with the namespace name   

#### Classes (types)

```
/** APIDOC
 * Class representing a lyric.
 * @class Lyric
 * @hideconstructor
*/
class Lyric : public EngravingItem
{
    ...
```

There must be the `@class` tag with the class name   
If the type cannot be created in js using the new operator,   
then we need to add the `@hideconstructor` tag

#### Methods

```
/** APIDOC
 * Show information message
 * @method
 * @param {String} title Title
 * @param {String} text Message
 */
 void InteractiveApi::info(const QString& contentTitle, const QString& text)
{
 ```
There must be the `@method` tag 

#### Properties

```
/** APIDOC @property {number} - count of lyrics */
int Score::lyricCount() const
```
There must be the `@property` tag, the description should be in one line

#### Enums

```
    /** APIDOC
     * Question buttons
     * @enum
     */
    enum Button {
        ...
    };    
```
There must be the `@enum` tag

   
When generating documentation, we first extract this documentation from the `cpp` files.   
   
### Snapshots  

location: [snapshots](https://github.com/musescore/musescore.github.io/tree/main/snapshots) 

To be able to view the documentation for each version, we generate snapshots of the documentation for each version and place them in the appropriate folder, for example: snapshots/4.5, snapshots/4.6

### index.html 

location: [index.html](https://github.com/musescore/musescore.github.io/blob/main/index.html) - this is the entry point for https://musescore.github.io  

After generating a snapshot for a new version, we need to add a link to it in this `index.html`, like others. 

### Tools for generation   
  
location: [tools/jsdoc ](https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/tree/master/tools/jsdoc)  

List of tools: 
* template - template for `jsdoc`
* jsdoc_extractor.js - this is a documentation extractor from `cpp` files. It extracts documentation and stores it in temporary, fake `js` files so that `jsdoc` can process them.  
* conf.json - file of configuration for `jsdoc` 
* jsdoc_install.sh - script of `jsdoc` install 
* jsdoc_run.sh - script for executing the generation process  
   
This tool requires [node.js](https://nodejs.org) and npm to be installed to work. To run scripts on Windows, use GitBash.  

The generated documentation is placed in a temporary dir `gen_apidoc`.

### Generation and update process

When developing a new version of an application, adding new APIs or changing current ones, or for those that don't have documentation, we need to write documentation, just like any other change in the repository.   
   
After releasing a new version of the application, we need to generate a snapshot of the API documentation for it.  

Process: 
1. Install [node.js](https://nodejs.org) and npm 
2. Run `bash ./tools/jsdoc/jsdoc_install.sh`  
3. Run `bash ./tools/jsdoc/jsdoc_run.sh`  
4. Look the result, open it in browser index.html from `./tools/jsdoc/gen_apidoc/`  
5. Clone [musescore.github.io](https://github.com/musescore/musescore.github.io)
5. Copy dir `./tools/jsdoc/gen_apidoc/` to `musescore.github.io/snapshots/x.x` 
6. Add a link to the new version in `musescore.github.io/index.html`