documenting-rust-code
Rust documentation practices for HASH codebase. Use when writing doc comments, documenting functions/types/traits/modules, creating error sections, using intra-doc links, or following rustdoc conventions.
When & Why to Use This Skill
This Claude skill provides comprehensive guidance and automation for documenting Rust code according to rustdoc conventions and HASH repository standards. It helps developers generate high-quality doc comments, manage intra-doc links, and structure error sections to ensure clear, professional, and navigable API documentation.
Use Cases
- Standardizing doc comments: Automatically generate or refine documentation for Rust functions, structs, and traits using industry-standard patterns like those found in 'serde' or 'jiff'.
- Error & Panic Documentation: Creating structured '# Errors' and '# Panics' sections for fallible functions to improve API safety and developer clarity.
- Intra-doc Link Management: Implementing and verifying intra-doc links to ensure seamless navigation between related types, modules, and standard library components.
- Module-Level Documentation: Drafting comprehensive module-level docs (using //!) that include usage examples and lists of core types for better project onboarding.
- Codebase Consistency: Enforcing HASH-specific documentation styles across large Rust projects to maintain a unified and professional developer experience.
| name | documenting-rust-code |
|---|---|
| description | Rust documentation practices for HASH codebase. Use when writing doc comments, documenting functions/types/traits/modules, creating error sections, using intra-doc links, or following rustdoc conventions. |
| license | AGPL-3.0 |
| type | domain |
| enforcement | suggest |
| priority | high |
Rust Documentation Practices
Comprehensive guidance on documenting Rust code in the HASH repository following rustdoc conventions.
Core Principles
Follow high-quality standards like time, jiff, and serde:
✅ DO:
- Begin every doc comment with single-line summary
- Use intra-doc links for all type references
- Document all error conditions with
# Errors - Include practical examples for public APIs
- Link standard library types: [
Vec], [HashMap], etc. - Use inline parameter descriptions for simple functions (0-2 params)
- Describe return values in main text, not separate sections
❌ DON'T:
- Document standard trait implementations (
Debug,Display,From) - Add separate
# Returnssections (inline instead) - Mention variable types already in signatures
- Use comments on same line as code
- Skip error documentation for fallible functions
Quick Reference
Basic Doc Comment
/// Retrieves an entity by its UUID.
///
/// Loads the entity from the store and verifies access permissions.
/// Returns the [`Entity`] if found and accessible.
///
/// # Errors
///
/// - [`NotFound`] if the entity doesn't exist
/// - [`AuthorizationError`] if access is denied
///
/// [`NotFound`]: EntityError::NotFound
/// [`AuthorizationError`]: EntityError::Authorization
pub fn get_entity(&self, id: EntityId) -> Result<Entity, Report<EntityError>> {
Intra-Doc Links
/// Updates the [`User`] using [`UserUpdateStrategy`].
///
/// See [`validation::user`] for validation rules.
///
/// [`validation::user`]: crate::validation::user
Documentation Patterns
Simple Functions (0-2 params)
Describe parameters inline:
/// Processes the `input` elements and returns filtered results.
///
/// Takes a collection of `input` elements, applies the `filter_fn`,
/// and returns a [`Vec`] containing only matching elements.
Complex Functions (3+ params)
Use explicit # Arguments section:
/// Merges multiple data sources with transformation rules.
///
/// # Arguments
///
/// * `sources` - Collection of data sources to merge
/// * `rules` - Transformation rules to apply
/// * `options` - Configuration controlling merge behavior
/// * `callback` - Optional function for each merged item
Error Documentation
/// # Errors
///
/// - [`WebAlreadyExists`] if web ID is taken
/// - [`AuthorizationError`] if permission denied
///
/// [`WebAlreadyExists`]: WebError::WebAlreadyExists
/// [`AuthorizationError`]: WebError::Authorization
Module Documentation
//! Entity management functionality.
//!
//! Main types:
//! - [`Entity`] - Core entity type
//! - [`EntityStore`] - Storage trait
//!
//! # Examples
//!
//! ```
//! use hash_graph::entity::Entity;
//! ```
Examples with Error Handling
/// # Examples
///
/// ```rust
/// let entities = get_entities_by_type(type_id)?;
/// assert_eq!(entities.len(), 2);
/// # Ok::<(), Box<dyn core::error::Error>>(())
/// ```
Verification
cargo doc --no-deps --all-features
References
- references/function-documentation.md: Functions and methods documentation patterns
- references/type-documentation.md: Types, structs, enums, and traits documentation
- references/error-documentation.md: Error conditions and panics documentation
- references/examples-and-links.md: Examples and intra-doc links usage