- name
- elixir-docs-review
- description
- Reviews Elixir documentation for completeness, quality, and ExDoc best practices. Use when auditing @moduledoc, @doc, @spec coverage, doctest correctness, and cross-reference usage in .ex files.
Elixir Documentation Review
Quick Reference
| Issue Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| @moduledoc, @doc quality, anti-patterns | references/doc-quality.md |
| @spec, @type, @typedoc coverage | references/spec-coverage.md |
Review Checklist
Module Documentation
- [ ] All public modules have @moduledoc
- [ ] First-line summary is concise (one line, used by tools as summary)
- [ ] @moduledoc includes ## Examples where appropriate
- [ ] @moduledoc false only on internal/implementation modules
Function Documentation
- [ ] All public functions have @doc
- [ ] All public functions have @spec
- [ ] @doc describes return values clearly
- [ ] Multi-clause functions documented before first clause
- [ ] Function head declared when arg names need clarification
Doctests
- [ ] Doctests present for pure, deterministic functions
- [ ] No doctests for side-effectful operations (DB, HTTP, etc.)
- [ ] Doctests actually run (module included in test file)
Cross-References
- [ ] Module references use backtick auto-linking (
MyModule) - [ ] Function refs use proper arity format (
function/2) - [ ] Type refs use t: prefix (
t:typename/0) - [ ] No plain-text references where auto-links are possible
Metadata
- [ ] @since annotations on new public API additions
- [ ] @deprecated with migration guidance where appropriate
Valid Patterns (Do NOT Flag)
- @doc false on callback implementations - Documented at behaviour level
- @doc false on protocol implementations - Protocol docs cover the intent
- Missing @spec on private functions - @spec optional for internals
- Short @moduledoc without ## Examples on simple utility modules - Not every module needs examples
- Using @impl true without separate @doc - Inherits documentation from behaviour
Context-Sensitive Rules
| Issue | Flag ONLY IF |
|---|---|
| Missing @moduledoc | Module is public AND not a protocol impl |
| Missing @spec | Function is public AND exported |
| Missing doctests | Function is pure AND deterministic |
| Generic @doc | Doc restates function name without adding value |
Gates (sequenced — do not skip)
Work in order. Do not draft or ship a finding until the prior step passes.
- Scope lock — Pass when: You listed the exact
.ex/.exsfile paths (orModulenames) under review; no vague “the project” scope. - Full-context read — Pass when: For each candidate issue, you read the full surrounding definition (all clauses for multi-clause functions; full
@moduledocblock for module-level claims), not only a diff hunk or search snippet. - Evidence bundle — Pass when: Every draft finding uses the
[FILE:LINE] ISSUE_TITLEheader (line range allowed) and includes a verbatim quote or pointer to the@doc/@spec/ doctest text in question.Module.function/aritymay appear as supporting context but does not replace the[FILE:LINE]anchor. For “doctest fails” claims, Pass when: you citemix testoutput for the relevant file or line, or the exact error string. - Protocol before report — Pass when: You loaded and followed review-verification-protocol (its Pre-Report checklist) before finalizing the issue list—not after.
When to Load References
- Reviewing @moduledoc or @doc quality, seeing anti-patterns -> doc-quality.md
- Reviewing @spec, @type, or @typedoc coverage -> spec-coverage.md