Elixir Documentation Review
Quick Reference
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 |
When to Load References
- Reviewing @moduledoc or @doc quality, seeing anti-patterns -> doc-quality.md
- Reviewing @spec, @type, or @typedoc coverage -> spec-coverage.md
Before Submitting Findings
Load and follow review-verification-protocol before reporting any issue.
