6f9df7983d
* clearer heading rules * docs: clarify documentation style guide rules * Update docs/styleguide.md Co-authored-by: Mark Lee <malept@users.noreply.github.com> * fixes Co-authored-by: Mark Lee <malept@users.noreply.github.com>
259 lines
6.7 KiB
Markdown
259 lines
6.7 KiB
Markdown
# Electron Documentation Style Guide
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These are the guidelines for writing Electron documentation.
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## Headings
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* Each page must have a single `#`-level title at the top.
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* Chapters in the same page must have `##`-level headings.
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* Sub-chapters need to increase the number of `#` in the heading according to
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their nesting depth.
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* The page's title must follow [APA title case][title-case].
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* All chapters must follow [APA sentence case][sentence-case].
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Using `Quick Start` as example:
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```markdown
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# Quick Start
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...
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## Main process
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...
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## Renderer process
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...
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## Run your app
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...
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### Run as a distribution
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...
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### Manually downloaded Electron binary
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...
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```
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For API references, there are exceptions to this rule.
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## Markdown rules
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This repository uses the [`markdownlint`][markdownlint] package to enforce consistent
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Markdown styling. For the exact rules, see the `.markdownlint.json` file in the root
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folder.
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There are a few style guidelines that aren't covered by the linter rules:
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<!--TODO(erickzhao): make sure this matches with the lint:markdownlint task-->
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* Use `sh` instead of `cmd` in code blocks (due to the syntax highlighter).
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* Keep line lengths between 80 and 100 characters if possible for readability
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purposes.
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* No nesting lists more than 2 levels (due to the markdown renderer).
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* All `js` and `javascript` code blocks are linted with
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[standard-markdown](https://www.npmjs.com/package/standard-markdown).
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* For unordered lists, use asterisks instead of dashes.
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## Picking words
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* Use "will" over "would" when describing outcomes.
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* Prefer "in the ___ process" over "on".
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## API references
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The following rules only apply to the documentation of APIs.
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### Title and description
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Each module's API doc must use the actual object name returned by `require('electron')`
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as its title (such as `BrowserWindow`, `autoUpdater`, and `session`).
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Directly under the page title, add a one-line description of the module
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as a markdown quote (beginning with `>`).
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Using the `session` module as an example:
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```markdown
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# session
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> Manage browser sessions, cookies, cache, proxy settings, etc.
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```
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### Module methods and events
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For modules that are not classes, their methods and events must be listed under
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the `## Methods` and `## Events` chapters.
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Using `autoUpdater` as an example:
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```markdown
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# autoUpdater
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## Events
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### Event: 'error'
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## Methods
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### `autoUpdater.setFeedURL(url[, requestHeaders])`
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```
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### Classes
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* API classes or classes that are part of modules must be listed under a
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`## Class: TheClassName` chapter.
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* One page can have multiple classes.
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* Constructors must be listed with `###`-level headings.
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* [Static Methods](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Classes/static)
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must be listed under a `### Static Methods` chapter.
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* [Instance Methods](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Classes#Prototype_methods)
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must be listed under an `### Instance Methods` chapter.
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* All methods that have a return value must start their description with
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"Returns `[TYPE]` - [Return description]"
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* If the method returns an `Object`, its structure can be specified using a colon
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followed by a newline then an unordered list of properties in the same style as
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function parameters.
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* Instance Events must be listed under an `### Instance Events` chapter.
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* Instance Properties must be listed under an `### Instance Properties` chapter.
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* Instance Properties must start with "A [Property Type] ..."
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Using the `Session` and `Cookies` classes as an example:
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```markdown
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# session
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## Methods
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### session.fromPartition(partition)
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## Static Properties
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### session.defaultSession
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## Class: Session
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### Instance Events
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#### Event: 'will-download'
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### Instance Methods
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#### `ses.getCacheSize()`
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### Instance Properties
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#### `ses.cookies`
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## Class: Cookies
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### Instance Methods
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#### `cookies.get(filter, callback)`
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```
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### Methods and their arguments
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The methods chapter must be in the following form:
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```markdown
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### `objectName.methodName(required[, optional]))`
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* `required` String - A parameter description.
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* `optional` Integer (optional) - Another parameter description.
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...
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```
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#### Heading level
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The heading can be `###` or `####`-levels depending on whether the method
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belongs to a module or a class.
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#### Function signature
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For modules, the `objectName` is the module's name. For classes, it must be the
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name of the instance of the class, and must not be the same as the module's
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name.
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For example, the methods of the `Session` class under the `session` module must
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use `ses` as the `objectName`.
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Optional arguments are notated by square brackets `[]` surrounding the optional
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argument as well as the comma required if this optional argument follows another
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argument:
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```markdown
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required[, optional]
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```
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#### Argument descriptions
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More detailed information on each of the arguments is noted in an unordered list
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below the method. The type of argument is notated by either JavaScript primitives
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(e.g. `String`, `Promise`, or `Object`), a custom API structure like Electron's
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[`Cookie`](api/structures/cookie.md), or the wildcard `any`.
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If the argument is of type `Array`, use `[]` shorthand with the type of value
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inside the array (for example,`any[]` or `String[]`).
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If the argument is of type `Promise`, parametrize the type with what the promise
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resolves to (for example, `Promise<void>` or `Promise<String>`).
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If an argument can be of multiple types, separate the types with `|`.
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The description for `Function` type arguments should make it clear how it may be
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called and list the types of the parameters that will be passed to it.
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#### Platform-specific functionality
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If an argument or a method is unique to certain platforms, those platforms are
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denoted using a space-delimited italicized list following the datatype. Values
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can be `macOS`, `Windows` or `Linux`.
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```markdown
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* `animate` Boolean (optional) _macOS_ _Windows_ - Animate the thing.
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```
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### Events
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The events chapter must be in following form:
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```markdown
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### Event: 'wake-up'
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Returns:
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* `time` String
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...
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```
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The heading can be `###` or `####`-levels depending on whether the event
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belongs to a module or a class.
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The arguments of an event follow the same rules as methods.
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### Properties
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The properties chapter must be in following form:
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```markdown
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### session.defaultSession
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...
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```
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The heading can be `###` or `####`-levels depending on whether the property
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belongs to a module or a class.
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## Documentation translations
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See [electron/i18n](https://github.com/electron/i18n#readme)
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[title-case]: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/capitalization/title-case
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[sentence-case]: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/capitalization/sentence-case
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[markdownlint]: https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint
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