vue-docgen-api

What is vue-docgen-api?

The vue-docgen-api package is a tool for extracting documentation from Vue.js components. It parses Vue single-file components (SFCs) and generates JSON output that can be used to create documentation websites, IDE plugins, or other tools that need to understand the structure and properties of Vue components.

What are vue-docgen-api's main functionalities?

Extracting Props

This feature allows you to extract the props of a Vue component. The code sample demonstrates how to parse a Vue component file and log its props to the console.

const docgen = require('vue-docgen-api');
docgen.parse('./path/to/YourComponent.vue').then((componentDoc) => {
  console.log(componentDoc.props);
});

Extracting Slots

This feature allows you to extract the slots of a Vue component. The code sample demonstrates how to parse a Vue component file and log its slots to the console.

const docgen = require('vue-docgen-api');
docgen.parse('./path/to/YourComponent.vue').then((componentDoc) => {
  console.log(componentDoc.slots);
});

Extracting Events

This feature allows you to extract the events emitted by a Vue component. The code sample demonstrates how to parse a Vue component file and log its events to the console.

const docgen = require('vue-docgen-api');
docgen.parse('./path/to/YourComponent.vue').then((componentDoc) => {
  console.log(componentDoc.events);
});

Extracting Methods

This feature allows you to extract the methods of a Vue component. The code sample demonstrates how to parse a Vue component file and log its methods to the console.

const docgen = require('vue-docgen-api');
docgen.parse('./path/to/YourComponent.vue').then((componentDoc) => {
  console.log(componentDoc.methods);
});

Other packages similar to vue-docgen-api

react-docgen

react-docgen is a similar tool for React components. It parses React component files and generates JSON output that can be used to create documentation. While vue-docgen-api is tailored for Vue.js components, react-docgen serves the same purpose for React components.

jsdoc

jsdoc is a general-purpose documentation generator for JavaScript. It can be used to document any JavaScript code, including Vue components, but it is not specifically tailored for Vue.js. vue-docgen-api, on the other hand, is specialized for Vue.js components and provides more specific features for them.

typedoc

typedoc is a documentation generator for TypeScript projects. It can be used to generate documentation for TypeScript code, including Vue components written in TypeScript. However, vue-docgen-api is more focused on Vue.js and provides more detailed information about Vue-specific features.

README

vue-docgen-api

vue-docgen-api is a toolbox to help extracting information from Vue components, and generate documentation from it.

Use babel and jsdoc-api to compile the code and analyze the contents of the component extracting methods and props. The output is a JavaScript object.

Install

Install the module directly from npm:

npm install vue-docgen-api --save-dev

API

The tool can be used programmatically to extract component information and customize the extraction process:

var vueDocs = require('vue-docgen-api');
var componentInfo = vueDocs.parse(filePath);

parse(filePath)

Parameter	Type	Description
filePath	string	The file path

parseWebpack(filePath [, webpackConfig ])

Has implemented enhanced-require

Parameter	Type	Description
filePath	string	The file path
webpackConfig	object	Optional argument, extracts the necessary loaders to document the component.

Using JSDoc tags

You can use the following JSDoc tags when documenting components, props and methods.

Example

For the following component

<template>
  <table class="grid">
    <!-- -->
  </table>
</template>

<script>
import { text } from './utils';

/**
 * This is an example of creating a reusable grid component and using it with external data.
 * @version 1.0.5
 * @author [Rafael](https://github.com/rafaesc92)
 * @since Version 1.0.1
 */
export default {
  name: 'grid',
  props: {

    /**
     * object/array defaults should be returned from a factory function
     * @version 1.0.5
     * @since Version 1.0.1
     * @see See [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors#HTML_color_names) for a list of color names
     * @link See [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors#HTML_color_names) for a list of color names
     */
    msg: {
      type: [String, Number],
      default: text
    },
    /**
     * describe data
     * @version 1.0.5
     */
    data: [Array],
    /**
     * get columns list
     */
    columns: [Array],
    /**
     * filter key
     * @ignore
     */
    filterKey: {
      type: String,
      default: 'example'
    }
  },
  data () {
    var sortOrders = {}
    this.columns.forEach(function (key) {
      sortOrders[key] = 1
    })
    return {
      sortKey: '',
      sortOrders: sortOrders
    }
  },
  computed: {
    filteredData: function () {
      var sortKey = this.sortKey
      var filterKey = this.filterKey && this.filterKey.toLowerCase()
      var order = this.sortOrders[sortKey] || 1
      var data = this.data
      if (filterKey) {
        data = data.filter(function (row) {
          return Object.keys(row).some(function (key) {
            return String(row[key]).toLowerCase().indexOf(filterKey) > -1
          })
        })
      }
      if (sortKey) {
        data = data.slice().sort(function (a, b) {
          a = a[sortKey]
          b = b[sortKey]
          return (a === b ? 0 : a > b ? 1 : -1) * order
        })
      }
      return data
    }
  },
  filters: {
    capitalize: function (str) {
      return str.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + str.slice(1)
    }
  },
  methods: {

    /**
   * Sets the order
   *
   * @public
   * @version 1.0.5
   * @since Version 1.0.1
   * @param {string} key Key to order
   * @returns {string} Test
   */
    sortBy: function (key) {
      this.sortKey = key
      this.sortOrders[key] = this.sortOrders[key] * -1
    },

    hiddenMethod: function(){

    }
  }
}
</script>

we are getting this output:

{
  "description": "This is an example of creating a reusable grid component and using it with external data.",
  "methods": [
    {
      "name": "sortBy",
      "comment": "/**\n   * Sets the order\n   *\n   * @public\n   * @version 1.0.5\n   * @since Version 1.0.1\n   * @param {string} key Key to order\n   * @returns {string} Test\n   */",
      "modifiers": [],
      "params": [
        {
          "name": "key",
          "description": "Key to order",
          "type": {
            "name": "string"
          }
        }
      ],
      "returns": {
        "description": "Test",
        "type": {
          "name": "string"
        }
      },
      "description": "Sets the order",
      "tags": {
        "access": [
          {
            "title": "access",
            "description": "public"
          }
        ],
        "params": [
          {
            "title": "param",
            "description": "Key to order",
            "name": "key",
            "type": {
              "type": "NameExpression",
              "name": "string"
            }
          }
        ],
        "returns": [
          {
            "title": "returns",
            "description": "Test",
            "type": {
              "type": "NameExpression",
              "name": "string"
            }
          }
        ],
        "since": [
          {
            "title": "since",
            "description": "Version 1.0.1"
          }
        ],
        "version": [
          {
            "title": "version",
            "description": "1.0.5"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "displayName": "grid",
  "props": {
    "msg": {
      "type": {
        "name": "string|number"
      },
      "required": "",
      "defaultValue": {
        "value": "\"this is a secret\"",
        "computed": false
      },
      "tags": {
        "see": [
          {
            "title": "see",
            "description": "See [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors#HTML_color_names) for a list of color names"
          }
        ],
        "since": [
          {
            "title": "since",
            "description": "Version 1.0.1"
          }
        ],
        "version": [
          {
            "title": "version",
            "description": "1.0.5"
          }
        ],
        "link": [
          {
            "title": "link",
            "description": "See [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors#HTML_color_names) for a list of color names"
          }
        ]
      },
      "comment": "/**\n     * object/array defaults should be returned from a factory function\n     * @version 1.0.5\n     * @since Version 1.0.1\n     * @see See [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors#HTML_color_names) for a list of color names\n     * @link See [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors#HTML_color_names) for a list of color names\n     */",
      "description": "object/array defaults should be returned from a factory function"
    },
    "data": {
      "type": {
        "name": "array"
      },
      "description": "describe data"
    },
    "columns": {
      "type": {
        "name": "array"
      },
      "description": "get columns list"
    },
    "filterKey": {
      "type": {
        "name": "string"
      },
      "required": "",
      "defaultValue": {
        "value": "\"example\"",
        "computed": false
      },
      "tags": {
        "ignore": [
          {
            "title": "ignore",
            "description": true
          }
        ]
      },
      "comment": "/**\n     * filter key\n     * @ignore\n     */",
      "description": "filter key"
    }
  },
  "comment": "/**\n * This is an example of creating a reusable grid component and using it with external data.\n * @version 1.0.5\n * @author [Rafael](https://github.com/rafaesc92)\n * @since Version 1.0.1\n */",
  "tags": {
    "author": [
      {
        "title": "author",
        "description": "[Rafael](https://github.com/rafaesc92)"
      }
    ],
    "since": [
      {
        "title": "since",
        "description": "Version 1.0.1"
      }
    ],
    "version": [
      {
        "title": "version",
        "description": "1.0.5"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Mixins

If you import a mixin, for it to be documented you need to add in the header the mixin tag @mixin, for example

// src/mixins/colorMixin.js

/**
 * @mixin
 */
module.exports = {
	props: {
		/**
		 * The color for the button example
		 */
		color: {
			type: String,
			default: '#333'
		},
	}
}

<template>
<!-- -->
</template>
<script>
// src/components/Button/Button.vue

import colorMixin from '../../mixins/colorMixin';
export default {
  name: 'buttonComponent',
  mixins: [colorMixin],
  props: {
    /**
    * The size of the button
    * `small, normal, large`
    */
    size: {
      default: 'normal'
    },
    /**
    * Add custom click actions.
    **/
    onCustomClick: {
      default: () => () => null,
    },
  },
  /* ... */
}
</script>

Change log

The change log can be found on the Releases page.

Authors and license

Rafael Escala

MIT License.