Script documentation tools

registered · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 6437

I'm looking for recommendations on tools for creating documentation for PHP scripts. I've seen several tools, and am interested in comments and suggestions from those who have tried tools like phpDocumentor, PHP Doc System, PHPDoctor, PHPXref, etc...

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:03 pm

I have had a quick play with phpDocumentor and PHPXref and some others.
I think for small projects, it would take longer to get a feel for how the thing works that it would to just simply type in the comments by hand.

However I can see the benefit of using them but as I wasnt in the "I must have this" frame of mind so they all seemed rather complicated.

Of all the ones I looked at, PHPXref is the only one that sticks in my mind as a "must revisit this".

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:38 pm

Thanks, Guardian2003. That's interesting because it looks like PHPXref hasn't been updated in a few years, whereas the other 3 have all been updated this year. But I'll take a closer look when I have time (next year?).

registered · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:37 am

I have not had much luck with tools like this in the past (have not tried any of these and none for PHP). My experience has been that it is better to try and explain in "English" what is going on rather than having a computer try to abstract it from code.

Good luck, though. Am interested to hear how this turns out.

Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:44 am

I agree. I was thinking if it took a little extra effort to add the appropriate tags in the comments and provide some benefits for documenting classes, functions, etc. that it might be worth it. Not sure that's the case at this point, especially since I'm not creating a new CMS... Wink

registered · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 3:21 am

montego wrote:

I have not had much luck with tools like this in the past (have not tried any of these and none for PHP). My experience has been that it is better to try and explain in "English" what is going on rather than having a computer try to abstract it from code.

Good luck, though. Am interested to hear how this turns out.

Sorry to dig out a post that old...
I'm using phpxref for my ongoing projects and sometimes for ravennuke.
I found it to be an outstanding tool to pinpoint quickly used/not used class/functions/variables and php functions

Sorry again to dig this post

Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:22 am

I do believe we're moving towards more standard commenting structures for this very reason: so we can generate system-wide docs. I think phpDocumenter was discussed recently, but I may have the name wrong.