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MkAPI Documentation

MkAPI is a plugin for MkDocs, designed to facilitate the generation of API documentation for Python projects. MkAPI streamlines the documentation process by automatically extracting docstrings and organizing them into a structured format, making it easier for developers to maintain and share their API documentation.

MkAPI supports two popular styles of docstrings: Google style and NumPy style, allowing developers to choose the format that best fits their project's needs.

MkAPI is equipped with several key features that enhance the documentation experience:

  • Type Annotation Support: Automatically incorporates type annotations from function definitions into the documentation, reducing redundancy and improving clarity.
  • Object Type Inspection: Analyzes Python objects to determine their types, enabling accurate representation in the documentation.
  • Docstring Inheritance: Supports inheritance of docstring content from parent classes, ensuring that subclasses retain relevant documentation without duplication.
  • Automatic Table of Contents Generation: Generates a table of contents for each package, module, and class, improving navigation within the documentation.
  • Bidirectional Links: Creates links between the documentation and the source code, allowing users to easily navigate between the two.

MkAPI aims to simplify the documentation process, making it more efficient and accessible for developers, while ensuring that the generated documentation is comprehensive and easy to understand.

Installation

Install the MkAPI plugin using pip:

pip install mkapi

MkAPI requires the following dependencies:

  • Python 3.10 or higher
  • MkDocs 1.6 or higher

Configuration

To configure MkAPI, add the following lines to your mkdocs.yml file:

plugins:
  - mkapi

Usage

MkAPI provides two modes to generate API documentation: Object mode and Page mode.

Object Mode

To generate the API documentation in a Markdown source, add three colons + object full name. The object can be a function, class, or module.

::: package.module.object

The Object mode is useful to embed an object's documentation in an arbitrary position of a Markdown source. For more details, see Object mode.

Page Mode

Using the Page mode, you can construct comprehensive API documentation for your project. You can enable this powerful feature with just one line in mkdocs.yml:

nav:
  - index.md
  - Reference:
    - $api/package.***

For more details, see Page mode.