jsdoc vs typedoc vs @compodoc/compodoc
Documentation Generation Tools Comparison
1 Year
jsdoctypedoc@compodoc/compodocSimilar Packages:
What's Documentation Generation Tools?

Documentation generation tools are essential for developers to create, maintain, and publish documentation for their codebases. These tools automate the process of extracting comments and metadata from the source code, producing structured documentation that can be easily navigated and understood. They help improve code readability, facilitate onboarding of new developers, and ensure that the documentation stays up-to-date with the code. Each tool has its unique features and target audience, making it important to choose the right one based on the specific needs of a project.

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jsdoc1,942,35615,1491.53 MB4444 months agoApache-2.0
typedoc1,622,4967,9551.95 MB66 days agoApache-2.0
@compodoc/compodoc416,2294,03911.8 MB1215 months agoMIT
Feature Comparison: jsdoc vs typedoc vs @compodoc/compodoc

Language Support

  • jsdoc:

    JSDoc supports JavaScript and can be used in various environments, including Node.js and browser-based applications, making it versatile for JavaScript projects.

  • typedoc:

    TypeDoc is tailored for TypeScript, leveraging TypeScript's type system to produce accurate and detailed documentation, making it the best choice for TypeScript projects.

  • @compodoc/compodoc:

    Compodoc is specifically designed for Angular applications, supporting Angular decorators and modules, making it ideal for Angular developers.

Output Formats

  • jsdoc:

    JSDoc can generate documentation in multiple formats, including HTML, Markdown, and JSON, offering flexibility in how documentation is presented and consumed.

  • typedoc:

    TypeDoc primarily generates HTML documentation, focusing on providing a clean and organized view of TypeScript projects, including type information and relationships.

  • @compodoc/compodoc:

    Compodoc generates static documentation in HTML format, which can be easily hosted and shared, providing a user-friendly interface for navigation.

Integration and Ecosystem

  • jsdoc:

    JSDoc is widely adopted and has a large ecosystem of plugins and tools, allowing for extensive customization and integration with various build processes.

  • typedoc:

    TypeDoc works seamlessly with TypeScript projects and can be integrated into build systems like Gulp and Webpack, ensuring that documentation generation fits into the development workflow.

  • @compodoc/compodoc:

    Compodoc integrates well with Angular CLI and other Angular tools, providing a smooth setup process and compatibility with Angular's ecosystem.

Customization and Extensibility

  • jsdoc:

    JSDoc is highly customizable, allowing developers to define their own tags and templates, making it adaptable to various documentation needs.

  • typedoc:

    TypeDoc provides some customization options, including themes and templates, but focuses more on generating accurate documentation based on TypeScript's type definitions.

  • @compodoc/compodoc:

    Compodoc offers limited customization options compared to others but provides a structured approach to documenting Angular applications.

Community and Support

  • jsdoc:

    JSDoc has a large and established community, with extensive documentation, tutorials, and resources available for users.

  • typedoc:

    TypeDoc has a smaller but dedicated community, primarily focused on TypeScript, with good support available through GitHub and TypeScript-related forums.

  • @compodoc/compodoc:

    Compodoc has a growing community, especially among Angular developers, with active contributions and support available through GitHub.

How to Choose: jsdoc vs typedoc vs @compodoc/compodoc
  • jsdoc:

    Choose JSDoc if you are working primarily with JavaScript and need a widely-used, flexible tool that supports various JavaScript environments and can generate documentation in multiple formats.

  • typedoc:

    Choose TypeDoc if you are using TypeScript and want to generate documentation that takes full advantage of TypeScript's type system, providing detailed and type-safe documentation.

  • @compodoc/compodoc:

    Choose Compodoc if you are working with Angular applications and need a comprehensive documentation solution that integrates seamlessly with Angular's architecture and features.

README for jsdoc

JSDoc

Build Status

An API documentation generator for JavaScript.

Want to contribute to JSDoc? Please read CONTRIBUTING.md.

Installation and Usage

JSDoc supports stable versions of Node.js 12.0.0 and later. You can install JSDoc globally or in your project's node_modules folder.

To install the latest version on npm globally (might require sudo; learn how to fix this):

npm install -g jsdoc

To install the latest version on npm locally and save it in your package's package.json file:

npm install --save-dev jsdoc

To install the latest development version locally, without updating your project's package.json file:

npm install git+https://github.com/jsdoc/jsdoc.git

If you installed JSDoc locally, the JSDoc command-line tool is available in ./node_modules/.bin. To generate documentation for the file yourJavaScriptFile.js:

./node_modules/.bin/jsdoc yourJavaScriptFile.js

If you installed JSDoc globally, run the jsdoc command:

jsdoc yourJavaScriptFile.js

By default, the generated documentation is saved in a directory named out. You can use the --destination (-d) option to specify another directory.

Run jsdoc --help for a complete list of command-line options.

Templates and tools

The JSDoc community has created templates and other tools to help you generate and customize your documentation. Here are a few of them:

Templates

Build tools

Other tools

For more information

License

JSDoc is copyright (c) 2011-present Michael Mathews micmath@gmail.com and the contributors to JSDoc.

JSDoc is free software, licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See the file LICENSE.md in this distribution for more details.