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🔧 apiDoc

apiDoc

Inline Documentation for RESTful web APIs.

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Overview

apiDoc is a command-line tool that creates documentation from annotations in your source code. It allows developers to keep documentation close to the implementation, reducing the risk of it becoming outdated. It parses comments in languages like JavaScript, Java, Python, and more, and generates a static HTML site with the API documentation.

✨ Key Features

  • Documentation lives within the source code
  • Supports multiple programming languages
  • Generates a static HTML website
  • Shows API versioning and diffs
  • Customizable templates
  • Open-source and free

🎯 Key Differentiators

  • Language-agnostic approach to annotations
  • Simple setup and execution
  • Focus specifically on REST API documentation

Unique Value: Keeps API documentation tightly coupled with the source code, making it easier for developers to maintain and ensuring greater accuracy.

🎯 Use Cases (3)

Documenting APIs directly within the codebase Ensuring documentation stays in sync with code changes Generating simple, clean API documentation for internal or external use

✅ Best For

  • Projects where developers are responsible for writing documentation
  • Maintaining documentation for REST APIs where code is the source of truth

💡 Check With Vendor

Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:

  • Teams that follow a design-first approach using OpenAPI
  • Organizations that need a hosted solution with collaboration features

🏆 Alternatives

Swagger (with annotations) JSDoc

Unlike OpenAPI-based tools which separate the spec from the code, apiDoc encourages a code-first documentation workflow, which can be more natural for some development teams.

💻 Platforms

Web

✅ Offline Mode Available

🔌 Integrations

Can be integrated into any build process (e.g., Grunt, Gulp, npm scripts).

💰 Pricing

Contact for pricing
Free Tier Available

Free tier: Completely free and open-source.

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