evennia/docs/source/Contributing-Docs.md

# Contributing to Evennia Docs


```{warning}
This system is still WIP and many things are bound to change!
```

Contributing to the docs is is like [contributing to the rest of Evennia][contributing]: Check out the branch of Evennia
you want to edit the documentation for. Create your own work-branch, make your changes to files
in `evennia/docs/source/` and make a PR for it!

The documentation source files are `*.md` (Markdown) files found in `evennia/docs/source/`.
Markdown files are simple text files that can be edited with a normal text editor. They can also
contain raw HTML directives (but that is very rarely needed). They use
the [Markdown][commonmark] syntax with [MyST extensions][MyST].

```{important}
You do _not_ need to be able to test/build the docs locally to contribute a documentation PR.
We'll resolve any issues when we merge and build documentation. If you still want to build
the docs for yourself, instructions are [at the end of this document](#building-the-docs-locally).
```

## Source file structure

The sources are organized into several rough categories, with only a few administrative documents
at the root of `evennia/docs/source/`. The folders are named in singular form since they will
primarily be accessed as link refs (e.g. `Component/Accounts`)

- `source/Components/` are docs describing separate Evennia building blocks, that is, things
  that you can import and use. This extends and elaborates on what can be found out by reading
  the api docs themselves. Example are documentation for `Accounts`, `Objects` and `Commands`.
- `source/Concepts/` describes how larger-scale features of Evennia hang together - things that
  can't easily be broken down into one isolated component. This can be general descriptions of
  how Models and Typeclasses interact to the path a message takes from the client to the server
  and back.
- `source/Setup/` holds detailed docs on installing, running and maintaining the Evennia server and
  the infrastructure around it.
- `source/Coding/` has help on how to interact with, use and navigate the Evennia codebase itself.
  This also has non-Evennia-specific help on general development concepts and how to set up a sane
  development environment.
- `source/Contribs/` holds documentation specifically for packages in the `evennia/contribs/` folder.
  Any contrib-specific tutorials will be found here instead of in `Howtos`
- `source/Howtos/` holds docs that describe how to achieve a specific goal, effect or
  result in Evennia. This is often on a tutorial or FAQ form and will refer to the rest of the
  documentation for further reading.
  - `source/Howtos/Starting/` holds all documents part of the initial tutorial sequence.


 Other files and folders:
  - `source/api/` contains the auto-generated API documentation as `.rst` files. Don't edit these
    files manually, your changes will be lost. To refer to these files, use `api:` followed by
    the Python path, for example `[rpsystem contrib](evennia.contrib.rpsystem)`.
  - `source/_templates` and `source/_static` should not be modified unless adding a new doc-page
    feature or changing the look of the HTML documentation.
  - `conf.py` holds the Sphinx configuration. It should usually not be modified except to update
    the Evennia version on a new branch.


## Editing syntax

The format used for Evennia's docs is [Markdown][commonmark-help] (Commonmark). While markdown
supports a few alternative forms for some of these, we try to stick to the below forms for consistency.

### Italic/Bold

We generally use underscores for italics and double-asterisks for bold:

- `_Italic text_` - _Italic text_
- `**Bold Text**` - **Bold text**

### Headings

We use `#` to indicate sections/headings. The more `#` the more of a sub-heading it is (will get
smaller and smaller font).

- `# Heading`
- `## SubHeading`
- `### SubSubHeading`
- `#### SubSubSubHeading`

> Don't use the same heading/subheading name more than once in one page. While Markdown
does not prevent it, it will make it impossible to refer to that heading uniquely.
The Evennia documentation preparser will detect this and give you an error.

### Lists

One can create both bullet-point lists and numbered lists:

```
- first bulletpoint
- second bulletpoint
- third bulletpoint
```

- first bulletpoint
- second bulletpoint
- third bulletpoint

```
1. Numbered point one
2. Numbered point two
3. Numbered point three
```

1. Numbered point one
2. Numbered point two
3. Numbered point three

### Blockquotes

A blockquote will create an indented block. It's useful for emphasis and is
added by starting one or more lines with `>`. For 'notes' you can also use
an explicit [Note](#note).

```
> This is an important
> thing to remember.
```

> Note: This is an important
> thing to remember.

### Links

The link syntax is `[linktext](url_or_ref)` - this gives a clickable link [linktext](#links).

#### Internal links

Most links will be to other pages of the documentation or to Evennia's API docs. Each document
heading can be referenced. The reference always starts with `#`. The heading-name is always
given in lowercase and ignores any non-letters. Spaces in the heading title are replaced with
a single dash `-`.

As an example, let's assume the following is the contents of a file `Menu-stuff.md`:

```
# Menu items

Some text...

## A yes/no? example

Some more text...
```

- From _inside the same file_ you can refer to each heading as

      [menus](#menu-items)
      [example](#a-yesno-example)

- From _another file_, you reference them as as

      [menus](Menu-Stuff.md#menu-items)
      [example](Menu-Stuff.md#a-yesno-example)

> It's fine to not include the `.md` file ending in the reference. The Evennia doc-build process
> will correct for this (and also insert any needed relative paths in the reference).

#### API links

The documentation contains auto-generated documentation for all of Evennia's source code. You
can direct the reader to the sources by just giving the python-path to the location of the
resource under the `evennia/` repository:

      [DefaultObject](evennia.objects.objects.DefaultObject)

[DefaultObject](evennia.objects.objects.DefaultObject)  <- like this!

Note that you can't refer to files in the `mygame` folder this way. The game folder is generated
dynamically and is not part of the api docs. Refer to the parent classes in `evennia` where possible.

#### External links

These are links to resources outside of the documentation. We also provide some convenient shortcuts.

- `[linkname](https://evennia.com)` - link to an external website.
- `[linkname](github:evennia/objects/objects.py)` - this is a shortcut to point to a location in the
  official Evennia repository on Github. Note that you must use `/` and give the full file name. By
  default this is code in the `master` branch.
- `[linkname](github:develop/evennia/objects.objects.py` - this points to code in the `develop` branch.
- `[make an issue](github:issue)` - this is a shortcut to the Evennia github issue-creation page.

> Note that if you want to refer to code, it's usually better to [link to the API](#api-links) as
> described above.

### Urls/References in one place

Urls can get long and if you are using the same url/reference in many places it can get a
little cluttered. So you can also put the url as a 'footnote' at the end of your document.
You can then refer to it by putting your reference within square brackets `[ ]`. Here's an example:

```
This is a [clickable link][mylink]. This is [another link][1].

...


[mylink]: http://...
[1]: My-Document.md#this-is-a-long-ref

```

This makes the main text a little shorter.

### Tables

A table is done like this:

````
| heading1 | heading2 | heading3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| value1 | value2 | value3 |
|  | value 4 | |
| value 5 | value 6 | |
````

| heading1 | heading2 | heading3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| value1 | value2 | value3 |
|  | value 4 | |
| value 5 | value 6 | |

As seen, the Markdown syntax can be pretty sloppy (columns don't need to line up) as long as you
include the heading separators and make sure to add the correct number of `|` on every line.


### Verbatim text

It's common to want to mark something to be displayed verbatim - just as written - without any
Markdown parsing. In running text, this is done using backticks (\`), like \`verbatim text\` becomes
`verbatim text`.

If you want to put the verbatim text on its own line, you can do so easily by simply indenting
it 4 spaces (add empty lines on each side for readability too):

```
This is normal text

    This is verbatim text

This is normal text
```

Another way is to use triple-backticks:

````
```
Everything within these backticks will be verbatim.

```
````

### Code blocks

A special 'verbatim' case is code examples - we want them to get code-highlighting for readability.
This is done by using the triple-backticks and specify which language we use:

````
```python
from evennia import Command
class CmdEcho(Command):
    """
    Usage: echo <arg>
    """
    key = "echo"
    def func(self):
        self.caller.msg(self.args.strip())
```
````

```python
from evennia import Command
class CmdEcho(Command):
  """
  Usage: echo <arg>
  """
  key = "echo"
  def func(self):
    self.caller.msg(self.args.strip())
```

For examples of using the Python command-line, use `python` language and `>>>` prompt.
````
```python
>>> print("Hello World")
Hello World
```
````

```python
>>> print("Hello World")
Hello World
```

When showing an in-game command, use the `shell` language type and `>` as the prompt.
Indent returns from the game.

````
```shell
> look at flower
  Red Flower(#34)
  A flower with red petals.
```
````

```shell
> look at flower
  Red Flower(#34)
  A flower with red petals.
```


For actual shell prompts you can either use `bash` language type or just indent the line.
Use `$` for the prompt when wanting to show what is an input and what is an output, otherwise
skip it - it can be confusing to users not that familiar with the command line.

````
```bash
$ ls
evennia/ mygame/
```
    evennia start --log
````

```bash
$ ls
evennia/ mygame/
```

    evennia start --log


### MyST directives

Markdown is easy to read and use. But while it does most of what we need, there are some things it's
not quite as expressive as it needs to be. For this we use extended [MyST][MyST] syntax. This is
on the form

````
```{directive} any_options_here

content

```
````


#### Note

This kind of note may pop more than doing a `> Note: ...`.

````
```{note}

This is some noteworthy content that stretches over more than one line to show how the content indents.
Also the important/warning notes indents like this.

```
````

```{note}

This is some noteworthy content that stretches over more than one line to show how the content indents.
Also the important/warning notes indents like this.

```

#### Important

This is for particularly important and visible notes.

````
```{important}
  This is important because it is!
```

````
```{important}
  This is important because it is!
```

#### Warning

A warning block is used to draw attention to particularly dangerous things, or features easy to
mess up.

````
```{warning}
  Be careful about this ...
```
````

```{warning}
  Be careful about this ...
```

#### Version changes and deprecations

These will show up as one-line warnings that suggest an added, changed or deprecated
feature beginning with particular version.

````
```{versionadded} 1.0
```
````

```{versionadded} 1.0
```

````
```{versionchanged} 1.0
  How the feature changed with this version.
```
````

```{versionchanged} 1.0
  How the feature changed with this version.
```

````
```{deprecated} 1.0
```
````

```{deprecated} 1.0
```

#### Sidebar

This will display an informative sidebar that floats to the side of regular content. This is useful
for example to remind the reader of some concept relevant to the text.

````
```{sidebar} Things to remember

- There can be bullet lists
- in here.

Separate sections with

an empty line.
```
````

```{sidebar} Things to remember

- There can be bullet lists
- in here.

Separate sections with

an empty line.
```

Hint: If wanting to make sure to have the next header appear on a row of its own (rather than
squeezed to the left of the sidebar), one can embed a plain HTML string in the markdown like so:

```html
<div style="clear: right;"></div>
```

<div style="clear: right;"></div>

#### A more flexible code block

The regular Markdown Python codeblock is usually enough but for more direct control over the style, one
can also use the `{code-block}` directive that takes a set of additional `:options:`:

````
```{code-block} python
:linenos:
:emphasize-lines: 1-2,8
:caption: An example code block
:name: A full code block example

from evennia import Command
class CmdEcho(Command):
    """
    Usage: echo <arg>
    """
    key = "echo"
    def func(self):
        self.caller.msg(self.args.strip())
```
````

```{code-block} python
:linenos:
:emphasize-lines: 1-2,8
:caption: An example code block
:name: A full code block example

from evennia import Command
class CmdEcho(Command):
    """
    Usage: echo <arg>
    """
    key = "echo"
    def func(self):
        self.caller.msg(self.args.strip())
```
Here, `:linenos:` turns on line-numbers and `:emphasize-lines:` allows for emphasizing certain lines
in a different color. The `:caption:` shows an instructive text and `:name:` is used to reference
this
block through the link that will appear (so it should be unique for a given document).



#### eval-rst directive

As a last resort, we can also fall back to writing [ReST][ReST] directives directly:


````
```{eval-rst}

    This will be evaluated as ReST.
    All content must be indented.

```
````

Within a ReST block, one must use Restructured Text syntax, which is not the
same as Markdown.

- Single backticks around text makes it _italic_.
- Double backticks around text makes it `verbatim`.
- A link is written within back-ticks, with an underscore at the end:

      `python <www.python.org>`_

[Here is a ReST formatting cheat sheet](https://thomas-cokelaer.info/tutorials/sphinx/rest_syntax.html).

## Code docstrings

The source code docstrings will be parsed as Markdown. When writing a module docstring, you can use Markdown formatting,
including header levels down to 4th level (`#### SubSubSubHeader`). After the module documentation it's
a good idea to end with four dashes `----`. This will create a visible line between the documentation and the
class/function docs to follow. See for example [the Traits docs](evennia.contrib.rpg.traits).

All non-private classes, methods and functions must have a Google-style docstring, as per the
[Evennia coding style guidelines][github:evennia/CODING_STYLE.md]. This will then be correctly formatted
into pretty api docs.

## Technical

Evennia leverages [Sphinx][sphinx] with the [MyST][MyST] extension, which allows us
to write our docs in light-weight Markdown (more specifically [CommonMark][commonmark], like on github)
rather than Sphinx' normal ReST syntax. The `MyST` parser allows for some extra syntax to
make us able to express more complex displays than plain Markdown can.

For [autodoc-generation][sphinx-autodoc] generation, we use the sphinx-[napoleon][sphinx-napoleon]
extension to understand our friendly Google-style docstrings used in classes and functions etc.

## Building the docs locally

The sources in `evennia/docs/source/` are built into a documentation using the
[Sphinx][sphinx] static generator system. To do this locally you need to use a
system with `make` (Linux/Unix/Mac or [Windows-WSL][Windows-WSL]). Lacking
that, you could in principle also run the sphinx build-commands manually - read
the `evennia/docs/Makefile` to see which commands are run by the `make`-commands
referred to in this document.

You don't necessarily _have_ to build the docs locally to contribute. Markdown is
not hard and is very readable on its raw text-form.

You can furthermore get a good feel for how things will look using a
Markdown-viewer like [Grip][grip]. Editors like [ReText][retext] or IDE's like
[PyCharm][pycharm] also have native Markdown previews. Building the docs locally is
however the only way to make sure the outcome is exactly as you expect. The process
will also find any mistakes you made, like making a typo in a link.

### Building only the main documentation

This is the fastest way to compile and view your changes. It will only build
the main documentation pages and not the API auto-docs or versions.  All is
done in your terminal/console.

- (Optional, but recommended): Activate a virtualenv with Python 3.7.
- `cd` to into the `evennia/docs` folder.
- Install the documentation-build requirements:

    ```
    make install
    or
    pip install -r requirements.txt
    ```

- Next, build the html-based documentation (re-run this in the future to build your changes):

    ```
    make quick
    ```
- Note any errors from files you have edited.
- The html-based documentation will appear in the new
  folder `evennia/docs/build/html/`.
- Use a web browser to open `file://<path-to-folder>/evennia/docs/build/html/index.html` and view
  the docs. Note that you will get errors if clicking a link to the auto-docs, because you didn't
  build them!

### Building the main documentation and API docs

The full documentation includes both the doc pages and the API documentation
generated from the Evennia source. For this you must install Evennia and
initialize a new game with a default database (you don't need to have any server
running)

- It's recommended that you use a virtualenv. Install your cloned version of Evennia into
  by pointing to the repo folder (the one containing `/docs`):

    ```
    pip install -e evennia
    ```

- Make sure you are in the parent folder _containing_ your `evennia/` repo (so _two_ levels
  up from `evennia/docs/`).
- Create a new game folder called exactly `gamedir` at the same level as your `evennia`
  repo with

    ```
    evennia --init gamedir
    ```

- Then `cd` into it and create a new, empty database. You don't need to start the
  game or do any further changes after this.

    ```
    evennia migrate
    ```

- This is how the structure should look at this point:

    ```
      (top)
      |
      ----- evennia/  (the top-level folder, containing docs/)
      |
      ----- gamedir/
    ```

(If you are already working on a game, you may of course have your 'real' game folder there as
well. We won't touch that.)

- Go to `evennia/docs/` and install the doc-building requirements (you only need to do this once):

    ```
    make install
    or
    pip install -r requirements.txt
    ```

- Finally, build the full documentation, including the auto-docs:

    ```
    make local
    ```

- The rendered files will appear in a new folder `evennia/docs/build/html/`.
  Note any errors from files you have edited.
- Point your web browser to `file://<path-to-folder>/evennia/docs/build/html/index.html` to
  view the full docs.

#### Building with another gamedir

If you for some reason want to use another location of your `gamedir/`, or want it
named something else (maybe you already use the name 'gamedir' for your development ...),
you can do so by setting the `EVGAMEDIR` environment variable to the absolute path
of your alternative game dir. For example:

```
EVGAMEDIR=/my/path/to/mygamedir make local
```

### Building for release

The full Evennia documentation contains docs from many Evennia
versions, old and new. This is done by pulling documentation from Evennia's old release
branches and building them all so readers can choose which one to view. Only
specific official Evennia branches will be built, so you can't use this to
build your own testing branch.

- All local changes must have been committed to git first, since the versioned
  docs are built by looking at the git tree.
- To build for local checking, run (`mv` stands for "multi-version"):

    ```
    make mv-local
    ```

This is as close to the 'real' version of the docs as you can get locally. The different versions
will be found under `evennia/docs/build/versions/`. During deploy a symlink `latest` will point
to the latest version of the docs.

#### Release

Releasing the official docs requires git-push access the the Evennia `gh-pages` branch
on `github`. So there is no risk of you releasing your local changes accidentally.

- To deploy docs in two steps

    ```
    make mv-local
    make deploy
    ```

- If you know what you are doing you can also do build + deploy in one step:

     ```
     make release
     ```

After deployment finishes, the updated live documentation will be
available at https://evennia.github.io/evennia/latest/.


[sphinx]: https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/
[MyST]: https://myst-parser.readthedocs.io/en/latest/syntax/reference.html
[commonmark]: https://spec.commonmark.org/current/
[commonmark-help]: https://commonmark.org/help/
[sphinx-autodoc]: https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/extensions/autodoc.html#module-sphinx.ext.autodoc
[sphinx-napoleon]: https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/extensions/napoleon.html
[getting-started]: Setup/Installation
[contributing]: ./Contributing
[ReST]: https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restructuredtext/basics.html
[ReST-tables]: https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restructuredtext/basics.html#tables
[ReST-directives]: https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restruturedtext/directives.html
[Windows-WSL]: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10
[linkdemo]: #Links
[retext]: https://github.com/retext-project/retext
[grip]: https://github.com/joeyespo/grip
[pycharm]: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/