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Elixir Writing Docs

Elixir文档编写指南

Quick Reference

快速参考

TopicReference
Doctests: syntax, gotchas, when to usereferences/doctests.md
Cross-references and linking syntaxreferences/cross-references.md
Admonitions, formatting, tabsreferences/admonitions-and-formatting.md
主题参考链接
Doctests:语法、注意事项、适用场景references/doctests.md
交叉引用与链接语法references/cross-references.md
警示块、格式设置、标签页references/admonitions-and-formatting.md

First-Line Summary Rule

首行摘要规则

ExDoc and tools like
mix docs
extract the first paragraph of
@moduledoc
and
@doc
as a summary. Keep the opening line concise and self-contained.
elixir
undefined
ExDoc及
mix docs
等工具会提取
@moduledoc
@doc
的第一段作为摘要。请确保开头行简洁且独立完整。
elixir
undefined

GOOD - first line works as a standalone summary

推荐写法 - 首行可作为独立摘要

@moduledoc """ Handles payment processing through Stripe and local ledger reconciliation.
Wraps the Stripe API client and ensures each charge is recorded in the local ledger before returning a confirmation to the caller. """
@moduledoc """ 处理通过Stripe的支付流程及本地分类账对账。
封装Stripe API客户端,确保每笔收费在向调用者返回确认前都已记录到本地分类账。 """

BAD - first line is vague, forces reader to continue

不推荐写法 - 首行模糊,需读者继续阅读

@moduledoc """ This module contains various functions related to payments.
It uses Stripe and also updates the ledger. """

The same rule applies to `@doc`:

```elixir
@moduledoc """ 此模块包含与支付相关的各类函数。
它使用Stripe并更新分类账。 """

该规则同样适用于`@doc`:

```elixir

GOOD

推荐写法

@doc """ Charges a customer's default payment method for the given amount in cents.
Returns
{:ok, charge}
on success or
{:error, reason}
when the payment gateway rejects the request. """
@doc """ 向客户的默认支付方式收取指定金额(单位:最小货币单位)。
成功时返回
{:ok, charge}
,支付网关拒绝请求时返回
{:error, reason}
。 """

BAD

不推荐写法

@doc """ This function is used to charge a customer. """
undefined
@doc """ 此函数用于向客户收费。 """
undefined

@moduledoc Structure

@moduledoc结构

A well-structured
@moduledoc
follows this pattern:
elixir
defmodule MyApp.Inventory do
  @moduledoc """
  Tracks warehouse stock levels and triggers replenishment orders.

  This module maintains an ETS-backed cache of current quantities and
  exposes functions for atomic stock adjustments. It is designed to be
  started under a supervisor and will restore state from the database
  on init.

  ## Examples

      iex> {:ok, pid} = MyApp.Inventory.start_link(warehouse: :east)
      iex> MyApp.Inventory.current_stock(pid, "SKU-1042")
      {:ok, 350}

  ## Configuration

  Expects the following in `config/runtime.exs`:

      config :my_app, MyApp.Inventory,
        repo: MyApp.Repo,
        low_stock_threshold: 50
  """
end
Key points:
  • First paragraph is the summary (one to two sentences).
  • ## Examples
    shows realistic usage. Use doctests when the example is runnable.
  • ## Configuration
    documents required config keys. Omit this section if the module takes no config.
  • Use second-level headings (
    ##
    ) only. First-level (
    #
    ) is reserved for the module name in ExDoc output.
结构良好的
@moduledoc
遵循以下模式:
elixir
defmodule MyApp.Inventory do
  @moduledoc """
  跟踪仓库库存水平并触发补货订单。

  此模块维护基于ETS的当前库存数量缓存,并提供原子化库存调整函数。它设计为由监督者启动,初始化时会从数据库恢复状态。

  ## 示例

      iex> {:ok, pid} = MyApp.Inventory.start_link(warehouse: :east)
      iex> MyApp.Inventory.current_stock(pid, "SKU-1042")
      {:ok, 350}

  ## 配置

  需在`config/runtime.exs`中配置以下内容:

      config :my_app, MyApp.Inventory,
        repo: MyApp.Repo,
        low_stock_threshold: 50
  """
end
关键点:
  • 第一段为摘要(1-2句话)。
  • ## 示例
    展示实际用法。示例可运行时请使用doctests。
  • ## 配置
    文档所需的配置键。若模块无需配置可省略此节。
  • 仅使用二级标题(
    ##
    )。一级标题(
    #
    )在ExDoc输出中预留给模块名称。

Documenting Behaviour Modules

行为模块文档编写

When defining a behaviour, document the expected callbacks:
elixir
defmodule MyApp.PaymentGateway do
  @moduledoc """
  Behaviour for payment gateway integrations.

  Implementations must handle charging, refunding, and status checks.
  See `MyApp.PaymentGateway.Stripe` for a reference implementation.

  ## Callbacks

  * `charge/2` - Initiate a charge for a given amount
  * `refund/2` - Refund a previously completed charge
  * `status/1` - Check the status of a transaction
  """

  @callback charge(amount :: pos_integer(), currency :: atom()) ::
              {:ok, transaction_id :: String.t()} | {:error, term()}

  @callback refund(transaction_id :: String.t(), amount :: pos_integer()) ::
              :ok | {:error, term()}

  @callback status(transaction_id :: String.t()) ::
              {:pending | :completed | :failed, map()}
end
定义行为时,请记录预期的回调函数:
elixir
defmodule MyApp.PaymentGateway do
  @moduledoc """
  支付网关集成的行为规范。

  实现必须处理收费、退款和状态检查。参考实现请见`MyApp.PaymentGateway.Stripe`。

  ## 回调函数

  * `charge/2` - 发起指定金额的收费
  * `refund/2` - 为已完成的收费发起退款
  * `status/1` - 检查交易状态
  """

  @callback charge(amount :: pos_integer(), currency :: atom()) ::
              {:ok, transaction_id :: String.t()} | {:error, term()}

  @callback refund(transaction_id :: String.t(), amount :: pos_integer()) ::
              :ok | {:error, term()}

  @callback status(transaction_id :: String.t()) ::
              {:pending | :completed | :failed, map()}
end

@doc Structure

@doc结构

elixir
@doc """
Reserves the given quantity of an item, decrementing available stock.

Returns `{:ok, reservation_id}` when stock is available, or
`{:error, :insufficient_stock}` when the requested quantity exceeds
what is on hand.
elixir
@doc """
预留指定数量的商品,减少可用库存。

库存充足时返回`{:ok, reservation_id}`,请求数量超过现有库存时返回`{:error, :insufficient_stock}`。

Examples

示例

iex> MyApp.Inventory.reserve("SKU-1042", 5) {:ok, "res_abc123"}
iex> MyApp.Inventory.reserve("SKU-9999", 1)
{:error, :not_found}
iex> MyApp.Inventory.reserve("SKU-1042", 5) {:ok, "res_abc123"}
iex> MyApp.Inventory.reserve("SKU-9999", 1)
{:error, :not_found}

Options

选项

  • :warehouse
    - Target warehouse atom. Defaults to
    :primary
    .
    • :timeout
      - Timeout in milliseconds. Defaults to
      5_000
      . """ @spec reserve(String.t(), pos_integer(), keyword()) :: {:ok, String.t()} | {:error, :insufficient_stock | :not_found} def reserve(sku, quantity, opts \ []) do

    ...

end

**Guidelines:**

- State what the function does, then what it returns.
- Document each option in a bulleted `## Options` section when the function accepts a keyword list.
- Place `@spec` between `@doc` and `def`. This is the conventional ordering.
- Include doctests for pure functions. Skip them for side-effecting functions (see [references/doctests.md](references/doctests.md)).
  • :warehouse
    - 目标仓库原子值,默认为
    :primary
    • :timeout
      - 超时时间(毫秒),默认为
      5_000
      。 """ @spec reserve(String.t(), pos_integer(), keyword()) :: {:ok, String.t()} | {:error, :insufficient_stock | :not_found} def reserve(sku, quantity, opts \ []) do

    ...

end

**指南:**

- 先说明函数的作用,再说明返回值。
- 当函数接受关键字列表时,在`## 选项`节中用项目符号记录每个选项。
- 将`@spec`放在`@doc`和`def`之间,这是常规顺序。
- 纯函数请包含doctests。有副作用的函数可跳过(详见[references/doctests.md](references/doctests.md))。

@typedoc

@typedoc

Document custom types defined with
@type
or
@opaque
:
elixir
@typedoc """
A positive integer representing an amount in the smallest currency unit (e.g., cents).
"""
@type amount :: pos_integer()

@typedoc """
Reservation status returned by `status/1`.

  * `:held` - Stock is reserved but not yet shipped
  * `:released` - Reservation was cancelled and stock restored
  * `:fulfilled` - Items have shipped
"""
@type reservation_status :: :held | :released | :fulfilled

@typedoc """
Opaque handle returned by `connect/1`. Do not pattern-match on this value.
"""
@opaque connection :: %__MODULE__{socket: port(), buffer: binary()}
For
@opaque
types, the
@typedoc
is especially important because callers cannot inspect the structure.
@type
@opaque
定义的自定义类型添加文档:
elixir
@typedoc """
表示金额的正整数,单位为最小货币单位(如美分)。
"""
@type amount :: pos_integer()

@typedoc """
`status/1`返回的预留状态。

  * `:held` - 库存已预留但尚未发货
  * `:released` - 预留已取消,库存已恢复
  * `:fulfilled` - 商品已发货
"""
@type reservation_status :: :held | :released | :fulfilled

@typedoc """
`connect/1`返回的不透明句柄。请勿对该值进行模式匹配。
"""
@opaque connection :: %__MODULE__{socket: port(), buffer: binary()}
对于
@opaque
类型,
@typedoc
尤为重要,因为调用者无法查看其结构。

Metadata

元数据

@doc since and @doc deprecated

@doc since与@doc deprecated

elixir
@doc since: "1.3.0"
@doc """
Transfers stock between two warehouses.
"""
def transfer(from, to, sku, quantity), do: # ...

@doc deprecated: "Use transfer/4 instead"
@doc """
Moves items between locations. Deprecated in favor of `transfer/4`
which supports cross-region transfers.
"""
def move_stock(from, to, sku, quantity), do: # ...
You can combine metadata and the docstring in one attribute:
elixir
@doc since: "2.0.0", deprecated: "Use bulk_reserve/2 instead"
@doc """
Reserves multiple items in a single call.
"""
def batch_reserve(items), do: # ...
@moduledoc since:
works the same way for modules:
elixir
@moduledoc since: "1.2.0"
@moduledoc """
Handles webhook signature verification for Stripe events.
"""
elixir
@doc since: "1.3.0"
@doc """
在两个仓库之间转移库存。
"""
def transfer(from, to, sku, quantity), do: # ...

@doc deprecated: "Use transfer/4 instead"
@doc """
在不同地点之间转移商品。已被支持跨区域转移的`transfer/4`替代,不再推荐使用。
"""
def move_stock(from, to, sku, quantity), do: # ...
你可以在一个属性中组合元数据和文档字符串:
elixir
@doc since: "2.0.0", deprecated: "Use bulk_reserve/2 instead"
@doc """
一次性预留多个商品。
"""
def batch_reserve(items), do: # ...
@moduledoc since:
对模块的作用相同:
elixir
@moduledoc since: "1.2.0"
@moduledoc """
处理Stripe事件的Webhook签名验证。
"""

When to Use @doc false / @moduledoc false

何时使用@doc false / @moduledoc false

Suppress documentation when the module or function is not part of the public API:
elixir
undefined
当模块或函数不属于公共API时,可隐藏其文档:
elixir
undefined

Private implementation module — internal to the application

私有实现模块 —— 仅应用内部使用

defmodule MyApp.Inventory.StockCache do @moduledoc false

...

end
defmodule MyApp.Inventory.StockCache do @moduledoc false

...

end

Protocol implementation — documented at the protocol level

协议实现 —— 在协议层面进行文档说明

defimpl String.Chars, for: MyApp.Money do @moduledoc false

...

end
defimpl String.Chars, for: MyApp.Money do @moduledoc false

...

end

Callback implementation — documented at the behaviour level

回调实现 —— 在行为规范层面进行文档说明

@doc false def handle_info(:refresh, state) do

...

end
@doc false def handle_info(:refresh, state) do

...

end

Helper used only inside the module

仅模块内部使用的辅助函数

@doc false def do_format(value), do: # ...

**Do NOT use `@doc false` on genuinely public functions.** If a function is exported and callers depend on it, document it. If it should not be called externally, make it private with `defp`.
@doc false def do_format(value), do: # ...

**请勿在真正的公共函数上使用`@doc false`。** 如果函数已导出且调用者依赖它,请为其添加文档。如果它不应被外部调用,请用`defp`将其设为私有函数。

Documentation vs Code Comments

文档与代码注释的区别

Documentation (
@moduledoc
,
@doc
)
Code Comments (
#
)
AudienceUsers of your APIDevelopers reading source
PurposeContract: what it does, what it returnsWhy a particular implementation choice was made
RenderedYes, by ExDoc in HTML/epubNo, visible only in source
RequiredAll public modules and functionsOnly where code intent is non-obvious
elixir
@doc """
Validates that the given coupon code is active and has remaining uses.
"""
@spec validate_coupon(String.t()) :: {:ok, Coupon.t()} | {:error, :expired | :exhausted}
def validate_coupon(code) do
  # We query the read replica here to avoid adding load to the
  # primary during high-traffic discount events.
  Repo.replica().get_by(Coupon, code: code)
  |> check_expiry()
  |> check_remaining_uses()
end
The
@doc
tells the caller what
validate_coupon/1
does and returns. The inline comment explains an implementation decision that would otherwise be surprising.
文档(
@moduledoc
@doc
代码注释(
#
受众API使用者阅读源码的开发者
目的契约:说明功能和返回值解释特定实现选择的原因
是否会被渲染是,ExDoc会将其渲染为HTML/epub否,仅在源码中可见
是否必需所有公共模块和函数都需要仅在代码意图不明显时需要
elixir
@doc """
验证给定优惠券代码是否有效且仍有剩余使用次数。
"""
@spec validate_coupon(String.t()) :: {:ok, Coupon.t()} | {:error, :expired | :exhausted}
def validate_coupon(code) do
  # 此处使用只读副本查询,以避免在高流量折扣活动期间给主库增加负载。
  Repo.replica().get_by(Coupon, code: code)
  |> check_expiry()
  |> check_remaining_uses()
end
@doc
告诉调用者
validate_coupon/1
的功能和返回值。行内注释解释了一个否则会令人惊讶的实现决策。

When to Load References

何时查阅参考文档

  • Writing doctests or debugging doctest failures --> references/doctests.md
  • Adding links between modules, functions, types --> references/cross-references.md
  • Using admonition blocks, tabs, or formatting in docs --> references/admonitions-and-formatting.md
  • 编写doctests或调试doctest失败问题 --> references/doctests.md
  • 在模块、函数、类型之间添加链接 --> references/cross-references.md
  • 在文档中使用警示块、标签页或格式化设置 --> references/admonitions-and-formatting.md