Codebase Documentation Awareness

ByteBuddy's strength lies in its ability to understand your entire codebase, including source code, documentation, and project structure. This guide explains how ByteBuddy achieves this awareness and how you can optimize it for better results.

How ByteBuddy Understands Your Codebase

Indexing Process

ByteBuddy automatically indexes your codebase when you open a project:

1. Source Code Analysis: Parses and analyzes all source files
2. Documentation Extraction: Extracts information from READMEs, comments, and docs
3. Dependency Mapping: Maps relationships between files and modules
4. Structure Recognition: Identifies project architecture and patterns

Supported File Types

• Source Code: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C#, Go, and more
• Documentation: Markdown, HTML, plain text documentation files
• Configuration: JSON, YAML, XML configuration files
• Build Files: Package.json, requirements.txt, pom.xml, etc.

Enabling Documentation Awareness

Automatic Discovery

ByteBuddy automatically discovers documentation in standard locations:

# .bytebuddy/config.yaml
documentation:
  enabled: true
  paths:
    - "README.md"
    - "docs/"
    - "wiki/"
    - "*.md"
  exclude:
    - "node_modules/"
    - ".git/"
    - "dist/"

Manual Configuration

For custom documentation locations:

# .bytebuddy/config.yaml
documentation:
  enabled: true
  paths:
    - "docs/architecture/*.md"
    - "tech-docs/**/*.rst"
    - "CONTRIBUTING.md"
    - "SPECIFICATION.md"
  exclude:
    - "**/drafts/**"
    - "**/temp/**"

Documentation Processing

Content Extraction

ByteBuddy extracts information from documentation files:

1. Headings and Structure: Preserves document hierarchy
2. Code Examples: Identifies and indexes code snippets
3. API References: Links APIs to implementation
4. Business Logic: Understands domain concepts and workflows

Smart Parsing

Different parsing strategies for different content types:

# .bytebuddy/config.yaml
documentation:
  parsing:
    markdown:
      extractCodeBlocks: true
      preserveHeadings: true
      linkReferences: true
    rst:
      extractCodeBlocks: true
      preserveSections: true
    html:
      extractText: true
      preserveStructure: true

Optimizing Documentation Awareness

Best Practices

1. Clear Structure: Use consistent heading hierarchies
2. Code Examples: Include runnable code samples
3. API Documentation: Document public interfaces clearly
4. Architecture Info: Explain system design and patterns

Example Well-Structured Documentation

# User Service Module

## Overview

The User Service handles user authentication, profile management, and access control.

## Key Components

### UserService Class

Handles user CRUD operations and authentication.

#### Methods

- `createUser()` - Creates a new user account
- `authenticate()` - Authenticates user credentials
- `updateProfile()` - Updates user profile information

## Usage Examples

### Creating a User

```javascript
const userService = new UserService();
const user = await userService.createUser({
  email: "user@example.com",
  password: "secure123",
});
```

Security Considerations

• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt
• Rate limiting on authentication attempts
• JWT tokens expire after 24 hours

## Leveraging Documentation Awareness

### In Conversations

When chatting with ByteBuddy, reference documentation directly:

> "Based on the architecture documentation in docs/architecture.md, how should I implement the new notification service?"

### In Prompts

Use documentation context in your prompts:

```yaml
tools:
  - name: "code-review"
    tool: "bytebuddy_assistant"
    args:
      prompt: |
        Review this code considering:
        1. Our security guidelines from SECURITY.md
        2. The architecture patterns described in docs/architecture/overview.md
        3. The coding standards in CONTRIBUTING.md
      files:
        - "src/services/notification-service.js"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Documentation Not Recognized

1. Check file paths in configuration
2. Verify file permissions
3. Ensure files are not in excluded directories

Outdated Information

1. Refresh indexing manually
2. Check file modification dates
3. Verify documentation accuracy

Performance Tips

1. Limit Scope: Only include relevant documentation
2. Exclude Noise: Remove unnecessary files from indexing
3. Update Frequency: Configure appropriate refresh intervals

# .bytebuddy/config.yaml
documentation:
  enabled: true
  paths:
    - "docs/**/*.md"
  exclude:
    - "docs/drafts/**"
    - "docs/archive/**"
  refreshInterval: "1h" # Refresh every hour

Advanced Features

Cross-Reference Linking

ByteBuddy automatically links related documentation:

• API references to implementation
• Design documents to code files
• Business requirements to features

Version Awareness

Track documentation changes across versions:

# .bytebuddy/config.yaml
documentation:
  versionTracking: true
  gitIntegration: true
  changelogAwareness: true

Integration with Development Workflow

Documentation-Driven Development

1. Write documentation first
2. Let ByteBuddy guide implementation
3. Keep documentation and code in sync

Code Generation

Use documentation as a basis for code generation:

"Generate a REST controller based on the API specification in docs/api/endpoints.md"

Conclusion

ByteBuddy's documentation awareness is a powerful feature that enables more accurate and context-aware assistance. By properly structuring your documentation and configuring ByteBuddy to recognize it, you can significantly improve the quality of AI-assisted development.

For more information on configuration options, see the Understanding Configs guide.