Best Javascript Documentation Generator

The best Javascript Documentation Generator can also be called Best JavaScript Documentation Generator or Best JavaScript Doc Generator. Basically, it’s a tool that generates documentation for JavaScript code. The reason why I put this product in the category of tools is because, at the end of the day, the main purpose of Javadoc is to produce API documentation to help developers understand how to use the API they just downloaded. So Javadocs, along with API doc and sample files, should provide all you need for getting started with an API you are learning or to get familiarized with it.

The best Javascript Documentation Generator can also be called Best JavaScript Documentation Generator or Best JavaScript Doc Generator. Basically, it’s a tool that generates documentation for JavaScript code. The reason why I put this product in the category of tools is because, at the end of the day, the main purpose of Javadoc is to produce API documentation to help developers understand how to use the API they just downloaded. So Javadocs, along with API doc and sample files, should provide all you need for getting started with an API you are learning or to get familiarized with it.

You have a working knowledge of JavaScript, you understand how it works, and know the differences between its various iterations. You’ve built a website or two in the early days of your career using JavaScript. But, if you’re like most developers out there, you haven’t been paying attention to the world around you when it comes to writing your own documentation. This includes other people’s documentation as well as your own.

Documentation is one of the most important factors in software development (especially web development) because it contains the details that help developers. This article on best javascript documentation generator reviews some popular documentation generators. I will try with my hands-on experience to compare them and differentiate their advantages and disadvantages.

How Hard Is It to Learn JavaScript?

The degree of difficulty in learning JavaScript largely depends on your understanding of other coding languages. The first step towards learning JavaScript is to first understand HTML. Why?

Because the most common way to run JavaScript is as part of a web page, and that can only be learned with the help of HTML. Getting familiar with CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets is also important since CSS provides the formatting engine behind the HTML.

Easiest setup

Docusaurus makes it easy to maintain documentation in a git repo. Your documentation files are just markdown files that live alongside your code, and the website is built for you automatically.

Perfect for open source projects.

Best documentation for components

Storybook is documentation for your components. React or vue or angular, they all work inside Storybook. It’s a great way to showcase your components in a styleguide style way. You can also toggle state/props easily to show functionality of the components.

Most enterprise level

Wiki.js is easily the most flexible documentation framework. It has enterprise level features like localization, 2FA authentication and user management so you’re probably wondering what the pricing tier looks like, but it’s actually free and open source. Overkill for smaller projects, however for larger or company wide documentation it’s unrivaled.

Most stable

Originally released in 2011, JSDoc is certainly showing it’s age now. But with age comes maturity, and this sure is one tried and tested documentation generator. It’s stable and feature-full although a little dated visually.

Best multi language support

Slate is very much inspired by Stripe’s amazing documentation and they don’t hide it. If you like Stripe’s API docs, you’ll love Slate with it’s multi language support and clean look.

Slate works best with API documentation.

ESDoc is a good documentation generator for JavaScript.

Features

• Generates good documentation.
• Measures documentation coverage.
• Integrate test codes into documentation.
• Integrate manual into documentation.
• Parse ECMAScript proposals.
• Add custom features by plugin architecture
• ESDoc Hosting Service

Users

• ESDoc (self-hosting)
• RxJS
• Sketch API

And more.

Quick Start

# move to a your project directory
cd your-project/

# install ESDoc and standard plugin
npm install esdoc esdoc-standard-plugin

# write a configuration file.
echo '{
  "source": "./src",
  "destination": "./docs",
  "plugins": [{"name": "esdoc-standard-plugin"}]
}' > .esdoc.json

# run ESDoc
./node_modules/.bin/esdoc

# see a documentation
open ./docs/index.html

Learning JavaScript vs HTML

HTML stands for ‘HyperText Markup Language’. It is a markup language that is human-readable and annotates text for a specific purpose. HTML is fairly straightforward and easy to learn. In HTML, every type of content is wrapped in tags to identify what the content is. Generally, HTML tags are used to wrap content like paragraphs, headings, lists, and graphics.

An HTML tag comprises content enclosed within angle brackets. The tag name appears first, which is followed by a series of attributes. Also, the closing tag is matched with an opening tag by placing a ‘slash’ in front of the tag name.

On the other hand, unlike HTML, JavaScript is a programming language, making it more difficult to learn than HTML. This is because a markup language merely describes what an action signifies, while a programming language defines a series of those actions to be performed.

All commands written in JavaScript define an individual action. This action can range from copying a value from one place to another, to performing calculations, or even testing a condition. And since there is a plethora of actions that can be performed, coupled with an array of combinations in which they can be done, learning any programming language will be more difficult than a markup language.

There is a catch, however. While it’s true that JavaScript is more complex than HTML, the upside is that you can start writing code in JavaScript much quicker than learning to mark-up web pages in HTML correctly. Nevertheless, it will take you much longer to master JavaScript, as compared to HTML.

But if you are already familiar with another programming language, then learning JavaScript will be a much simpler task than learning your first programming language. When you learn a second or subsequent programming language it’s always easier. This is because you are already well-versed with the programming style, and only have to understand the specific command syntax of the new language.

Tips for Learning JavaScript

Learning a new programming language is always going to be a challenge, but there are ways you can speed up the process, and even make it more enjoyable. Here are some of our pro tips for learning JavaScript fast.

• Give yourself a schedule. We all need to hold ourselves accountable, because let’s face it: no matter how driven you are to code, there are going to be days where you’d rather watch Netflix. You’re going to hit rough patches when it’s hard to sit down and focus. So set a schedule that you can stick to.
• Learn other languages, too. You’re not going to use JavaScript in a vacuum without also relying on HTML, CSS and other languages. So learn to see all of these languages in context. With each one you pick up, the next one will become even easier.
• Practice with hands-on projects. If you can see your new coding chops in action, you’ll be motivated to keep learning.

Start Your Career in Programming

Different programming languages require different syntax and approaches to coding. If you know a language with a similar paradigm to JavaScript, then learning it will be rather easy. Arguably, JavaScript is one of the easiest programming languages to learn, so it serves as a great first language for anyone brand new to coding. Even the most complex lines of JavaScript code can be written one by one, in fragments. It can also be tested in the web browser at the same time.

And if you put in the time to learn this language, your dedication will pay off. Even small pieces of JavaScript code can improve the productivity of your webpage almost immediately.

JavaScript is a crucial language for building dynamic websites. Learn JavaScript online and you can set your own pace. If you feel confident with the material, you don’t need to wait for the rest of the class to move through the easy stuff. If you need a little extra practice, you can go slower where you need to.   

Along with HTML and CSS, JavaScript is one of the building blocks of an effective website.  It’s a programming language that lets you implement complex, dynamic features on web pages. Once you learn it, you can call yourself a web developer. You can update content, control multimedia, animate images, and so much more.

Using JavaScript, you can:

• Provide interactive maps
• Animate 2D and 3D graphics
• Offer scrolling jukeboxes
• Manage a website’s back-end
• Get really creative

‌JavaScript is extremely popular, but it can be difficult for beginners to get started. With a bit of tenacity and the proper guidance, however, you can learn JavaScript and start to create your own JavaScript programs to make your web pages pop.

‌How long does it take to learn JavaScript from scratch? 

Learning JavaScript isn’t like picking up HTML or CSS. You’re learning a programming language, although it’s one of the easier ones to use. 

‌If you’re learning on your own, it can take six to nine months to become proficient in JavaScript. Some of that time is spent learning how to think like a programmer — helpful for when you move on to learning other programming languages.

‌If you need to learn JavaScript faster than that, consider taking an intensive coding bootcamp. It does require a financial investment, but you can learn to code in as little as 15 weeks and start building a portfolio. 

There are also lots of online tutorials, such as this free Learn JavaScript tutorial from Flatiron School that covers all the basics of JavaScript in about 4 hours. 

‌But don’t let the time investment stop you. Learning JavaScript pays substantial dividends that make the effort more than worth it.

What should I know before starting to learn JavaScript?‌

Before trying to learn JavaScript, you should make sure you have decent computer literacy. Since JavaScript is used to create dynamic websites, it’s also helpful to have a basic familiarity with the other web page building blocks, HTML and CSS. You don’t need to know any other programming languages to learn JavaScript.

‌Once you have JavaScript under your belt, you can use your newfound programming skills to pick up other languages. You will notice many similarities between them.

How hard is the JavaScript programming language?

JavaScript is one of the easier programming languages to learn, particularly if you’re a complete beginner. It’s also updated regularly, so you need to continue learning to keep your skills up to date once you have the basics. 

‌Becoming an advanced JavaScript developer can take more effort because it allows multiple ways to accomplish the same task. Learning which is best for your situation requires you to take time to build your expertise. However, once you begin working on a project, it’s not difficult to understand where everything fits.

How long does it take to learn JavaScript if I already know HTML and CSS?

If you already know HTML and CSS, you probably have a pretty good understanding of how a website works and what it would take to make it better. Also, understanding those tools shows you have the computer literacy needed to add to your repertoire. You’ll be able to skip some of the easier parts, shaving a few weeks off of your learning time.

That being said, JavaScript isn’t just another markup language. It’s a programming language, which takes longer to learn and master. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources to help you practice, including books, forums, and online information.

‌For now, let’s get you started with some basics.

Getting started with JavaScript basics

Programming languages come in two flavors: interpreted and compiled. JavaScript is an interpreted language, meaning the program runs from top to bottom, start to finish as written. The computer doesn’t need to take the intermediate step of compiling the language.  

Because the code is run from beginning to end in order, you need to plan carefully. Placing instructions in the proper order is critical. The script won’t operate if a couple of steps are in the wrong order. Instead, you’ll see an error in the browser developer console, the environment where you test your code.

‌Think of it like teaching someone how to tie their shoes. You can’t tell them to tie the shoes until they put the shoes on. If you leave out the instructions for donning the shoes, the shoes aren’t there to tie.

Here are some of the basics of JavaScript that are important to learn: 

• Common features
• Server-side vs client-side
• Dynamic vs. static
• Basic syntax
• Statements and functions
• Keywords
• Values, variables, operators, and expressions‌
• Objects, primitives (data types), comments, and identifiers
• JavaScript frameworks

Common features

JavaScript has several standard features. It stores useful values inside variables. These variables can be changed at any time. Operations can run on pieces of text referred to as “strings,” allowing you to manipulate a sequence of characters. 

‌When a specific event occurs on a webpage (like a user clicking on a button), JavaScript can also be used to trigger an operation in response (like showing a popup window).

‌Server-side vs. client-side

If you work in web development, you may hear the terms server-side and client-side code. 

Client-side code runs on the user’s device as they view a web page. The code is downloaded, run, and displayed via the web browser on the device. When you learn JavaScript, most of your practice goes into client-side coding. ‌

Server-side code runs on the server, which is the computer that provides web pages to a user’s browser. The results download and display in the browser. Other popular server-side languages include Python and Ruby.

JavaScript is used for both server-side and client-side coding.

Dynamic vs. static

Dynamic and static are more than descriptors for engaging or boring web pages. They also describe how JavaScript, HTML, and CSS function on a website. 

‌A static web page is one that never changes. There is no interaction, just display. You create static pages using HTML and CSS, which is fine for a simple page containing text information or an image. If you need to make changes, however, you have to rewrite the HTML or CSS layers manually.

‌A dynamic page is one that changes in response to user input or contains animated displays or other interactive elements. HTML and CSS alone cannot provide a dynamic experience. JavaScript layers neatly onto the HTML and CSS base to create a web page that does more than just sit there.

Basic syntax

Every language, whether spoken, written, or programmed, has its own syntax. One syntax rule in JavaScript concerns the letter case which in JavaScript is case-sensitive. For example, lastName and lastname are two different variables. As another example, a prominent keyword in JavaScript is function. If you type Function or FUNCTION, JavaScript will not recognize it. 

Over time, programmers have come up with various ways to join multiple words into a variable name. Some use hyphens between the two words. Others use underscores between the terms.

‌JavaScript programmers tend to use something called camel case, which involves beginning each meaningful term in a variable with a capital letter. In JavaScript, the first term is generally lowercase. One example of this is the variable lastName above.‌

Statements and functions

A computer program is essentially a list of instructions to be executed by a computer. In computer programming, the instructions are called statements. A set of statements makes up a function, which performs tasks and calculates values.

‌JavaScript statements are composed of, among other things:

• Values 
• Operators 
• Expressions 
• Keywords 
• Comments 

Statements are separated by a line break. For example:

‌let x,y;

x = 3;

y = 6;

‌

Keywords

Keywords are tokens that have a special meaning in JavaScript. Statements may begin with a keyword to identify the action to be performed. 

‌Keywords are reserved words, meaning they can’t be used to name a variable. 

‌Examples of keywords include:

• break — terminates a loop or switch
• debugger — stops the execution of JavaScript and calls the debugging function if it’s available
• for — marks a block of statements to be executed as long as a condition is true
• function — declares a function
• return — exits a function
• switch — marks a block of statements to be executed depending on different cases
• let — declares a variable

‌Remember, JavaScript is case-sensitive. If you capitalize any letters in keywords, JavaScript won’t recognize them.

Conclusion

There is a sense of joy that comes with finding a way to automate something. Developers are always looking for ways to write less code, and removing the need to manually document your source code can be a huge time saver. Many developers look for ways to generate API documentation or make a scaffolding system that can auto-generate an API file when they create a new API endpoint. Others use templating libraries to add API documentation frontend directly into the templates that they output.

These two approaches have their benefits and drawbacks, but can both be improved upon by using another library known as MDoc from Markdowndev.com . Since we are talking about creating API documentation, or just developer documentation in general, in Javascript for nodejs or for the browser, my recommendation is MDoc . It’s super easy to install, has plenty of features and it works great out of the box!