231 lines
9 KiB
Markdown
231 lines
9 KiB
Markdown
# Documentation styleguide
|
|
|
|
This styleguide recommends best practices to improve documentation and to keep
|
|
it organized and easy to find.
|
|
|
|
## Naming
|
|
|
|
- When creating a new document and it has more than one word in its name,
|
|
make sure to use underscores instead of spaces or dashes (`-`). For example,
|
|
a proper naming would be `import_projects_from_github.md`. The same rule
|
|
applies to images.
|
|
|
|
## Text
|
|
|
|
- Split up long lines, this makes it much easier to review and edit. Only
|
|
double line breaks are shown as a full line break in [GitLab markdown][gfm].
|
|
80-100 characters is a good line length
|
|
- Make sure that the documentation is added in the correct directory and that
|
|
there's a link to it somewhere useful
|
|
- Do not duplicate information
|
|
- Be brief and clear
|
|
- Unless there's a logical reason not to, add documents in alphabetical order
|
|
- Write in US English
|
|
- Use [single spaces][] instead of double spaces
|
|
|
|
## Formatting
|
|
|
|
- Use dashes (`-`) for unordered lists instead of asterisks (`*`)
|
|
- Use the number one (`1`) for ordered lists
|
|
- Use underscores (`_`) to mark a word or text in italics
|
|
- Use double asterisks (`**`) to mark a word or text in bold
|
|
- When using lists, prefer not to end each item with a period. You can use
|
|
them if there are multiple sentences, just keep the last sentence without
|
|
a period
|
|
|
|
## Headings
|
|
|
|
- Add only one H1 title in each document, by adding `#` at the beginning of
|
|
it (when using markdown). For subheadings, use `##`, `###` and so on
|
|
- Avoid putting numbers in headings. Numbers shift, hence documentation anchor
|
|
links shift too, which eventually leads to dead links. If you think it is
|
|
compelling to add numbers in headings, make sure to at least discuss it with
|
|
someone in the Merge Request
|
|
- When introducing a new document, be careful for the headings to be
|
|
grammatically and syntactically correct. It is advised to mention one or all
|
|
of the following GitLab members for a review: `@axil`, `@rspeicher`,
|
|
`@dblessing`, `@ashleys`, `@nearlythere`. This is to ensure that no document
|
|
with wrong heading is going live without an audit, thus preventing dead links
|
|
and redirection issues when corrected
|
|
- Leave exactly one newline after a heading
|
|
|
|
## Links
|
|
|
|
- If a link makes the paragraph to span across multiple lines, do not use
|
|
the regular Markdown approach: `[Text](https://example.com)`. Instead use
|
|
`[Text][identifier]` and at the very bottom of the document add:
|
|
`[identifier]: https://example.com`. This is another way to create Markdown
|
|
links which keeps the document clear and concise. Bonus points if you also
|
|
add an alternative text: `[identifier]: https://example.com "Alternative text"`
|
|
that appears when hovering your mouse on a link
|
|
|
|
## Images
|
|
|
|
- Place images in a separate directory named `img/` in the same directory where
|
|
the `.md` document that you're working on is located. Always prepend their
|
|
names with the name of the document that they will be included in. For
|
|
example, if there is a document called `twitter.md`, then a valid image name
|
|
could be `twitter_login_screen.png`.
|
|
- Images should have a specific, non-generic name that will differentiate them.
|
|
- Keep all file names in lower case.
|
|
- Consider using PNG images instead of JPEG.
|
|
|
|
Inside the document:
|
|
|
|
- The Markdown way of using an image inside a document is:
|
|
``
|
|
- Always use a proper description for what the image is about. That way, when a
|
|
browser fails to show the image, this text will be used as an alternative
|
|
description
|
|
- If there are consecutive images with little text between them, always add
|
|
three dashes (`---`) between the image and the text to create a horizontal
|
|
line for better clarity
|
|
- If a heading is placed right after an image, always add three dashes (`---`)
|
|
between the image and the heading
|
|
|
|
## Notes
|
|
|
|
- Notes should be in italics with the word `Note:` being bold. Use this form:
|
|
`_**Note:** This is something to note._`. If the note spans across multiple
|
|
lines it's OK to split the line.
|
|
|
|
## New features
|
|
|
|
- Every piece of documentation that comes with a new feature should declare the
|
|
GitLab version that feature got introduced. Right below the heading add a
|
|
note: `_**Note:** This feature was introduced in GitLab 8.3_`
|
|
- If possible every feature should have a link to the MR that introduced it.
|
|
The above note would be then transformed to:
|
|
`_**Note:** This feature was [introduced][ce-1242] in GitLab 8.3_`, where
|
|
the [link identifier](#links) is named after the repository (CE) and the MR
|
|
number
|
|
- If the feature is only in GitLab EE, don't forget to mention it, like:
|
|
`_**Note:** This feature was introduced in GitLab EE 8.3_`. Otherwise, leave
|
|
this mention out
|
|
|
|
## API
|
|
|
|
Here is a list of must-have items. Use them in the exact order that appears
|
|
on this document. Further explanation is given below.
|
|
|
|
- Every method must have the REST API request. For example:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
GET /projects/:id/repository/branches
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
- Every method must have a detailed
|
|
[description of the parameters](#method-description).
|
|
- Every method must have a cURL example.
|
|
- Every method must have a response body (in JSON format).
|
|
|
|
### Method description
|
|
|
|
Use the following table headers to describe the methods. Attributes should
|
|
always be in code blocks using backticks (`).
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|
|
| --------- | ---- | -------- | ----------- |
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Rendered example:
|
|
|
|
| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
|
|
| --------- | ---- | -------- | ----------- |
|
|
| `user` | string | yes | The GitLab username |
|
|
|
|
### cURL commands
|
|
|
|
- Use `https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/` as an endpoint.
|
|
- Wherever needed use this private token: `9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK`.
|
|
- Always put the request first. `GET` is the default so you don't have to
|
|
include it.
|
|
- Use double quotes to the URL when it includes additional parameters.
|
|
- Prefer to use examples using the private token and don't pass data of
|
|
username and password.
|
|
|
|
| Methods | Description |
|
|
| ------- | ----------- |
|
|
| `-H "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK"` | Use this method as is, whenever authentication needed |
|
|
| `-X POST` | Use this method when creating new objects |
|
|
| `-X PUT` | Use this method when updating existing objects |
|
|
| `-X DELETE` | Use this method when removing existing objects |
|
|
|
|
### cURL Examples
|
|
|
|
Below is a set of [cURL][] examples that you can use in the API documentation.
|
|
|
|
#### Simple cURL command
|
|
|
|
Get the details of a group:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
curl -H "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/groups/gitlab-org
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
#### cURL example with parameters passed in the URL
|
|
|
|
Create a new project under the authenticated user's namespace:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
curl -X POST -H "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects?name=foo"
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
#### Post data using cURL's --data
|
|
|
|
Instead of using `-X POST` and appending the parameters to the URI, you can use
|
|
cURL's `--data` option. The example below will create a new project `foo` under
|
|
the authenticated user's namespace.
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
curl --data "name=foo" -H "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects"
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
#### Post data using JSON content
|
|
|
|
_**Note:** In this example we create a new group. Watch carefully the single
|
|
and double quotes._
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
curl -X POST -H "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data '{"path": "my-group", "name": "My group"}' https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/groups
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
#### Post data using form-data
|
|
|
|
Instead of using JSON or urlencode you can use multipart/form-data which
|
|
properly handles data encoding:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
curl -X POST -H "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" -F "title=ssh-key" -F "key=ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EA..." https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/users/25/keys
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
The above example is run by and administrator and will add an SSH public key
|
|
titled ssh-key to user's account which has an id of 25.
|
|
|
|
#### Escape special characters
|
|
|
|
Spaces or slashes (`/`) may sometimes result to errors, thus it is recommended
|
|
to escape them when possible. In the example below we create a new issue which
|
|
contains spaces in its title. Observe how spaces are escaped using the `%20`
|
|
ASCII code.
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
curl -X POST -H "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects/42/issues?title=Hello%20Dude"
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Use `%2F` for slashes (`/`).
|
|
|
|
#### Pass arrays to API calls
|
|
|
|
The GitLab API sometimes accepts arrays of strings or integers. For example, to
|
|
restrict the sign-up e-mail domains of a GitLab instance to `*.example.com` and
|
|
`example.net`, you would do something like this:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
curl -X PUT -H "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" -d "restricted_signup_domains[]=*.example.com" -d "restricted_signup_domains[]=example.net" https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/application/settings
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
[cURL]: http://curl.haxx.se/ "cURL website"
|
|
[single spaces]: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.html
|
|
[gfm]: http://doc.gitlab.com/ce/markdown/markdown.html#newlines "GitLab flavored markdown documentation"
|