wca-generate-doc.md

---

copyright: years: 2024 lastupdated: "2024-11-14"

keywords:

subcollection: watsonx-code-assistant

---

{{site.data.keyword.attribute-definition-list}}

Documenting code

{: #wca-generate-doc}

[{{site.data.keyword.wca_short}}]{: tag-blue}

Generate comment lines that document what your code does. {: shortdesc}

Documentation uses these standards, depending on the code language:

Code	Documentation standard
C	doxygen
C++	doxygen
Go	GoDoc
Java	Javadoc
JavaScript	JSDoc
Typescript	JSDoc
All others	Markdown
{: caption="Documentation standards" caption-side="bottom"}

Using a chat command to generate documentation

{: #wca-generate-doc-chat-command}

You can use the /document command in chat to generate documentation for a referenced file or a method or a class in the active workspace.

Use this syntax:

/document <code reference> [additional instructions]

For <code reference>, type the @ symbol to see a list of files, classes, and methods from your workspace. Use one file, method, class reference at a time.

The [additional instructions] are optional. Add instructions if you want specific details.

Examples prompts:

• /document @file.java
• /document @method1

Using the CodeLens in the editor to generate documentation

{: #wca-generate-doc-document-option}

In the IDE editor, the CodeLens shows a line of generative AI options that precedes code blocks and snippets.

Click the Document option that immediately precedes a code block or snippet to generate its documentation. For example:

   Explain | Document | Unit Test
	protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)
			throws ServletException, IOException {

		doGet(request, response);
	}