# Vellum Documentation Outline This outline serves as a guide for creating the Markdown documentation files for Vellum. Each section below corresponds to a dedicated Markdown file that will cover a specific aspect of Vellum, from high-level concepts to detailed technical explanations. The documentation is designed to be clear, progressive, and visually engaging, ensuring Vellum is approachable for beginners and powerful for experienced users. --- ## 1. Central `README.md` - **Purpose**: Provide a welcoming overview of Vellum and quick access to key resources. - **Content**: - **Introduction to Vellum**: Briefly explain what Vellum is (a custom web component for modular web applications). - **Key Features**: List standout features (e.g., dynamic mod loading, flexible rendering, action-driven extensibility). - **Quick Start**: Include a minimal code example to get Vellum running. - **Installation**: Provide steps for installing Vellum (e.g., via npm or script inclusion). - **Table of Contents**: Link to other Markdown files for deeper dives: - [Understanding Mods](./mods.md) - [Layout Management](./layouts.md) - [Action System](./actions.md) - [Toolkit API](./toolkit.md) - [Advanced Topics](./advanced.md) - [Examples and Tutorials](./examples/) - [API Reference](./api-reference.md) --- ## 2. Understanding Mods (`mods.md`) - **Purpose**: Introduce mods as Vellum’s building blocks and explain their structure and lifecycle. - **Content**: - **What is a Mod?**: Define a mod and its role in Vellum. - **Mod Structure**: Explain the expected structure, focusing on the `init` function and its parameters. - **Mod Lifecycle**: Describe the stages (loading, initialization, execution) with a simple diagram. - **Dependency Management**: Explain how to use `require` attributes and handle load order with priorities. - **Error Handling**: Provide tips for gracefully handling errors within mods. - **Example**: Include a basic mod example with code snippets. --- ## 3. Layout Management (`layouts.md`) - **Purpose**: Guide developers through managing and customizing layouts in Vellum. - **Content**: - **Introduction to Layouts**: Explain the role of layouts in organizing content. - **Default Rendering**: Describe how Vellum renders content by default and how to override it. - **Custom Renderers**: Explain how to integrate custom renderers (e.g., for React, Vue). - **Styling Options**: Discuss Shadow DOM, CSS parts, and variables for styling. - **Conceptual Framework**: Offer a mental model for layout management (e.g., as a stack or tree). - **Dynamic Layout Changes**: Show examples of pushing/popping layouts via actions. - **Diagram**: Include a visual representation of layout stacking or content flow. --- ## 4. Action System (`actions.md`) - **Purpose**: Clarify the action system, Vellum’s mechanism for mod communication and extensibility. - **Content**: - **What are Actions?**: Define actions and their role as an event-driven backbone. - **Registering Handlers**: Explain how to register action handlers within mods. - **Dispatching Actions**: Describe how to dispatch actions using the toolkit. - **Built-in Actions**: Overview actions like `'layout:get-active'` and their purposes. - **Creating Custom Actions**: Provide guidance on naming conventions and best practices. - **Implications**: Discuss how actions enable loose coupling and extensibility. - **Flow Diagram**: Include a diagram showing action dispatch and handler execution. --- ## 5. Toolkit API (`toolkit.md`) - **Purpose**: Explain the toolkit object that mods use to interact with Vellum. - **Content**: - **Toolkit Overview**: Introduce the toolkit and its core methods (e.g., `dispatchAction`, `bindToClass`). - **Dispatching Actions**: Provide examples of dispatching actions from within a mod. - **Binding to Classes**: Explain how to use `bindToClass` for easier toolkit access. - **Accessing the Host Element**: Describe how to interact with Vellum’s host element. - **Example**: Include a code snippet demonstrating toolkit usage in a mod. --- ## 6. Advanced Topics (`advanced.md`) - **Purpose**: Address complex use cases and optimizations for experienced developers. - **Content**: - **Dynamic Mod Loading**: Explain how Vellum handles runtime mod additions via `MutationObserver`. - **Mod Unloading**: Discuss how to unload mods and clean up resources (if implemented). - **Performance Optimizations**: Offer tips for large-scale applications (e.g., lazy loading mods). - **Security Considerations**: Explain optional security features like whitelisting mod sources. - **Best Practices**: Provide guidance on structuring large applications with Vellum. --- ## 7. Examples and Tutorials (`examples/`) - **Purpose**: Provide hands-on learning through practical examples. - **Content**: - **Basic Single-Mod Application**: A simple example to get started. - **Framework Integrations**: Examples for React, Vue, Svelte, and Lit. - **Dynamic Mod Addition/Removal**: Demonstrate runtime mod management. - **Error Handling Scenarios**: Show how to handle and recover from mod failures. - **Styling with Shadow DOM**: Provide a styling-focused example using CSS parts or variables. --- ## 8. API Reference (`api-reference.md`) - **Purpose**: Summarize or link to JSDoc-generated technical documentation. - **Content**: - **Vellum Class Overview**: Briefly describe the Vellum class, its methods, and properties. - **Utility Functions**: List key utility functions from `src/utils/`. - **Events**: Document events emitted by Vellum (e.g., `'vellum:mod-loaded'`). - **Link to Full API Docs**: Direct users to the complete JSDoc output for detailed reference. --- ## Design Principles for Documentation To ensure the documentation is developer-friendly, each file will adhere to these principles: - **Clarity**: Start with simple explanations before diving into details. - **Progressive Depth**: Move from basic concepts to advanced topics within each file. - **Visual Support**: Use diagrams for complex flows (e.g., mod lifecycle, action dispatch). - **Consistency**: Maintain uniform headings, code block styles, and terminology. - **Practicality**: Include short, runnable code snippets to illustrate concepts. - **Navigation**: Cross-link related topics and maintain a clear hierarchy. --- ## Next Steps - **Create Individual Markdown Files**: Use this outline to generate each documentation file, ensuring they follow the design principles. - **Integrate with JSDoc**: Generate API documentation and link it from `api-reference.md`. - **Review and Iterate**: Test the documentation with new users to refine clarity and flow. This outline, saved as a Markdown file (e.g., `docs-outline.md`), can be linked from the `README.md` to provide a clear roadmap for both documentation writers and developers using Vellum.