DEV Community

Cover image for Simple Trick to Create API Docs for any Open-source Web Projects
LinceMathew
LinceMathew

Posted on

Simple Trick to Create API Docs for any Open-source Web Projects

When I started learning backend frameworks like Express.js, Spring Boot, and Django, one of my go-to activities was to explore GitHub.

I'd find similar projects or open-source tools built on a specific framework and examine their file structures, API practices, and code. This approach significantly helped me understand how to code framework backend servers effectively.

Similarly, many developers clone open-source web project repositories to learn a new framework, study folder structures, read source code, discover best practices, or use the project as a template.

One common challenge with open-source projects is the lack of comprehensive API documentation. In this article, we'll explore how to effortlessly create API docs for any open-source web backend project in just a few clicks using LiveAPI.

LiveAPI is a super-convenient auto-API doc generation tool that can create API documentation for any open-source web project within minutes. Let's illustrate its use with an example.

demo

Consider the project spring-petclinic, which has 7.8 stars on GitHub. Spring Petclinic is a Spring Boot application built using Maven or Gradle. Currently, it lacks API documentation, so let's create one using LiveAPI.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating API Docs

1. Log In and Navigate

Start by logging in to LiveAPI.

logging in to

Once logged in, find and select the "Create API Docs" option.

select the

2. Paste GitHub/Gitlab URL

Locate the GitHub/GitLab URL of your desired open-source project. Copy this URL and paste it into the provided input box. This will enable LiveAPI to access and work with the project's repository.

Paste GitHub/Gitlab URL

3. Create API Docs

Click the "Create Docs" button and allow a few minutes for the process to complete.

Create API Docs

4. API Docs Ready

LiveAPI will generate the API documentation for your project.
LiveAPI will generate

Once finished, the documentation will be hosted on LiveAPI and you can access the link immediately.

liveapi

Try this technique in LiveAPI and share the valuable feedback. happy coding

Top comments (0)