mk:docs-init

Docs Init

Generate initial project documentation from codebase analysis.

Scope: Creates docs/ from scratch. For updating existing docs → mk:document-release.

Also run mk:project-context to generate the agent-constitution file (docs/project-context.md). mk:docs-init generates the full documentation suite; mk:project-context generates only the constitution.

When to Use

• Project has no docs/ directory
• docs/ exists but is empty or has only stubs
• User asks to "initialize docs", "create documentation", "generate docs"
• After mk:bootstrap completes (new project needs docs)

Do NOT invoke when: docs already exist and need updating (use mk:document-release).

Process

1. Check existing state — does docs/ exist? Are files already populated?
2. If populated docs exist → suggest mk:document-release instead, stop.
3. Scout codebase — activate mk:scout to analyze project structure.

Skip: .claude/, .git/, node_modules/, __pycache__/, dist/, build/

1. Merge findings — consolidate scout reports into context for doc generation
2. Generate docs — spawn documenter subagent via Task tool with scout context.

Output files (adapt to what the project actually has):

• README.md — project overview (≤300 lines)
• docs/project-overview.md — what this project is, who it's for
• docs/codebase-summary.md — directory map, key modules, entry points
• docs/code-standards.md — conventions found in codebase
• docs/architecture/system-architecture.md — component diagram, data flow

Optional (generate only if relevant):

• docs/deployment-guide.md — if CI/CD or Docker config detected
• docs/design-guidelines.md — if frontend/UI code detected
• Size check — run wc -l docs/*.md | sort -rn. Flag files >800 lines.
• Report — print generated files list with line counts.

Hard gate: Do NOT write code or implementation. Only documentation.

Gotchas

• Hallucinating architecture: generating docs about code that doesn't exist → always scout FIRST, generate from findings only
• Over-documenting small projects: creating 7 docs for a 50-line script → check project size; small projects get README + codebase-summary only
• Stale on first run: docs describe initial state but drift immediately → tell user to run mk:document-release after each feature ship

Full list: references/gotchas.md

Workflow Integration

Runs after mk:bootstrap or on any existing project without docs.

mk:bootstrap → mk:docs-init → mk:plan-creator (first feature)

Also invoked standalone: mk:docs-init on existing undocumented project.

Handoff Protocol

On completion:

• Print generated files list + line counts
• "Docs initialized. Run mk:document-release after shipping features to keep them in sync."