README

Developer-first API documentation that lives where your code lives.

IntentDoc allows you to describe the intent behind your API endpoints directly where they are defined. By attaching human-readable metadata (purpose, rules, and context) to routes using a fluent, expressive API, IntentDoc generates a clear, structured representation of what each endpoint is meant to do.

Why IntentDoc?

Intent-Driven: Document the "why", not just the "what"
Clean Syntax: Fluent API that feels natural in Laravel
Zero Pollution: No heavy annotations or controller clutter
Multiple Formats: Generate JSON, Markdown, or HTML documentation
Framework-Friendly: Built specifically for Laravel's routing system
Lightweight: Minimal dependencies, maximum clarity

Installation

Install via Composer:

composer require intent-doc/laravel

The service provider will be automatically registered.

Usage

Basic Example

In your route files (routes/api.php or routes/web.php):

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;

Route::post('/payments', [PaymentController::class, 'store'])
    ->intent('Process payment')
    ->description('Processes a customer payment transaction')
    ->rules([
        'Authenticated user required',
        'User must have valid payment method',
        'Amount must be positive',
    ]);

Advanced Example

Route::get('/users/{id}', [UserController::class, 'show'])
    ->intent('Get user details')
    ->description('Retrieves detailed information about a specific user')
    ->rules([
        'Authenticated user required',
        'Admin or user must own the resource',
    ])
    ->request([
        'headers' => [
            'Authorization' => 'Bearer {token}',
        ],
    ])
    ->response([
        'data' => [
            'id' => 1,
            'name' => 'John Doe',
            'email' => 'john@example.com',
        ],
    ]);

Available Methods

->intent(string $name) - The name/intent of the endpoint (required)
->description(string $description) - Detailed description of what the endpoint does
->rules(array $rules) - Business rules and constraints
->request(array $request) - Example request structure
->response(array $response) - Example response structure

Generating Documentation

IntentDoc provides an Artisan command to generate documentation in multiple formats:

Quick Start - Interactive Documentation

The easiest way to generate documentation is to run the command without any options:

php artisan intent-doc:generate

This will automatically:

Create an intent-doc/ folder in your project root
Generate intent-doc/api-doc.json with all your documented endpoints
Generate intent-doc/index.html - a beautiful, interactive documentation viewer

Simply open intent-doc/index.html in your browser to view your API documentation!

Features of the interactive viewer:

Search endpoints by name, path, or method
Expandable sections for each endpoint
Color-coded HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.)
Clean, modern interface with syntax highlighting
No server required - works offline

Custom Output (Advanced)

You can also generate documentation in specific formats to custom locations:

JSON Format

php artisan intent-doc:generate --format=json --output=docs/custom-api.json

Markdown Format

php artisan intent-doc:generate --format=markdown --output=docs/API.md

HTML Format

php artisan intent-doc:generate --format=html --output=docs/api.html

Example Output Structure

The generated api-doc.json follows this structure:

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "generated_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "endpoints": [
    {
      "name": "Process payment",
      "description": "Processes a customer payment transaction",
      "method": "POST",
      "endpoint": "/api/payments",
      "rules": [
        "Authenticated user required",
        "User must have valid payment method"
      ],
      "request": {
        "amount": 99.99,
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "response": {
        "id": 12345,
        "status": "completed"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Version Control

You can choose to commit the intent-doc/ folder to your repository or generate it on-demand:

Option 1: Commit documentation (Recommended)

Keep intent-doc/ in version control
Useful for sharing documentation with the team
Documentation is always available without regeneration

Option 2: Generate on-demand

Add intent-doc/ to your .gitignore
Generate documentation when needed
Keeps repository lighter

# Add to .gitignore if you prefer to generate on-demand
/intent-doc/

Real-World Example

// routes/api.php

Route::prefix('api/v1')->group(function () {

    Route::post('/auth/login', [AuthController::class, 'login'])
        ->intent('User authentication')
        ->description('Authenticates a user and returns an access token')
        ->rules([
            'Rate limited to 5 attempts per minute',
            'Credentials must be valid',
        ])
        ->request([
            'email' => 'user@example.com',
            'password' => 'password123',
        ])
        ->response([
            'token' => 'eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1...',
            'expires_at' => '2024-01-15T12:00:00Z',
        ]);

    Route::middleware('auth:sanctum')->group(function () {

        Route::get('/orders', [OrderController::class, 'index'])
            ->intent('List user orders')
            ->description('Retrieves a paginated list of orders for the authenticated user')
            ->rules([
                'Authenticated user required',
                'Returns only orders owned by the user',
            ])
            ->response([
                'data' => [
                    ['id' => 1, 'total' => 99.99, 'status' => 'completed'],
                    ['id' => 2, 'total' => 149.99, 'status' => 'pending'],
                ],
                'meta' => [
                    'current_page' => 1,
                    'total' => 45,
                ],
            ]);

        Route::post('/orders', [OrderController::class, 'store'])
            ->intent('Create new order')
            ->description('Creates a new order for the authenticated user')
            ->rules([
                'Authenticated user required',
                'Cart must not be empty',
                'All items must be in stock',
                'Payment method must be valid',
            ])
            ->request([
                'items' => [
                    ['product_id' => 1, 'quantity' => 2],
                    ['product_id' => 5, 'quantity' => 1],
                ],
                'shipping_address_id' => 3,
                'payment_method_id' => 2,
            ])
            ->response([
                'data' => [
                    'id' => 123,
                    'total' => 199.99,
                    'status' => 'pending',
                ],
            ]);
    });
});

Benefits

For Developers

Documentation lives with code: No more outdated separate docs
Quick onboarding: New developers understand intent immediately
Self-documenting: The code explains business logic
Type-safe: Fluent API with IDE autocomplete

For Teams

Alignment: Business intent is explicit in technical implementation
Maintainability: Easy to understand what endpoints should do
Communication: Bridge between technical and business teams
Evolution: See how APIs should change over time

For Projects

API Discovery: Automatically generate documentation
Contract Testing: Use intent definitions for testing
API Governance: Ensure endpoints meet business requirements
Integration: Share documentation with frontend teams

Philosophy

IntentDoc follows these principles:

Intent Over Implementation: Document why before how
Proximity: Documentation should live next to the code it describes
Clarity: Simple, readable, human-friendly syntax
Flexibility: Multiple output formats for different needs
Zero Overhead: Minimal performance impact

Requirements

PHP 8.2, 8.3, or 8.4
Laravel 10.x, 11.x, or 12.x

Testing

Run the tests with:

composer test

Generate coverage report:

composer test-coverage

Local Testing with Docker

You can test all PHP/Laravel version combinations locally using Docker without relying on GitHub Actions:

# Run all tests across multiple PHP and Laravel versions
./run-tests-docker.sh

This will:

Test PHP 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4
Test Laravel 10.x, 11.x, and 12.x
Generate a compatibility matrix in COMPATIBILITY.md
Save detailed logs in test-results/

The script uses official PHP Docker images and provides colored output showing which combinations passed (✓), failed (✗), or are not supported (⊘).

Requirements:

Docker installed and running
Internet connection (first run only)

View results:

# See the compatibility matrix
cat COMPATIBILITY.md

# Check specific test logs
cat test-results/php-8.2-laravel-10.*.log

Development

Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

Changelog

Please see CHANGELOG.md for recent changes.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please open an issue on GitHub.

Made with ❤️ for Laravel developers who believe good documentation starts with clear intent.

intent-doc / laravel

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