doxygen

Generate a default template configuration file Doxyfile

$ doxygen -g

$ doxygen -g [path/to/config_file]

$ doxygen [path/to/config_file]

doxygen [config_file]

config_file
    Specifies the configuration file to use. If no config_file is provided, Doxygen searches for a file named 'Doxyfile' in the current directory.

Doxygen is a documentation generator for C++, C, Java, Python, IDL (Corba, Microsoft, and Qt flavors), Fortran, VHDL, PHP, C#, Objective-C, Tcl, and D. It can generate an online documentation browser (in HTML) and/or an offline reference manual (in LaTeX) from a set of documented source files. The documentation is extracted directly from the source code, which makes it much easier to keep the documentation consistent with the code. Doxygen excels at creating documentation for large projects and can be configured extensively through its configuration file.

Doxygen relies on specially formatted comments within the source code to generate its output. These comments include directives that instruct Doxygen how to interpret the code and produce the documentation. Using specific keywords and markup, developers can provide detailed explanations of classes, functions, variables, and other code elements. The output can be tailored to specific needs, including different documentation formats and layouts.

It is possible to use Doxygen without any code commenting. In this case Doxygen is using the code's structure to infer its documentation. This is less optimal than documenting your code with Doxygen's directives.

Doxygen's effectiveness is highly dependent on the quality and consistency of the comments embedded within the source code. Incorrect or incomplete comments can lead to inaccurate or misleading documentation. Large projects with complex interdependencies may require careful configuration to ensure accurate and complete documentation generation. Modifying the Doxyfile is the key to customizing the doxygen output and can be complex depending on the desired result.

Doxygen's behavior is controlled by a configuration file, typically named 'Doxyfile'. This file specifies various settings, such as the input directories, output formats, and documentation style. The Doxyfile can be created using `doxygen -g` to generate a default configuration file which can be later edited to suit project needs.

Doxygen uses a special markup language within comments to interpret and format the documentation. This markup includes commands for specifying section headers, lists, tables, code examples, and cross-references.

Doxygen was initially developed by Dimitri van Heesch in the late 1990s. Its purpose was to address the need for automated documentation generation from source code, making it easier to keep documentation up-to-date and consistent with the code. Over the years, Doxygen has evolved significantly, adding support for more languages, new output formats, and enhanced customization options. It has become a widely used tool in software development for generating high-quality documentation.

javadoc(1), perldoc(1)