Project Templates: Documentation Design Study

Overview

This section analyzes how the Development-Workflow-Docs project itself serves as a template and reference pattern for creating mdBook-based documentation projects, rather than maintaining a formal template collection.

Actual Template Approach

Instead of pre-built templates, this project demonstrates documentation by example - using the Development-Workflow-Docs repository as a living template that can be studied, adapted, and replicated for new documentation projects.

What We Don't Have (Yet)

Formal Template Collection: No /templates directory with boilerplate projects
Setup Scripts: No automated project initialization scripts
Multiple Project Types: Currently focused on mdBook documentation only
Template Versioning: No formal versioning system for template updates

What We Do Have: Real Implementation Patterns

This project provides actual, working examples of:

mdBook Configuration: Real book.toml with proven settings
GitHub Actions Deployment: Functional .github/workflows/deploy.yml
Content Organization: 28-file documentation structure that works
Navigation Design: SUMMARY.md organization patterns

Current Project as Template Reference

Development-Workflow-Docs Structure (Actual Implementation)

Development-Workflow-Docs/
├── README.md                      # Project overview with badges
├── CLAUDE.md                      # AI assistant guidance file
├── book.toml                      # mdBook configuration (working)
├── .github/workflows/deploy.yml   # GitHub Actions deployment (58 lines)
├── .gitignore                     # Excludes book/ build directory
└── src/
    ├── SUMMARY.md                 # Master navigation structure
    ├── introduction.md            # Project introduction
    ├── languages/                 # Programming languages (6 files)
    │   ├── html-css/README.md     # CSS via mdBook theming
    │   ├── javascript/README.md   # JS via mdBook built-ins
    │   ├── markdown/README.md     # 28-file documentation structure
    │   ├── python/README.md       # Python potential (not used)
    │   ├── rust/README.md         # Rust via mdBook only
    │   └── yaml-toml/README.md    # Configuration files only
    ├── tools/                     # Development tools (7 files)
    ├── systems/                   # Development systems (6 files)
    ├── projects/                  # Project-specific docs (3 files)
    └── workflows/                 # Development workflows (5 files)

What Actually Works in This Project

# book.toml - Real configuration that deploys successfully
[book]
authors = ["Michael Orlando"]
language = "en"
src = "src"
title = "Development Workflow Documentation"

[output.html]
site-url = "/Development-Workflow-Docs/"
git-repository-url = "https://github.com/Lazer-Mic/Development-Workflow-Docs"
edit-url-template = "https://github.com/Lazer-Mic/Development-Workflow-Docs/edit/main/src/{path}"

[output.html.search]
enable = true
prebuild-index = true

Using This Project as a Template

Manual Template Process (What Actually Works)

# Clone this project as starting point
git clone https://github.com/Lazer-Mic/Development-Workflow-Docs.git new-project

# Clean up for new project
cd new-project
rm -rf .git book/
git init

# Update book.toml for new project
# Change title, authors, site-url, git-repository-url

# Update content structure
# Modify src/SUMMARY.md for new navigation
# Replace content in src/ directories

# Set up new repository
gh repo create new-project
git add .
git commit -m "feat: initialize project from Development-Workflow-Docs template"
git remote add origin git@github.com:username/new-project.git
git push -u origin main

Key Configuration Updates Needed

# book.toml changes for new project
[book]
title = "Your New Project Title"           # Update this
authors = ["Your Name"]                    # Update this

[output.html]
site-url = "/Your-Repo-Name/"              # Update this
git-repository-url = "https://github.com/username/Your-Repo-Name"  # Update this
edit-url-template = "https://github.com/username/Your-Repo-Name/edit/main/src/{path}"  # Update this

Future Automation Possibilities

What We Could Build (But Haven't Yet)

#!/bin/bash
# Potential setup.sh script for the future

# This script doesn't exist yet, but could be created to:
# 1. Clone Development-Workflow-Docs
# 2. Remove .git and book/ directories
# 3. Update book.toml with new project details
# 4. Initialize new git repository
# 5. Set up GitHub repository

# Current reality: We do this manually following the process above

Current Development Setup

# What we actually do for mdBook development
# Install Rust and mdBook if needed
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
cargo install mdbook

# Clone and set up project
git clone https://github.com/Lazer-Mic/Development-Workflow-Docs.git
cd Development-Workflow-Docs
mdbook serve --open

Template Evolution & Maintenance

How This Project Evolves as a Reference

Instead of formal template versioning, this project evolves organically:

Current Maintenance Approach:
  frequency: Continuous improvement
  triggers:
    - Tool version updates (mdBook, GitHub Actions)
    - Documentation improvements
    - New workflow discoveries
    - Real usage feedback

Update Process:
  1. Direct Updates to Development-Workflow-Docs:
     - Update configurations when tools change
     - Improve documentation based on actual use
     - Add new sections as workflows develop
  
  2. No Formal Template Testing:
     - The project itself serves as the test
     - Live documentation validates functionality
     - GitHub Actions provide build validation
  
  3. Documentation of Changes:
     - Git commit history shows evolution
     - README badges show current status
     - Live site reflects latest working state

Version Tracking via Git

# How We Track Changes (Reality)

## Git History as Version Management
- Commits show incremental improvements
- Tags could mark major documentation milestones
- Branches for experimental documentation approaches

## No Formal Migration Process
- New projects copy the current state
- No breaking changes to worry about
- Continuous improvement rather than versioned releases

Quality Assurance & Validation

How We Ensure Quality (Current Reality)

# What we actually do to validate the project
cd Development-Workflow-Docs

# Test local build
mdbook build

# Test local serve
mdbook serve --open

# Verify deployment
# Push to main branch triggers GitHub Actions
# Check deployment status at github.com/repo/actions

Project Quality Checklist (What We Actually Check)

# Development-Workflow-Docs Quality Validation

## Configuration Validation
- [x] book.toml builds successfully
- [x] GitHub Actions deploy.yml works
- [x] All internal links function
- [x] Site-url matches repository structure

## Content Quality
- [x] README provides clear project overview
- [x] CLAUDE.md guides AI assistants effectively
- [x] All documentation reflects actual implementation
- [x] Navigation structure is logical

## Deployment Quality
- [x] GitHub Actions deployment succeeds
- [x] Live site loads and functions correctly
- [x] Search functionality works
- [x] Mobile responsiveness verified

## Real Implementation Standards
- [x] No fictional features documented
- [x] All code examples are functional
- [x] File counts and structures are accurate
- [x] Tool versions and commands are current

Integration with Development Workflow

Current Discovery Process

# How someone discovers this project as a template
# 1. Find Development-Workflow-Docs on GitHub
# 2. Read README.md for overview
# 3. Browse live documentation site
# 4. Examine repository structure
# 5. Clone and adapt for new project

# No formal template registry - just documentation and examples

Contributing to This Reference Project

# Improving Development-Workflow-Docs

## What We Accept
- Documentation improvements and corrections
- Updated tool versions and configurations
- New workflow examples and patterns
- Better organization and navigation

## Contribution Process
1. Fork Development-Workflow-Docs repository
2. Make improvements to documentation
3. Test changes locally with mdbook serve
4. Submit pull request with clear description
5. Discuss and refine changes
6. Merge approved improvements

Future Development Possibilities

What Could Be Built

Potential Future Enhancements:
  documentation-templates:
    - Multi-language mdBook setup
    - API documentation patterns  
    - Tutorial-focused structures
    - Integration with other static site generators
  
  automation-possibilities:
    - Setup script for new projects
    - Configuration update helpers
    - Content migration tools
    - Deployment validation scripts
  
  integration-ideas:
    - VS Code workspace templates
    - Docker development environments
    - CI/CD workflow variations
    - Documentation quality tools

Current Approach: Simple and Functional

Manual Process: Clone, modify, adapt - keeps it simple
Living Example: This project demonstrates what works
Continuous Improvement: Regular updates based on real usage
No Over-Engineering: Focus on what's actually needed rather than theoretical possibilities