AppCode
 
2021.2
Shortcuts: macOS
Get AppCode
You are viewing the documentation for an earlier version of AppCode.
  1. Work with source code
  2. Documenting code

Documenting code

Last modified: 07 July 2021

In AppCode, you can generate and view documentation for your Swift and Objective-C code. For Objective-C, you can add HeaderDoc, Doxygen, and appledoc comments and generate full-fledged documentation in various formats using corresponding tools. For Swift, the Markdown syntax is available for code documentation formatting.

Generate comments

Place the caret before the declaration of a method or function that you want to document and do the following:

  • For Objective-C: depending on the comment style you want to use, type ///, //!, /**, or /*! and press ⏎:

    https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2021.2/ac_create_comments_objc.png
    Gif

  • For Swift: type /// or /** and press ⏎.

    https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2021.2/ac_create_comments_swift.png
    Gif

View documentation

  • Place the caret at the symbol you want to view documentation for and press ⌃ Q. If the symbol is supplied with proper documentation comments or SDK documentation, the Quick Documentation popup appears:

    Quick documentation popup

  • If you want documentation to be shown in a tool window, press ⌃ Q twice. Press ⌃ Q twice to switch between the popup and tool window modes.

  • If you want documentation to be shown on mouse hover, select the Show quick documentation on hover checkbox in Preferences | Editor | General.

Reliable rename

While renaming a function or its parameters, the documentation comments need to be updated accordingly. In case of the Rename refactoring ⇧ F6, AppCode updates documentation comments along with other references.

https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2021.2/ac_rename_comments.png
Gif

note

The Rename refactoring in comments is available for Objective-C only.

Typing assistance

Basic typing assistance for documentation comments is provisioned by AppCode auto-complete feature:

Autocomplete comments

Rendered view for Objective-C documentation comments

With AppCode, Objective-C documentation comments can be shown in an easier-to-read format. In this Rendered View mode, items are shown grouped by their tags, while the tags themselves are skipped.

https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2021.2/ac_toggle_rendered_view.png
Gif

Note the rendered view limitations:

  • Opening the referenced web pages is not available.

  • EOL block comments are rendered only if they start the line.

Toggle and configure the rendered view

  • To enter the Rendered View mode, hover the mouse pointer over a comment and click the Toggle Rendered View icon in the gutter or press ⌃ ⌥ Q. The icon turns into the Toggle Rendered View icon.

  • To quit the Rendered View mode, click the Toggle Rendered View icon in the gutter, or select Toggle Rendered View from the context menu of a Objective-C documentation comment, or press ⌃ ⌥ Q.

  • To turn on the Rendered View mode for all Objective-C documentation comments in the current file, select Render All Doc Comments from the context menu in the gutter.

    Enabling rendered view for all documentation comments

  • If necessary, select Adjust Font Size from the context menu and change the font size using the slider.

    https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2021.2/ac_comments_render_adjustfont.png
    Gif

  • To show all Objective-C documentation comments rendered by default, open the Preferences dialog ⌃ ⌥ S, go to Editor | General | Appearance, and select the Render documentation comments checkbox.

    Turn on Rendered Objective-C documentation comments by default

  • To hide the Rendered View gutter icons, select Configure Gutter Icons from the context menu in the gutter and then clear the Documentation comments in-place rendering checkbox on the Preferences | Editor | General | Gutter Icons page that opens.

See also

Procedures