Top 6 Alternatives to Natural Docs for Code Documentation

Documentation is an integral part of software development. It helps programmers to maintain and update their code effortlessly and makes it easier for other developers to understand and contribute to the project. One of the most popular tools for code documentation is Natural Docs. Natural Docs is a free, open-source project that generates documentation in multiple formats like HTML, LaTeX, and RTF. However, it has a steeper learning curve and might not be suitable for beginners. In this article, we will discuss the top alternatives to Natural Docs for code documentation.

Video Tutorial:

What is Natural Docs?

Natural Docs is a popular tool that helps programmers to document their code easily. Its primary objective is to generate human-readable documentations that are easy to understand, thus minimizing the learning curve so that even someone who has never worked on the project before can get up to speed with the codebase easily. Natural Docs uses a mixture of commenting syntax and formal language to generate documentation. Moreover, it comes with an easy-to-use GUI, which simplifies the process of creating documentation.

Top Alternatives to Natural Docs:

1. Doxygen

Doxygen is one of the most popular documentation tools for code. It supports many programming languages, including C++, C, Java, Python, and PHP. With Doxygen, you can easily generate HTML, LaTeX, and RTF documentation within a few minutes. It also has a feature that allows you to link documentation between different programs or libraries. Doxygen’s learning curve is less steep than that of Natural Docs, and it comes with the ability to generate call and caller graphs, which Natural Docs lack.

Pros:

• Supports many programming languages
• Easy to integrate with IDEs
• Generates call and caller graphs
• Great looking documentation
• Comes with multiple output formats (HTML, LaTeX, and RTF)

Cons:

• The initial setup can be challenging
• Difficult to configure for large projects
• The HTML output can be poorly formatted on some browsers
• The documentation can be cluttered with internal class definitions

2. Sphinx

Sphinx is another open-source documentation tool that is suitable for code, websites, and manuals. It supports many programming languages, including Python, C++, and JavaScript. Like Doxygen, Sphinx generates HTML, LaTeX, and ePub formats. One of the significant benefits of Sphinx is its ability to integrate with Python’s popular documentation tool, PyPi. Sphinx is built on top of reStructuredText, a markup language that is easy to read, understand, and write.

Pros:

• Easy to install and setup
• Excellent support for multiple output formats (HTML, LaTeX, ePub)
• Comes with pre-built themes that look professional
• Supports Markdown and reStructuredText markup language
• Integrates well with other Python libraries

Cons:

• Requires Python to run
• May not be suitable for non-Python projects
• Sparse documentation
• Requires more effort to configure than some other tools
• No built-in support for code browsing

3. Gitbook

Gitbook is a modern documentation tool that helps developers to document their code efficiently. It is user-friendly, and its interface is straightforward, making it very easy to create professional-looking documentation. Gitbook supports Markdown, AsciiDoc, and reStructuredText markup languages, making it flexible and versatile. Moreover, it allows you to create live demos of your APIs, which are essential for your end-users to understand your code better.

Pros:

• Easy to use and setup
• Intuitive GUI
• Supports live demos and interactive coding examples
• Supports multiple markup languages (Markdown, AsciiDoc, and reStructuredText)
• Can generate eBooks, PDFs, and HTML documents

Cons:

• Costs money for full features
• Limited support for multi-language projects
• Some advanced features are hard to find
• No auto-generation of API references
• No support for code browsing

4. Javadoc

Javadoc is a popular and widely-used documentation tool for Java projects. It generates HTML pages with the documentation for every public and protected member of a class. Javadoc is built into the Java development environment, and hence, it is easy to use. It supports the most common syntax used in Java, and it generates well-structured documentation that is very easy to read.

Pros:

• Built into the Java environment
• Easy setup and use
• Supports inheritance and polymorphism
• Generates excellent HTML documentation
• Popular among Java developers

Cons:

• Only useful for Java Projects
• No support for other programming languages
• Sparse syntax compared to other documentation tools
• Can be hard to configure for larger projects
• No support for code browsing

5. DocFX

DocFX is an open-source documentation generator that helps you to document your code with ease. It supports multiple programming languages, including C#, F#, and Visual Basic, and it generates professional-looking documentation in multiple formats, including HTML and PDF. DocFX supports the ability to create multiple versions of the same documentation, making it easy to see changes and updates between different versions of the code. It also comes with built-in support for code navigation and syntax highlighting.

Pros:

• Supports many programming languages
• Produces great-looking documentation for different formats (HTML, PDF)
• Can generate multiple versions of the same documentation
• Support in-depth search functionality
• Supports code highlights and cross-language API linking

Cons:

• Challenging to set up and use
• Requires more technical expertise than some other tools
• Confusing configuration files
• Some advanced features require additional plugins
• No version control support

6. Epydoc

Epydoc is a documentation tool that focuses on generating API documentation from Python source code. It has a feature that allows you to create in-depth documentation that includes all modules, classes, functions, and methods. Epydoc’s unique feature is its ability to generate UML class diagrams, making it easy for developers to visualize their code’s structure and relationships. It also supports multiple output formats, including HTML, PDF, and plain text.

Pros:

• Generates in-depth documentation
• Creates UML class diagrams
• Supports HTML, PDF, and plain text output formats
• Easy to use and configure
• Supports syntax highlighting and cross-referencing

Cons:

• Only suitable for Python source code
• Cannot generate call and caller graphs
• Cannot create diagrams for functions or method parameters
• No built-in support for code browsing or version control
• Some advanced features require additional plugins

Comprehensive Comparison of Each Software:

Our Thoughts on Natural Docs:

Natural Docs has been in the business of code documentation for quite some time now, and it is one of the most widely-used documentation tools in the market. The tool has many advantages, such as its ability to generate beautiful documentations, but one major drawback is its steep learning curve that might be unappealing to some users, especially beginners. Moreover, it might lack some of the more advanced features that other documentation tools possess. However, Natural Docs still remains an excellent choice for developers looking for an open-source documentation tool with useful features.

FAQs:

Q) Can I use Doxygen to generate documentation for a Ruby project?

A) Yes, Doxygen can be used to document code written in almost any programming language, including Ruby.

Q) Does Sphinx support multi-language projects?

A) Sphinx does not directly support multi-language projects. However, there is a Sphinx extension called sphinx-intl that allows you to manage translated texts for your multi-language documentation.

Q) Is Gitbook a cloud-based documentation tool?

A) Yes, Gitbook is a cloud-based documentation tool that allows you to access your documentation from anywhere with an internet connection.

Q) Can I use Javadoc for non-Java projects?

A) No, Javadoc is only useful for documenting Java source code.

Q) Does Epydoc support multiple output formats?

A) Yes, Epydoc supports multiple output formats, including HTML, PDF, and plain text.

In Conclusion

Code documentation is crucial for any software development project. Natural Docs is an excellent choice for open-source code documentation tools, but it might not be the perfect fit for everyone. In this article, we have discussed the top six alternatives to Natural Docs that are available in the market, their features, pros and cons. Before selecting any of these tools, you should consider the project’s specific requirements and choose the tool that complements the project’s attributes.