rust-docs-guidelines

Write Rust documentation using standardized doc-comments that explain the purpose and usage of your API. Focus on rationale and behavior rather than implementation details, structure module docs consistently, and use intra-doc links to reference related items without repeating explanations.

Rust doc-comments should include usage examples that demonstrate how to call functions and use types. Write module documentation that explains the module's role, use intra-doc links to connect related APIs, and maintain consistent formatting across your crate to improve clarity for users and maintainers.

Intra-doc links allow you to reference other items in your crate using syntax like `[ItemName]` or `[module::function]` within doc-comments. They create clickable cross-references in generated documentation, eliminating the need to repeat explanations and keeping your docs maintainable as APIs evolve.

Yes. Adopting consistent Rust documentation guidelines across modules, crates, and teams ensures uniform style for doc-comments, examples, and structure. This standardization reduces onboarding friction and maintenance overhead when multiple developers contribute to a large codebase.

Line-number references break when code is refactored or reorganized, forcing documentation updates that don't reflect actual changes. Rust documentation best practices emphasize describing the purpose and usage of your API instead, making docs resilient to implementation changes.

Structure module docs to explain the module's purpose and main exports at the top level, then use doc-comments on individual types and functions to describe their role. Use intra-doc links to show relationships between items and avoid referencing specific implementation details or line numbers.