AccordionShell Documentation System

Overview

AccordionShell now includes a comprehensive built-in documentation system using the docs command. This provides detailed, formatted documentation for all commands directly in the terminal.

Features

• Formatted Markdown Rendering: Documentation is displayed with colors, formatting, and proper structure
• Syntax Highlighting: Code blocks are highlighted in panels
• Quick Reference: Type docs to see the index, or docs <command> for specific help
• Dual Help System:
  • --help flag: Quick syntax reference
  • docs command: Comprehensive guides with examples and workflows

Usage

View Documentation Index

AccordionShell docs

Shows the main documentation index with all available commands.

View Specific Command Documentation

AccordionShell docs init
AccordionShell docs pmbus
AccordionShell docs i2c

Shows detailed documentation for the specified command.

Pager Mode (for long documentation)

AccordionShell docs pmbus --pager

Enables page-by-page viewing for long documentation files.

Examples

Example 1: Quick Syntax Reference

# Quick syntax with built-in help
AccordionShell init --help

Output:

  -h, --host           Required. The hostname or IP address of the Accordion hardware
  -n, --notification   Enable notification event reception
  -t, --telemetry      Enable telemetry event reception

Example 2: Comprehensive Documentation

# Detailed guide with examples
AccordionShell docs init

Output shows:

• Full description
• Required and optional options
• Multiple usage examples
• Behavior details
• Event handler information
• Troubleshooting tips
• Related commands

Example 3: Interactive Mode

AccordionShell
> docs
[Shows documentation index]

> docs pmbus
[Shows PMBus comprehensive guide]

> pmbus --help
[Shows quick syntax reference]

Documentation Features

Formatted Elements

The docs command renders markdown with:

• Headers: Color-coded by level (Yellow H1, Cyan H2, Green H3)
• Code Blocks: Displayed in rounded panels with language labels
• Lists: Bullet points and numbered lists with proper indentation
• Bold/Italic: Text formatting preserved
• Tables: Simple table rendering
• Links: Displayed with URL references
• Special Markers: ⚠️ warnings, ✅ checkmarks highlighted

Documentation Structure

Each command documentation includes:

1. Description: What the command does
2. Syntax: Basic usage format
3. Options: Required and optional parameters
4. Examples: Multiple usage scenarios
5. Behavior: How the command works
6. Output Format: What to expect
7. Use Cases: Common workflows
8. Error Handling: Troubleshooting
9. Best Practices: Tips and recommendations
10. See Also: Related commands

Available Documentation

All 18 AccordionShell commands have comprehensive documentation:

Core Commands:

• init, list, get, set, reset, exit

Configuration:

• conf, wait, alias

Module Management:

• module

Bus Operations:

• i2c

Data & Streaming:

• stream, num

Power Management:

• pmbus

Media & Audio:

• media, audio

System Management:

• firmware, general

When to Use Each Help System

Use --help when:

• You know the command but forgot the syntax
• You need a quick parameter reference
• You want to see available options at a glance

Use docs when:

• You're learning a new command
• You need examples and workflows
• You want to understand behavior and use cases
• You're troubleshooting an issue
• You need best practices guidance

Tips

1. Start with docs: When learning a new command, start with docs <command> for comprehensive information
2. Quick Reference: Use <command> --help for quick syntax lookups
3. Browse Index: Use docs without arguments to browse all available commands
4. Pager Mode: For long documentation, add --pager to read page by page
5. Combine with Help: Use both systems - docs for learning, --help for reminders

Technical Details

Implementation

• Library: Uses Spectre.Console for terminal formatting
• Format: Markdown files rendered with color and structure
• Location: Documentation files in docs/ directory
• Deployment: Documentation files copied to output directory

Dependencies

• Spectre.Console (NuGet package for terminal formatting)
• CommandLineParser (existing dependency for argument parsing)

Documentation Files

All documentation is stored in markdown files with the as- prefix:

• as-index.md (main index)
• as-init.md, as-list.md, as-get.md, etc. (command-specific)

Support

For issues or suggestions about the documentation system, please contact the development team.

Future Enhancements

Potential future improvements:

• Search functionality across all documentation
• Interactive navigation between related commands
• Export documentation to PDF/HTML
• Offline documentation viewer
• Custom documentation for user modules