DEV Community

Cover image for DoBu — Documentation Builder for the Ascoos Ecosystem
Christos Drogidis
Christos Drogidis

Posted on

DoBu — Documentation Builder for the Ascoos Ecosystem

#documentation #webdev #php #ascoos

A JML‑inspired Documentation DSL for multilingual docblocks

DoBu (DOcumentation BUilder) is a Documentation DSL designed for the Ascoos OS ecosystem.

It is not PHPDoc.

It is not Doxygen.

It is not MkDocs or Docusaurus.

DoBu is a semantic documentation layer that lives inside simple docblocks such as:

/* ... */
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

and transforms documentation structure into:

  • structured metadata
  • multilingual documentation
  • AST‑friendly nodes
  • exportable formats (Markdown, HTML, JSON, etc.)
  • documentation suitable for IDEs, tools, and Ascoos OS subsystems

DoBu can generate documentation text for any programming language that supports block comments.

Why DoBu Was Created

Ascoos OS is a kernel containing:

  • hundreds of encrypted classes
  • a DSL/AST macro engine
  • CiC interpreters
  • JML markup
  • AI/NLP subsystems
  • IoT handlers
  • mathematical and scientific libraries
  • proprietary security layers

No existing documentation tool could:

  • support multilingual metadata
  • embed mathematical formulas (LaTeX, MathML) with analysis
  • describe numerical behavior
  • include performance metrics
  • support cross‑references
  • generate documentation without exposing source code

Thus, DoBu was created as the semantic documentation layer of Ascoos OS.

What DoBu Is

  • Documentation DSL
  • Semantic metadata language
  • AST‑friendly docblock interpreter
  • Multilingual documentation engine
  • Extensible schema system
  • JML‑inspired syntax
  • Language‑agnostic
  • Kernel‑level documentation layer

Basic Syntax 

/*
dobu {
    class:id(`tmyclass`),name(`TMyClass`),extends(`TObject`),namespace(`ASCOOS\OS\Kernel\MyClass`) {
        summary:langs {
            en {`Creating a new Ascoos OS class.`}
            el {`Δημιουργία μιας νέας Ascoos OS κλάσης.`}
        }
    }
}
*/
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Class Documentation Example 

/*
dobu {
    class:id(`tmyclass`),name(`TMyClass`),extends(`TObject`),version(`0.0.1`) {
        summary:langs {
            en {`Creating a new Ascoos OS class.`}
            el {`Δημιουργία μιας νέας Ascoos OS κλάσης.`}
        }
    }
}
*/
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Method Example with Math & Behavioral Metadata

DoBu supports:

  • mathematical formulas (LaTeX, MathML)
  • numerical behavior
  • performance metrics
  • cross‑references
  • verification cases
  • multilingual descriptions 
/*
dobu {
    method:id(`blackscholesputdividend`),name(`blackScholesPutDividend`),return(`float`) {
        summary:langs {
            en {`Prices a European put option with continuous dividend yield.`}
            el {`Αποτιμά ένα ευρωπαϊκό put option με συνεχή μερισματική απόδοση.`}
        },
        formula:type(`latex`),value(`\[ P = K e^{-rT} N(-d_2) - S_0 e^{-qT} N(-d_1) \]`)
    }
}
*/
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Full Class Example

See the create-dobu-class.php file for a full demonstration inside a PHP class.

Multilingual Documentation 

langs {
    en {`English text`}
    el {`Ελληνικό κείμενο`}
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Cross‑References 

see:langs {
    all {`
       • blackScholesCallDividend() 
       • binomialPutEuropean()`
    }
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Export Formats

DoBu can export documentation to:

  • HTML
  • INI
  • JSON
  • Markdown
  • TOML
  • YAML
  • XML
  • and many more formats

Ideal for Proprietary Kernels

DoBu works even when:

  • source code is not available (stubs only)
  • documentation must not reveal internal logic
  • structured, machine‑readable documentation is required

Relationship with Ascoos OS

DoBu is built using Ascoos OS classes and is used for:

  • documenting Ascoos OS itself
  • documenting generated code
  • producing documentation for other languages

Top comments (0)