STE-Code

STE-Code is an innovative adaptation of the ASD-STE100 Issue 9 standard, specifically designed for software documentation. This project provides a set of guidelines that includes 51 writing rules, 4 grammar recommendations, a controlled vocabulary, and system prompt templates organized at five levels. The focus of STE-Code is to eliminate ambiguity and jargon from documentation, making it suitable for README files, API documentation, docstrings, commit messages, and error messages.

Key Features

Adaptation Levels

Select from multiple adaptation levels that cater to different token budgets:

How It Works

Utilize a system prompt to ensure your LLM (Language Model) generates clear, unambiguous documentation. Here’s a brief example:

You: Copy level1/system-prompt.txt into the system prompt field.
LLM: You are an STE-Code technical writer. Apply these rules...
You: Check this docstring.
     /** This function basically handles user stuff. */
LLM: /** Creates a user or updates the data of a user. */

The LLM will utilize a controlled vocabulary, synonym lists, and sentence-length restrictions to produce optimized text, replacing jargon with approved terminology, and employing active voice in documentation.

The Guidelines

The standard features 51 rules across nine sections, which include:

Each rule is tailored for various programming paradigms, including object-oriented and functional programming.

Benchmark Performance

Compared to conventional assistants, STE-Code significantly enhances documentation performance, achieving:

This project emphasizes excellence in comments, error messages, and configuration files.

Project Structure

In the repository, the files are organized into distinct categories, including artifacts, adaptations, templates, and tools. This enables seamless integration and usage of the documentation standard.

Pipeline Development

The standard is developed through a five-stage automated pipeline, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness:

Extract → Refine → Merge → Adapt → Artifacts

This process is orchestrated by nine specialized agents working in parallel to ensure a high-quality adaptation for the software domain.

For anyone looking to streamline technical documentation, STE-Code provides a robust framework for achieving clarity and precision in code documentation.