Documentation Restructuring Proposal
Based on the analysis of ReX’s content system and identified inconsistencies, this document proposes a refined documentation structure to improve clarity, organization, and discoverability.
Proposed Documentation Structure
docs/
├── index.md # Main entry point and overview
│
├── essentials/ # Essential knowledge for all users
│ ├── index.md # Essentials overview
│ ├── getting-started.md # Quick start guide
│ ├── key-concepts.md # Core concepts summary
│ ├── glossary.md # Standardized terminology definitions
│ ├── architecture-overview.md # High-level architecture explanation
│ └── installation.md # Installation and setup guides
│
├── concepts/ # Detailed conceptual documentation
│ ├── index.md # Concepts overview
│ ├── content-model/ # Content model concepts
│ │ ├── index.md # Content model overview
│ │ ├── content-structure.md # Content structure fundamentals
│ │ ├── metadata.md # Metadata system explanation
│ │ ├── uri-system.md # Content URI system details
│ │ └── specialized-content.md # Specialized content types
│ │
│ ├── architecture/ # Architectural concepts
│ │ ├── index.md # Architecture overview
│ │ ├── composition.md # Composition architecture explanation
│ │ ├── layer-boundaries.md # Layer boundaries and responsibilities
│ │ ├── environments.md # Environment adaptability
│ │ └── plugin-system.md # Plugin architecture
│ │
│ ├── data-flow/ # Data flow concepts
│ │ ├── index.md # Data flow overview
│ │ ├── operations.md # Content operations
│ │ ├── events.md # Event system
│ │ └── transformation.md # Content transformation pipeline
│ │
│ ├── history/ # Historical concepts
│ │ ├── index.md # Historical overview
│ │ ├── historical-impermanence.md # Historical impermanence concept
│ │ ├── versioning.md # Content versioning
│ │ └── vector-clock.md # Vector clock system
│ │
│ └── collaboration/ # Collaboration concepts
│ ├── index.md # Collaboration overview
│ ├── real-time-editing.md # Real-time editing concepts
│ └── conflict-resolution.md # Conflict resolution strategies
│
├── guides/ # How-to guides and tutorials
│ ├── index.md # Guides overview
│ ├── basic/ # Basic usage guides
│ │ ├── content-creation.md # Creating and managing content
│ │ ├── content-querying.md # Querying and filtering content
│ │ ├── content-observation.md # Observing content changes
│ │ └── error-handling.md # Error handling patterns
│ │
│ ├── advanced/ # Advanced usage guides
│ │ ├── custom-adapters.md # Creating custom adapters
│ │ ├── custom-middleware.md # Creating custom middleware
│ │ ├── plugin-development.md # Developing plugins
│ │ └── schema-validation.md # Content validation strategies
│ │
│ ├── integration/ # Integration guides
│ │ ├── react-integration.md # React integration patterns
│ │ ├── node-integration.md # Node.js integration
│ │ ├── browser-integration.md # Browser-only integration
│ │ └── service-worker-integration.md # Service worker integration
│ │
│ └── migration/ # Migration guides
│ ├── terminology-migration.md # Adapting to standardized terminology
│ ├── type-system-migration.md # Migrating to unified type system
│ └── api-changes.md # Handling API changes between versions
│
├── reference/ # API and type reference
│ ├── index.md # Reference overview
│ ├── api/ # API reference
│ │ ├── index.md # API overview
│ │ ├── content-store.md # ContentStore API
│ │ ├── content-adapter.md # ContentAdapter API
│ │ ├── content-registry.md # ContentRegistry API
│ │ ├── plugin-api.md # Plugin API
│ │ └── utilities.md # Utility functions
│ │
│ ├── types/ # Type definitions
│ │ ├── index.md # Types overview
│ │ ├── content-types.md # Core content types
│ │ ├── metadata-types.md # Metadata types
│ │ ├── operation-types.md # Operation types
│ │ ├── event-types.md # Event and observer types
│ │ ├── error-types.md # Error types
│ │ └── utility-types.md # Utility types
│ │
│ ├── middleware/ # Middleware reference
│ │ ├── index.md # Middleware overview
│ │ ├── composition.md # Composition utilities
│ │ ├── validation.md # Validation middleware
│ │ ├── caching.md # Caching middleware
│ │ ├── logging.md # Logging middleware
│ │ └── error-handling.md # Error handling middleware
│ │
│ └── adapters/ # Adapter reference
│ ├── index.md # Adapters overview
│ ├── filesystem.md # FileSystem adapter
│ ├── memory.md # Memory adapter
│ ├── indexed-db.md # IndexedDB adapter
│ ├── http.md # HTTP adapter
│ └── service-worker.md # ServiceWorker adapter
│
├── patterns/ # Implementation patterns and recipes
│ ├── index.md # Patterns overview
│ ├── adapter-patterns.md # Adapter implementation patterns
│ ├── middleware-patterns.md # Middleware implementation patterns
│ ├── error-handling-patterns.md # Error handling patterns
│ ├── capability-patterns.md # Capability detection patterns
│ └── testing-patterns.md # Testing patterns
│
├── architecture/ # Architectural documentation
│ ├── index.md # Architecture overview
│ ├── decisions/ # Architecture decision records
│ │ ├── index.md # ADR overview
│ │ ├── adr-001-mdx-content-system.md # ADR for MDX content system
│ │ ├── adr-002-realtime-watching.md # ADR for realtime content watching
│ │ # ... existing ADRs ...
│ │ ├── adr-009-unified-type-system.md # NEW ADR for type system unification
│ │ └── adr-010-plugin-architecture.md # NEW ADR for plugin architecture
│ │
│ ├── diagrams/ # Architecture diagrams
│ │ ├── index.md # Diagrams overview
│ │ ├── layer-diagram.md # System layers diagram
│ │ ├── data-flow-diagram.md # Data flow diagram
│ │ └── component-diagram.md # Component relationships diagram
│ │
│ └── standards/ # Architectural standards
│ ├── naming-conventions.md # Naming conventions
│ ├── documentation-standards.md # Documentation standards
│ └── implementation-standards.md # Implementation standards
│
├── examples/ # Code examples
│ ├── index.md # Examples overview
│ ├── basic/ # Basic examples
│ │ ├── content-store.md # Basic content store usage
│ │ ├── content-operations.md # Basic content operations
│ │ └── error-handling.md # Error handling examples
│ │
│ ├── advanced/ # Advanced examples
│ │ ├── custom-adapter.md # Custom adapter example
│ │ ├── middleware-chain.md # Middleware composition example
│ │ └── plugin-example.md # Plugin development example
│ │
│ └── integration/ # Integration examples
│ ├── react-hooks.md # React hooks example
│ ├── node-server.md # Node.js server example
│ └── offline-app.md # Offline-capable app example
│
├── testing/ # Testing documentation
│ ├── index.md # Testing overview
│ ├── unit-testing.md # Unit testing guide
│ ├── integration-testing.md # Integration testing guide
│ ├── adapter-testing.md # Adapter testing strategies
│ └── mocking.md # Mocking strategies
│
├── troubleshooting/ # Troubleshooting guide
│ ├── index.md # Troubleshooting overview
│ ├── common-errors.md # Common error scenarios
│ ├── debugging.md # Debugging techniques
│ ├── performance.md # Performance troubleshooting
│ └── faq.md # Frequently asked questions
│
└── business/ # Business documentation (retained from original)
├── index.md # Business overview
├── value-proposition.md # Core value proposition
├── use-cases.md # Business use cases
├── pricing-models.md # Pricing strategies
├── growth-strategy.md # Growth framework
├── market-analysis.md # Market positioning
└── customer-stories.md # Success storiesKey Documentation Improvements
1. Standardized Terminology Document
Create a central glossary that standardizes all terminology used throughout the system:
markdown
# Glossary of Terms
This document provides standardized definitions for all key terms used in the ReX content system.
## Content Model Terminology
| Term | Definition |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Content** | The fundamental unit in the system, consisting of data, content type, and optional metadata. |
| **ContentMetadata** | Structured information about content, including temporal data, authorship, and custom properties. |
| **Content URI** | A uniform identifier for addressing content, following the scheme:path?query#fragment format. |
| **Content Type** | A MIME type identifier that specifies the format and interpretation of content data. |
## Architecture Terminology
| Term | Definition |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Middleware** | A function that takes a function and returns an enhanced version of that function. |
| **Adapter** | A low-level interface to a specific storage mechanism (filesystem, database, network, etc.). |
| **Store** | A high-level API for content operations, abstracting underlying storage details. |
| **Registry** | A central service that manages and provides access to multiple content stores. |
## Event System Terminology
| Term | Definition |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Observer** | A callback function that receives notifications about content changes. |
| **Hook** | A function that intercepts operations at specific lifecycle points. |
| **Unsubscribe** | A function that stops further event notifications. |
| **Change Type** | The nature of a content change (created, updated, deleted, moved). |
## Temporal Terminology
| Term | Definition |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **createdAt** | ISO string timestamp representing when content was first created. |
| **updatedAt** | ISO string timestamp representing when content was last modified. |
| **accessedAt** | ISO string timestamp representing when content was last accessed. |2. Layer Boundaries Document
Create a clear explanation of the system’s layers and their responsibilities:
markdown
# Layer Boundaries and Responsibilities
This document defines the clear boundaries and responsibilities of each layer in the ReX content system.
## System Layers
```mermaid
graph TD
A[Application Layer] --> B[Content Store Layer]
B --> C[Middleware Layer]
C --> D[Adapter Layer]
D --> E[Storage Layer]
```Application Layer
Responsibility: Integrates with UI frameworks and provides domain-specific functionality.
Key Components:
- React hooks and components
- Framework-specific utilities
- Application business logic
Interfaces:
- ContentHook
- ContentComponent
Content Store Layer
Responsibility: Provides high-level content operations and manages the content lifecycle.
Key Components:
- ContentStore
- ContentRegistry
- Event handling system
Interfaces:
- ContentStore
- ContentRegistry
- ContentObserver
Middleware Layer
Responsibility: Enhances behavior through functional composition and implements cross-cutting concerns.
Key Components:
- Middleware factories
- Composition utilities
- Enhancement implementations
Interfaces:
- Middleware
- MiddlewareContext
Adapter Layer
Responsibility: Abstracts storage mechanisms and provides environment-specific implementations.
Key Components:
- Adapter implementations
- Capability detection
- Environment adaptation
Interfaces:
- ContentAdapter
- AdapterCapabilities
Storage Layer
Responsibility: Interacts with physical storage mechanisms.
Key Components:
- File system operations
- Database operations
- Network requests
Interfaces:
- Environment-specific APIs
### 3. Type System Unification Document
Create an ADR that formalizes the type system unification:
```markdown
# ADR-009: Unified Type System
## Status
Proposed
## Context
The ReX content system currently has inconsistencies in its type definitions between layers, particularly between core types and adapter types. These inconsistencies create confusion, type safety issues, and maintenance challenges.
Key issues include:
1. Different interfaces for similar concepts (`Content` vs `RawContent`)
2. Inconsistent data type handling (string vs binary data)
3. Different metadata structures across layers
4. Unclear transformation patterns between layers
## Decision
We will standardize the type system with a unified approach that clearly defines the relationships between layer-specific types and provides explicit transformation utilities.
Key decisions:
1. Standardize on `Content` as the primary interface throughout the system
2. Define adapter-level content as a specialization (`AdapterContent = Content<string>`)
3. Create explicit transformation functions for converting between types
4. Standardize metadata with ISO string timestamps and consistent field names
5. Create type guards and utilities for specialized content types
## Implementation
### Core Content Type
```typescript
interface Content<T = string | Uint8Array> {
data: T
contentType: string
metadata?: ContentMetadata
}
// Adapter-specific content type
type AdapterContent = Content<string>Transformation Utilities
typescript
// For adapters that need to convert binary to string
function serializeContent(content: Content): AdapterContent {
if (typeof content.data === 'string') {
return content as AdapterContent
}
return {
...content,
data: binaryToString(content.data),
contentType: content.contentType,
metadata: content.metadata,
}
}
// For retrieving content from adapters
function deserializeContent(
content: AdapterContent,
originalContentType?: string
): Content {
// If the content should be binary, convert it back
if (originalContentType && isBinaryType(originalContentType)) {
return {
...content,
data: stringToBinary(content.data),
}
}
return content
}Consequences
- Improved Type Safety: Clear type boundaries and explicit transformations reduce type errors
- Better Developer Experience: Consistent type system is easier to understand and use
- Migration Effort: Existing code will need updates to align with the new type system
- Documentation Updates: All documentation will need revision to reflect standardized terminology
- Testing Requirements: New transformation functions will require thorough testing
References
## Implementation Approach
### Phase 1: Documentation Structure Update
1. **Create the base structure**:
- Implement the new folder hierarchy
- Set up index files with outlines
- Migrate existing content to appropriate locations
2. **Review and cleanup**:
- Check for broken internal links
- Ensure consistent navigation
- Verify organization matches the proposed structure
### Phase 2: Terminology Standardization
1. **Create the glossary**:
- Define all key terms
- Document legacy terminology with migration notes
- Add cross-references to relevant documentation
2. **Update existing documentation**:
- Systematically review and update terminology
- Add links to glossary for key terms
- Document any backward compatibility considerations
### Phase 3: New Content Creation
1. **Create architectural documentation**:
- Layer boundaries document
- Type system unification ADR
- Plugin architecture documentation
2. **Create implementation patterns**:
- Error handling patterns
- Capability detection patterns
- Middleware composition patterns
### Phase 4: Examples and Guides
1. **Create new examples**:
- Focused, task-based examples
- Layer-specific examples
- Integration examples
2. **Enhance existing guides**:
- Update with standardized terminology
- Add cross-references to new documentation
- Ensure alignment with architectural standards
## Benefits of the New Structure
1. **Improved Organization**:
- Clear separation of concepts, reference, and guides
- Logical grouping by domain and complexity
- Progressive disclosure from basic to advanced topics
2. **Better Discoverability**:
- Multiple entry points for different user needs
- Explicit navigation paths
- Consistent structure across sections
3. **Enhanced Consistency**:
- Standardized terminology throughout
- Consistent document structure
- Clear relationships between concepts
4. **Support for Different Learning Styles**:
- Conceptual learning through concepts section
- Task-based learning through guides
- Reference-based learning through API documentation
- Example-based learning through code examples
## Recommendations for Implementation
1. **Create a documentation template system** to ensure consistency across documents.
2. **Implement automated link checking** to identify broken internal references during migration.
3. **Use a phased approach** to gradually migrate and improve documentation.
4. **Prioritize high-traffic documents** for earlier migration and improvement.
5. **Create a consistent diagramming style** for architectural and conceptual diagrams.
6. **Add standardized metadata** to all documents (created/updated dates, contributors, related documents).
7. **Implement a robust search system** to help users find relevant documentation.
## Conclusion
The proposed documentation structure addresses the issues identified in our analysis while preserving the valuable existing content. By reorganizing the documentation with clearer boundaries, standardized terminology, and improved organization, we can significantly enhance the developer experience and provide better support for users of the ReX content system.
This restructuring aligns with the domain-based implementation approach outlined in the main-tasks.md document while addressing the inconsistencies and organizational challenges currently present in the documentation.