Features Documentation Enforcement
Overview
Ensures all user-facing feature changes are reflected in features documentation. When documentation drift is detected, work pauses until documentation is synchronized.
Core principle: Users must be able to discover and understand all features. Undocumented features don't exist to users.
Announce at start: "I'm using features-documentation to verify feature documentation sync."
When This Skill Triggers
This skill is triggered when changes affect user-facing functionality:
| Change Type | Examples | Trigger Reason | |-------------|----------|----------------| | New feature | New button, page, capability | Must be documented | | Feature modification | Changed behavior, new options | Docs must reflect current state | | Feature removal | Deprecated/removed capability | Remove from docs | | UI changes | New flows, changed interactions | User guidance needed | | Configuration | New settings, options | Users need to know options |
Documentation Locations
Check these locations for features documentation:
| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| docs/features.md | Primary features documentation |
| docs/FEATURES.md | Alternative location |
| FEATURES.md | Root-level features doc |
| docs/user-guide.md | User-facing guide |
| docs/guide.md | Usage guide |
| README.md (Features section) | Embedded features list |
The Protocol
Step 1: Detect Feature Changes
# Check if current changes affect user-facing features
FEATURE_CHANGED=false
# UI components
if git diff --name-only HEAD~1 | grep -qE "(components/|pages/|views/|screens/)"; then
FEATURE_CHANGED=true
fi
# Feature flags
if git diff --name-only HEAD~1 | grep -qE "(features\.|feature-flags|config/)"; then
FEATURE_CHANGED=true
fi
# Configuration/settings
if git diff --name-only HEAD~1 | grep -qE "(settings|preferences|config)"; then
FEATURE_CHANGED=true
fi
echo "Feature Changed: $FEATURE_CHANGED"
Step 2: Find Documentation File
find_feature_docs() {
for file in docs/features.md docs/FEATURES.md FEATURES.md \
docs/user-guide.md docs/guide.md; do
if [ -f "$file" ]; then
echo "$file"
return 0
fi
done
# Check README for Features section
if [ -f "README.md" ] && grep -q "## Features" README.md; then
echo "README.md"
return 0
fi
return 1
}
DOC_FILE=$(find_feature_docs)
if [ -z "$DOC_FILE" ]; then
echo "WARNING: No features documentation file found"
echo "PAUSE: Trigger documentation-audit skill to create"
fi
Step 3: Verify Feature Coverage
verify_feature_coverage() {
local doc_file=$1
local issues_found=false
# Extract feature names from code (common patterns)
CODE_FEATURES=$(find . -name "*.ts" -name "*.tsx" \
-exec grep -h "feature:" {} \; 2>/dev/null | \
sed 's/.*feature:\s*["'\'']\([^"'\'']*\)["'\''].*/\1/' | sort -u)
# Extract documented features
DOC_FEATURES=$(grep -oP '(?<=^## |^### |^\* \*\*)[^*]+(?=\*\*|$)' "$doc_file" | \
tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | sort -u)
# Find undocumented features
for feature in $CODE_FEATURES; do
feature_lower=$(echo "$feature" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
if ! echo "$DOC_FEATURES" | grep -q "$feature_lower"; then
echo "UNDOCUMENTED: $feature"
issues_found=true
fi
done
if [ "$issues_found" = "true" ]; then
return 1
fi
return 0
}
Step 4: Handle Drift
If documentation drift is detected:
## Features Documentation Drift Detected
**Status:** PAUSED
**Reason:** Features documentation is out of sync with code
### Undocumented Features
- **Dark Mode** (added in `components/ThemeToggle.tsx`)
- **Export to PDF** (added in `features/export/`)
- **Multi-language Support** (added in `i18n/`)
### Action Required
1. Invoke `documentation-audit` skill
2. Update features documentation
3. Resume current work after sync complete
---
*features-documentation skill paused work*
Then invoke documentation-audit:
Use Skill tool: documentation-audit
Documentation Requirements
When updating features documentation, include:
Required for Each Feature
| Section | Description | |---------|-------------| | Name | Clear, user-friendly name | | Description | What it does, why it's useful | | How to Use | Step-by-step instructions | | Prerequisites | Requirements, permissions | | Configuration | Available options/settings | | Examples | Common use cases | | Limitations | Known constraints |
Example Feature Entry
## Dark Mode
Switch between light and dark color themes for comfortable viewing in any lighting condition.
### How to Use
1. Click the **Settings** icon in the top navigation
2. Select **Appearance**
3. Choose your preferred theme:
- **Light** - Best for bright environments
- **Dark** - Reduces eye strain in low light
- **System** - Follows your OS preference
### Configuration
| Setting | Options | Default |
|---------|---------|---------|
| Theme | Light, Dark, System | System |
| Transition | Instant, Animated | Animated |
### Keyboard Shortcut
Press `Ctrl+Shift+T` (Windows/Linux) or `Cmd+Shift+T` (Mac) to toggle.
### Notes
- Theme preference is saved to your account
- Some third-party embeds may not respect dark mode
Features Document Structure
# Features
## Overview
Brief description of the product and its core purpose.
## Core Features
### [Feature 1 Name]
[Feature 1 content]
### [Feature 2 Name]
[Feature 2 content]
## Advanced Features
### [Feature 3 Name]
[Feature 3 content]
## Experimental Features
### [Beta Feature Name]
[Beta feature content with experimental warning]
## Deprecated Features
### [Deprecated Feature]
[Migration guidance]
---
*Last updated: [DATE]*
Validation
After updating documentation:
# Check markdown validity
npx markdownlint docs/features.md
# Check for broken links
npx markdown-link-check docs/features.md
# Check all features have required sections
grep -c "^### How to Use" docs/features.md
Checklist
Before resuming work:
- [ ] Features documentation file exists
- [ ] All user-facing features documented
- [ ] How-to-use instructions provided
- [ ] Configuration options listed
- [ ] Examples included
- [ ] Deprecated features marked
- [ ] Documentation validates
- [ ] Changes committed
Integration
This skill coordinates with:
| Skill | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| documentation-audit | Full documentation sync |
| issue-driven-development | Triggered during implementation |
| comprehensive-review | Validates documentation complete |
When to Skip
This skill can be skipped when:
- Changes are purely internal (no user-visible impact)
- Changes are to backend/infrastructure only
- Changes are to test files only
- Changes are to documentation itself
- Project is a library without UI