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docs: update style guide (#29229)
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* clearer heading rules

* docs: clarify documentation style guide rules

* Update docs/styleguide.md

Co-authored-by: Mark Lee <malept@users.noreply.github.com>

* fixes

Co-authored-by: Erick Zhao <erick@hotmail.ca>
Co-authored-by: Mark Lee <malept@users.noreply.github.com>
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Expand Up @@ -2,15 +2,14 @@

These are the guidelines for writing Electron documentation.

## Titles
## Headings

* Each page must have a single `#`-level title at the top.
* Chapters in the same page must have `##`-level titles.
* Sub-chapters need to increase the number of `#` in the title according to
* Chapters in the same page must have `##`-level headings.
* Sub-chapters need to increase the number of `#` in the heading according to
their nesting depth.
* All words in the page's title must be capitalized, except for conjunctions
like "of" and "and" .
* Only the first word of a chapter title must be capitalized.
* The page's title must follow [APA title case][title-case].
* All chapters must follow [APA sentence case][sentence-case].

Using `Quick Start` as example:

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -44,12 +43,20 @@ For API references, there are exceptions to this rule.

## Markdown rules

This repository uses the [`markdownlint`][markdownlint] package to enforce consistent
Markdown styling. For the exact rules, see the `.markdownlint.json` file in the root
folder.

There are a few style guidelines that aren't covered by the linter rules:

<!--TODO(erickzhao): make sure this matches with the lint:markdownlint task-->
* Use `sh` instead of `cmd` in code blocks (due to the syntax highlighter).
* Lines should be wrapped at 80 columns.
* Keep line lengths between 80 and 100 characters if possible for readability
purposes.
* No nesting lists more than 2 levels (due to the markdown renderer).
* All `js` and `javascript` code blocks are linted with
[standard-markdown](https://www.npmjs.com/package/standard-markdown).
* For unordered lists, use asterisks instead of dashes
* For unordered lists, use asterisks instead of dashes.

## Picking words

Expand All @@ -60,14 +67,15 @@ For API references, there are exceptions to this rule.

The following rules only apply to the documentation of APIs.

### Page title
### Title and description

Each page must use the actual object name returned by `require('electron')`
as the title, such as `BrowserWindow`, `autoUpdater`, and `session`.
Each module's API doc must use the actual object name returned by `require('electron')`
as its title (such as `BrowserWindow`, `autoUpdater`, and `session`).

Under the page title must be a one-line description starting with `>`.
Directly under the page title, add a one-line description of the module
as a markdown quote (beginning with `>`).

Using `session` as example:
Using the `session` module as an example:

```markdown
# session
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -99,14 +107,19 @@ Using `autoUpdater` as an example:
* API classes or classes that are part of modules must be listed under a
`## Class: TheClassName` chapter.
* One page can have multiple classes.
* Constructors must be listed with `###`-level titles.
* [Static Methods](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Classes/static) must be listed under a `### Static Methods` chapter.
* [Instance Methods](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Classes#Prototype_methods) must be listed under an `### Instance Methods` chapter.
* All methods that have a return value must start their description with "Returns `[TYPE]` - Return description"
* If the method returns an `Object`, its structure can be specified using a colon followed by a newline then an unordered list of properties in the same style as function parameters.
* Constructors must be listed with `###`-level headings.
* [Static Methods](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Classes/static)
must be listed under a `### Static Methods` chapter.
* [Instance Methods](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Classes#Prototype_methods)
must be listed under an `### Instance Methods` chapter.
* All methods that have a return value must start their description with
"Returns `[TYPE]` - [Return description]"
* If the method returns an `Object`, its structure can be specified using a colon
followed by a newline then an unordered list of properties in the same style as
function parameters.
* Instance Events must be listed under an `### Instance Events` chapter.
* Instance Properties must be listed under an `### Instance Properties` chapter.
* Instance properties must start with "A [Property Type] ..."
* Instance Properties must start with "A [Property Type] ..."

Using the `Session` and `Cookies` classes as an example:

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -142,7 +155,7 @@ Using the `Session` and `Cookies` classes as an example:
#### `cookies.get(filter, callback)`
```

### Methods
### Methods and their arguments

The methods chapter must be in the following form:

Expand All @@ -155,8 +168,12 @@ The methods chapter must be in the following form:
...
```

The title can be `###` or `####`-levels depending on whether it is a method of
a module or a class.
#### Heading level

The heading can be `###` or `####`-levels depending on whether the method
belongs to a module or a class.

#### Function signature

For modules, the `objectName` is the module's name. For classes, it must be the
name of the instance of the class, and must not be the same as the module's
Expand All @@ -165,23 +182,33 @@ name.
For example, the methods of the `Session` class under the `session` module must
use `ses` as the `objectName`.

The optional arguments are notated by square brackets `[]` surrounding the optional argument
as well as the comma required if this optional argument follows another
Optional arguments are notated by square brackets `[]` surrounding the optional
argument as well as the comma required if this optional argument follows another
argument:

```sh
```markdown
required[, optional]
```

Below the method is more detailed information on each of the arguments. The type
of argument is notated by either the common types:
#### Argument descriptions

* [`String`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/String)
* [`Number`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Number)
* [`Object`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Object)
* [`Array`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array)
* [`Boolean`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Boolean)
* Or a custom type like Electron's [`WebContent`](api/web-contents.md)
More detailed information on each of the arguments is noted in an unordered list
below the method. The type of argument is notated by either JavaScript primitives
(e.g. `String`, `Promise`, or `Object`), a custom API structure like Electron's
[`Cookie`](api/structures/cookie.md), or the wildcard `any`.

If the argument is of type `Array`, use `[]` shorthand with the type of value
inside the array (for example,`any[]` or `String[]`).

If the argument is of type `Promise`, parametrize the type with what the promise
resolves to (for example, `Promise<void>` or `Promise<String>`).

If an argument can be of multiple types, separate the types with `|`.

The description for `Function` type arguments should make it clear how it may be
called and list the types of the parameters that will be passed to it.

#### Platform-specific functionality

If an argument or a method is unique to certain platforms, those platforms are
denoted using a space-delimited italicized list following the datatype. Values
Expand All @@ -191,12 +218,6 @@ can be `macOS`, `Windows` or `Linux`.
* `animate` Boolean (optional) _macOS_ _Windows_ - Animate the thing.
```

`Array` type arguments must specify what elements the array may include in
the description below.

The description for `Function` type arguments should make it clear how it may be
called and list the types of the parameters that will be passed to it.

### Events

The events chapter must be in following form:
Expand All @@ -211,8 +232,8 @@ Returns:
...
```

The title can be `###` or `####`-levels depending on whether it is an event of
a module or a class.
The heading can be `###` or `####`-levels depending on whether the event
belongs to a module or a class.

The arguments of an event follow the same rules as methods.

Expand All @@ -226,9 +247,13 @@ The properties chapter must be in following form:
...
```

The title can be `###` or `####`-levels depending on whether it is a property of
a module or a class.
The heading can be `###` or `####`-levels depending on whether the property
belongs to a module or a class.

## Documentation Translations
## Documentation translations

See [electron/i18n](https://github.com/electron/i18n#readme)

[title-case]: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/capitalization/title-case
[sentence-case]: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/capitalization/sentence-case
[markdownlint]: https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint

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