Sails.js + apidocjs + grunt - auto generate documentation

Question

I'm new to Sails.js and Node.js and I have problems with creating documentation for my application.

Here's my steps:

• installed apidoc by: npm install apidoc -g
• installed grunt module: npm install grunt-apidoc --save-dev
• added grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-apidoc'); to Gruntfile.js at the bottom
• created grunt.initConfig file and put:

apidoc: { myapp: { src: "api/controllers/", dest: "apidoc/" } }

Then I'm trying to run multiple things, and none of them produces my api documentation:

• sails lift
• grunt
• grunt default
• node app.js

If I run it manually by apidoc -i api/controllers/ -o apidoc/ it's working properly.

What am I doing wrong? How to do it?

Answer 1

Super late answer!

From my experience modifying the asset pipeline you'd be better off:

1. Install apidoc and the Grunt module as in the Question

2. Create a new file in `tasks/config/apidoc.js:

   module.exports = function (grunt) {
       grunt.config.set('apidoc', {
       myapp: {
         src: "api/controllers/",
         dest: "apidoc/"
       }
     });
     grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-apidoc');
   };
   

3. Edit tasks/register/compileAssets.js (or wherever you want the task to be run):

   module.exports = function (grunt) {
     grunt.registerTask('compileAssets', [
       'clean:dev',
       'jst:dev',
       'less:dev',
       'copy:dev',
       'coffee:dev',
       'apidoc:myapp' // <-- This will now run every time your assets are compiled
     ]);
   };
   

Hope this helps someone