Day X: Summoning Odoc – A Joyful Documentation Portal Appears 😄

Date: September 13, 2025
Mood: Caffeinated. Determined. Mildly dramatic. Ecstatically nerdy.

Today I taught Memoir a new trick: how to proudly host its own API documentation at /docs. Yes, the code can now talk about itself! (Self‑reflection is healthy — even for OCaml modules.)

Visit the freshly conjured portal here (bring snacks):
➡️ https://www.fearful-odds.rocks/docs

Why This Was Fun (And Necessary)

I’ve been building components, types, templates — but unless you enjoy spelunking through lib/ with a headlamp and a mug of determination, discovering APIs wasn’t exactly… delightful.

Enter odoc: elegant, semantic, link-rich documentation that makes the Content_types, templates, and friends feel like they’re walking a red carpet.

So today’s quest: Automate odoc generation, pipe it directly into the built site, and make it effortless to keep docs updated.

Mission accomplished, with sparkles. ✨

The Commit That Did the Heavy Lifting

commit 3bc3df1f1d9df5f84ba8190b9560056b2b25c3ee
Author: Chukwuma Akunyili
Date:   Thu Sep 11 10:20:17 2025 +0100

		Enhance documentation build process and add new commands

		- Added docs, docs-build, and copy-docs commands
		- Integrated docs copy step into site generation
		- Published odoc HTML under _site/docs

This commit didn’t just add files — it upgraded the workflow. The site generator now treats documentation as a first-class citizen. 🎓

Makefile Magic 🔧 (A Kaizen Moment)

Three new spells (ahem, targets) joined the Makefile:

docs:        # Build docs & serve them locally on :9090
	dune build @doc
	cd _build/default/_doc/_html && python3 -m http.server 9090

docs-build:  # Just build odoc output
	dune build @doc

copy-docs: docs-build  # Ship docs into the public site
	rm -rf $(SITE_DIR)/docs
	mkdir -p $(SITE_DIR)/docs
	cp -r _build/default/_doc/_html/* $(SITE_DIR)/docs/

And inside the existing generate target: a cheerful new line:

🔍 Copying documentation to site...

Which triggers make copy-docs so I never forget to publish API docs again. Future Me is grateful. Present Me is smug.

Directory Alchemy 🗂️

Before:

_build/default/_doc/_html/  # Hidden in the build labyrinth

After running make generate:

_site/
	docs/
		index.html
		memoir/
			Content_types/
			Memoir_content/
			Memoir_lib/
			Memoir_templates/

Now /docs is a living, linkable, style-aligned knowledge hub embedded in the site — no sidecar hosting, no manual copy-paste rituals.

A Peek at the Generated Odoc (Because It Makes Me Grin)

Inside Content_types you’ll find type definitions like frontmatter beautifully rendered — with each field anchor‑linked like a polite citizen of the Web.

It feels professional. It is professional. But also: it’s fun seeing my types dress up for production.

Lessons (with Smiles)

1. Automating documentation is like brushing your teeth — do it early, do it often, and future you avoids decay.
2. Adding a copy-docs step prevents “Oops, stale docs” embarrassment.
3. odoc output integrates smoothly with a static site — zero drama, 100% structured goodness.
4. Writing Makefile targets is still oddly therapeutic.
5. Joyful tooling makes me want to document. That’s a win.

Next Playful Ideas 🎯

• Add a link to /docs in the navigation (with a subtle ✨?)
• Auto-regenerate docs on watch mode during development
• Explore adding module-level examples that double as tests
• Generate a changelog page powered by git history

Closing Vibes

Today wasn’t just about “docs.” It was about making the codebase approachable, welcoming, and a little bit sparkly. If someone smiles while browsing /docs, that’s mission success.

Onward — and may your modules always compile on the first try (or at least after reading the docs 😉).

Happy Hacking