Explicode lets you write rich Markdown documentation directly inside your code comments, turning a single source file into both runnable code and rendered documentation.
Because the documentation lives inside comments, it has no effect on your code and requires no changes to your build system or tooling. Keeping documentation in the same file as the code makes it more likely to stay up to date, and ensures it is versioned alongside your code in Git. This approach also enables literate programming across many languages, without requiring language-specific documentation tools or special compilers.
Open a live preview panel in VSCode to see your code and documentation rendered side-by-side in real time. When you're ready to share, export the result as Markdown or HTML.
Use Markdown syntax inside the multiline comments of your favorite language:
-
In Python, Explicode looks for triple-quoted strings (
"""or''') that start at the beginning of a line (only whitespace before them). These are the same positions Python uses for docstrings, at the top of a module, class, or function. Triple-quotes used as regular string values mid-expression are ignored.""" This is a Markdown doc block — triple-quote is at the start of the line. """ x = """this is NOT a doc block — it's a string value assigned to a variable"""
-
For all other supported languages, Explicode renders any
/* ... */block comment as Markdown. JSDoc-style/** ... */comments are also supported./* This is a Markdown doc block. */ /** This too — leading asterisks are stripped automatically. */ // Single-line comments are NOT rendered as Markdown, they stay as code.
Everything outside a doc block is rendered as a syntax-highlighted code block. Full CommonMark syntax is supported, including headings, lists, math with LaTeX syntax, images, tables, and more.
Open any supported file in VSCode, then either:
- Press
Ctrl+Alt+E(orCmd+Alt+Eon Mac), or - Right-click on IDE and select Open with Explicode
This opens a live preview panel to the right that updates as you edit.
The ⚙️ button on the header enables some additional functionalities:
- Change theme (Dark/Bright).
- Open the guide.
- Download render as
.mdor.html.
"""
# Fibonacci Sequence
Generates the first `n` Fibonacci numbers iteratively.
- **Input**: `n` (int) — how many numbers to generate
- **Output**: list of the first `n` Fibonacci numbers
"""
def fibonacci(n):
if n <= 0:
return []
elif n == 1:
return [0]
seq = [0, 1]
for _ in range(2, n):
seq.append(seq[-1] + seq[-2])
return seq
fibonacci(5) # [0, 1, 1, 2, 3]/*
# Fibonacci Sequence
Generates the first `n` Fibonacci numbers iteratively.
- **Input**: `n` (int) — how many numbers to generate
- **Output**: list of the first `n` Fibonacci numbers
*/
function fibonacci(n) {
if (n <= 0) return [];
if (n === 1) return [0];
const seq = [0, 1];
for (let i = 2; i < n; i++) {
seq.push(seq[i - 1] + seq[i - 2]);
}
return seq;
}
fibonacci(5); // [0, 1, 1, 2, 3]Explicode currently supports:
- Python
- JavaScript / TypeScript
- JSX / TSX
- Java
- C / C++ / C#
- Go
- Rust
- PHP
- Swift
- Kotlin
- Scala
- Dart
- Objective-C
- SQL
- Markdown
Need support for another language? Open an issue or reach out.
Email froem076@umn.edu with bug reports, feature requests, or collaboration inquiries.
