Help making my first contribution

[English3000]

Currently, :ex_doc organizes functions using the navigation hierarchy:

Module > Alphabet

I proposed adding functionality for:

Category > Module > Alphabet

For starters, I looked at a similar pull request by @lackac

Taking a closer look, it appears I could add @doc category: :data in a file,

# mix.exs, project/0
docs: [
  groups_for_functions: [
    Data: & &1[:category] == :data
  ]
]

and this would generate a + Data dropdown tab (once the next release of :ex_doc comes out), creating the nav hierarchy:

Module > Category > Alphabet

In all honesty, there's a lot going on in retriever.ex, where I believe the "action" happens--setting up structs which are used to render the UI--and I'm having a hard time understanding.

If there's the bandwidth, it would be helpful to get a high-level overview (or guidance on how I'd add control over the navigation hierarchy to the codebase). In addition, this would reduce the barrier for others in making a contribution.

[josevalim]

Hi @English3000!

The ExDoc team is quite time constrained. When we have extra time, our priority is to focus on fixing existing issues. You may have better luck getting help with more specific questions somewhere like the ElixirForum.

Regarding the feature, note that the groups_for_modules already allows you to specify groups -> modules -> alphabet, so make sure to expand what is the difference in the feature you are requesting with the one you have right now, with its benefits.

Also, keep in mind there is no guarantee a contribution will be accepted, especially if it will make the retriever much more complex (as you already noted it is complex today).

Thanks!

[English3000]