Add index file to generated mavlink (#2113)

doc/mavlink_xml_to_markdown.py

@@ -1034,6 +1034,73 @@ def generateDocs(self, output_dir="."):
                 print(f"Generating: {output_file}")
                 f.write(xmlString)
 
+    def generateIndexDoc(self, output_dir="."):
+        # File for index
+        index_file_name = "README.md"
+
+        # Create outputdir if it does not exist
+        if not os.path.exists(output_dir):
+            os.makedirs(output_dir)
+        index_file_name = f"{output_dir}{index_file_name}"
+
+        #initialise text for index file.
+        index_text="""<!-- THIS FILE IS AUTO-GENERATED FROM XML: https://github.com/mavlink/mavlink/blob/master/doc/mavlink_xml_to_markdown.py (Do not update mavlink-devguide) -->
+# XML Definition Files & Dialects
+
+MAVLink definitions files can be found in [mavlink/message definitions](https://github.com/mavlink/mavlink/blob/master/message_definitions/).
+These can roughly be divided into:
+
+- [Standard definitions](#standard-definitions) - core definitions shared by many flight stacks
+- [Test definitions](#test-definitions) - definitions to support testing and validation
+- [Dialects](#dialects) - *protocol-* and *vendor-specific* messages, enums and commands
+
+## Standard Definitions
+
+The following XML definition files are considered standard/core (i.e. not dialects):
+
+- [minimal.xml](minimal.md) - the minimum set of entities (messages, enums, MAV_CMD) required to set up a MAVLink network.
+- [standard.xml](standard.md) - the standard set of entities that are implemented by almost all flight stacks (at least 2, in a compatible way).
+  This `includes` [minimal.xml](minimal.md).
+- [common.xml](common.md) - the set of entities that have been implemented in at least one core flight stack.
+  This `includes` [standard.xml](minimal.md)
+
+> **Note** We are still working towards moving the truly standard entities from **common.xml** to **standard.xml**
+  Currently you should include [common.xml](common.md)
+
+In addition:
+
+- [development.xml](development.md) - XML definitions that are _proposed_ for inclusion in the standard definitions.
+   These are work in progress.
+
+## Test Definitions
+
+The following definitions are used for testing and dialect validation:
+
+- [all.xml](all.md) - This includes all other XML files, and is used to verify that there are no ID clashes (and can potentially be used by GCS to communicate with any core dialect).
+- [test.xml](test.md) - Test XML definition file.
+
+## Dialects  {#dialects}
+
+MAVLink *dialects* are XML definition files that define *protocol-* and *vendor-specific* messages, enums and commands.
+
+> **Note** Vendor forks of MAVLink may contain XML entities that have not yet been pushed into the main repository (and will not be documented).
+
+Dialects may *include* other MAVLink XML files, which may in turn contain other XML files (up to 5 levels of XML file nesting are allowed - see `MAXIMUM_INCLUDE_FILE_NESTING` in [mavgen.py](https://github.com/ArduPilot/pymavlink/blob/master/generator/mavgen.py#L44)).
+A typical pattern is for a dialect to include [common.xml](../messages/common.md) (containing the *MAVLink standard definitions*), extending it with vendor or protocol specific messages.
+
+The dialect definitions are:
+
+"""
+
+        for xmlfile in self.xml_dialects.keys():
+            index_text+=f"- [{xmlfile}.xml]({xmlfile}.md)\n"
+
+        #Write the index
+        with open(index_file_name, 'w') as content_file:
+            print(f"Generating: {index_file_name}")
+            content_file.write(index_text)
+
+
     def expand_includes(self):
         """Expand includes. Root files already parsed objects in the xml list."""
 
@@ -1174,6 +1241,7 @@ def main():
     # print(xml_dialects)
 
     files.generateDocs(args.output)
+    files.generateIndexDoc(args.output)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":