Documentation on config.json

[jakmeier]

I believe we currently have no documentation on what each field in config.json does.
Even the code does not really contain comments, so how would a node operator find about the details?

Can we fix that? Adding comments in code would be a good start, great would be to also add some docs to https://near-nodes.io/ or even just our internal docs https://near.github.io/nearcore/

[matklad]

TBH, I don't know a good format for "automated" JSON documentation. In theory, it is json schema, but in practice it's human-hostile.

If I were to document some JSON, I'd probably go for creating a TypeScript file with the type definiton for it.

My suggestion for specific improvement would be:

• Move all structs defining config.json into a single crate. Today, the format is split across a tone of different crates, which makes it hard to understand it a glance.
• Remove json serilization of config from other crates
• Move all config in a single file, and ensure that this file doesn't contain anything besides config
• Document the file and use it as a source of truth for config.

[jakmeier]

I agree with you in terms of finding a good long-term solution. But in the short-term, I'd really just like a place where we can point node maintainers that ask what the field in this field do.

Context: Today during protocol office hour, someone told me about their need to increase trie_viewer_state_size_limit to make their view calls possible. And they wanted to know where they can learn about what these fields in config.json mean. I was a bit shocked to not find anything on https://near-nodes.io/ and not even in the code.

[matklad]

I sort-of feel that moving everything into a single file is a pre-req for anything smarter than "manually syncing docs with near-nodes.io". Which might not be too bad, actually.

[agileurbanite]

👍