Docs Submodule Manager

Manage documentation stored in the docs/ git submodule with proper structure, syncing, and version control.

Overview

This skill automates the workflow for working with the docs/ submodule:

• Ensures submodule is initialized
• Maintains structured documentation (solutions/specs/feature)
• Syncs with remote before changes
• Commits both in submodule and parent repo

Workflow

Step 1: Ensure Submodule is Initialized

Check if the docs/ directory exists and is initialized:

# Check if docs directory is a git repository
if [ ! -d "docs/.git" ]; then
  # Try npm run setup if it exists
  if grep -q '"setup"' package.json 2>/dev/null; then
    npm run setup
  else
    # Fallback to git submodule commands
    git submodule update --init --recursive
  fi
fi

Step 2: Determine Directory Structure

Navigate to docs/<repo-name>/ where <repo-name> is the parent repository name.

Get repo name:

# Extract repo name from git remote URL
REPO_NAME=$(basename $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel))

Choose appropriate directory based on content type:

For detailed guidance and examples, see structure-guide.md.

Standard files for specs/:

• implementation-plan.md – Initial technical plan
• progress.md – Development tracking (use for features with 5+ todos)

If content doesn’t fit these categories, create a descriptive directory (e.g., research/, rfcs/, architecture/).

Step 3: Create/Modify Documentation

Create the necessary directory structure and files:

cd docs/$REPO_NAME

# Create directory if needed (example for specs)
mkdir -p specs/<feature-name>

# Create or edit the file
# Use Write or Edit tools to create/modify the documentation

Step 4: Sync and Commit

Inside the docs submodule:

cd docs

# Sync from remote master first
git fetch origin
git pull origin master

# Stage and commit changes
git add .
git commit -m "doc: added spec for <feature-name>"
# OR
git commit -m "doc: update progress for <feature-name>"

# Push to remote
git push origin master

In the parent repository:

cd ..  # Return to parent repo root

# Commit the submodule update
git add docs
git commit -m "doc: update docs submodule for <feature-name>"

Commit message format:

• Adding new docs: doc: added spec for <feature-name>
• Updating docs: doc: update progress for <feature-name>
• Solutions: doc: added solution for <issue-name>
• Features/PRDs: doc: added PRD for <feature-name>

Error Handling

If submodule pull fails due to conflicts:

• Alert user about the conflict
• Ask whether to stash local changes or manually resolve
• Do not force push or reset without explicit permission

If docs directory structure doesn’t exist:

• Create docs/<repo-name>/ if it doesn’t exist
• Create the appropriate subdirectory (solutions/specs/feature)

If unable to determine appropriate directory:

• Ask user which category fits best
• Suggest creating a new category if none fit

Resources

references/structure-guide.md

Detailed documentation structure guide with:

• Complete directory layout
• When to use each category (solutions/specs/feature)
• Naming conventions
• Examples for each category
• Guidelines for creating dynamic directories