Branch Documentation Sync

Update project documentation by analyzing recent commits and applying targeted changes across developer notes, site content, and manual pages.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevelopmentIntermediate
107/22/2026
#documentation#git#synchronization#branch-management#developer-notes

Recommended for


name: "branch-docs-sync" description: "Synchronize project documentation with recent code changes, refactors, and feature implementations in the current branch." compatibility: "Requires a git repository with standard documentation structure (DEVNOTES, docs/site, README, etc.)" metadata: author: "openRender-bot" version: "1.0.0"

Objective

Update and maintain documentation consistency by analyzing recent git commits and applying surgical updates across developer notes, user-facing site content, and system manual pages.

Workflow

1. Research & Analysis

  • Identify Range: Determine the set of commits to analyze. If not specified, analyze all commits unique to the current feature branch.
  • Extract Changes: Use git log -n 10 and git show <sha> for key commits to identify:
    • Architectural Refactors: Renames of subsystems, directories, or core libraries.
    • New Features: Added RIB statements, new shaders, or expanded language bindings.
    • Breaking Changes: Changed environment variables, tool names, or API signatures.
    • Fixed Bugs: Resolved issues that require updating the status in BUGS.md or DEVNOTES.md.

2. Update Developer Notes (DEVNOTES.md & DEVNOTES_DETAILS/**)

  • Project Status: Update the "Project Status" table in the main DEVNOTES.md.
  • Major Refactors: Add a bullet point to the "Recent Major Refactors" section summarizing systemic changes.
  • Detail Files:
    • Update OSHADER_UPDATES.md for compiler or shading language changes.
    • Update BINDINGS_GUIDE.md for Python/Lua/C++ interface changes.
    • Update FRAMEBUFFER_GUIDE.md for display driver or IPC changes.
    • Create new detail files (e.g., RIB_GUIDE.md) for significant new subsystems.

3. Update Site Documentation (docs/site/content/**)

  • Branding & Consistency: Perform batch updates for project name (e.g., "Pixie" -> "openRender") or environment variables (e.g., PIXIEHOME -> ORENDERHOME).
  • URL Routing: Ensure internal links and file names match the new branding or tool names.
  • Tooling References: Update command-line examples to reflect tool renames (e.g., sdrinfo -> rsloinfo).

4. Update Distribution & Release Files

  • README.md: Refresh the directory structure overview and installation requirements.
  • INSTALL_ARTIFACTS.md: Update the list of installed binaries and libraries.
  • NEWS.md & ChangeLog.md: Add dated entries summarizing the new capabilities and refactors.
  • Build Templates: Update Homebrew (.rb.template) or RPM (.spec) files to ensure they package the new artifacts.

5. Update Manual Pages (man/**)

  • Rename: If a tool has been renamed, rename the corresponding .1 file.
  • Content: Update the usage synopsis and descriptions to match the current implementation.

Key Rules

  • Preserve Case: When performing batch renames (e.g., "pixie" -> "openrender"), respect the casing of the original string.
  • Surgical Edits: Use targeted replace calls with enough context to avoid ambiguous matches.
  • Audit: After updates, run a grep_search for the old terms (e.g., "sdr", "Pixie") to ensure no stale references remain in active documentation.
  • Confirmation: Present a summary of all documentation changes to the user for final approval.

Verification

  • Validate that all internal markdown links are functional.
  • Ensure the ChangeLog.md follows the project's established format.
  • Verify that the INSTALL_ARTIFACTS.md accurately reflects the current CMakeLists.txt configuration.
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