# Phase 0 Kickoff - Documentation First

**Date:** 2025-12-21
**Duration:** 3 weeks
**Goal:** Complete documentation suite BEFORE Phase 1 implementation

---

## 🎯 Why Documentation First?

**Validated by RForge MCP Server:**
- Completed comprehensive auto-detection docs (Dec 21, 2025)
- 7 documents, ~80 pages, 15 diagrams, 50+ examples
- Result: Crystal-clear system design, reduced confusion

**Key Insight:**
> Documentation created AFTER implementation revealed design gaps. Creating docs FIRST prevents these issues and guides development.

---

## 📋 Phase 0 Deliverables

### Week 1: Foundation
**Deliverable:** API + Architecture docs complete

- [ ] Create `docs/` directory structure
- [ ] Write API documentation
  - CLI command reference (all subcommands)
  - Python API reference
  - MCP tools reference
  - Configuration schema
- [ ] Create 20+ Mermaid architecture diagrams
  - High-level architecture
  - Context detection flow
  - Profile switching sequence
  - Settings management
  - Terminal backend abstraction
  - Hook management (Phase 2 preview)
  - MCP creation flow (Phase 2 preview)
- [ ] Write architecture documentation
  - Component relationships
  - Data flows
  - Sequence diagrams
  - State machines
  - Design patterns

**Time Budget:** 15-20 hours
**Output:** 2 documents (~40 pages), 20+ diagrams

---

### Week 2: User-Facing
**Deliverable:** Guides + Troubleshooting complete

- [ ] Write user guide
  - What is aiterm?
  - Installation (UV, pip, source)
  - First-time setup
  - Daily workflows (6+ scenarios)
  - Tips & tricks
  - FAQ
- [ ] Write integration guide
  - Using aiterm as library
  - Custom context detectors
  - New terminal backends
  - Plugin integration (Phase 2)
  - 20+ code examples
- [ ] Write troubleshooting guide
  - Quick diagnosis flowchart
  - Common issues (profile not switching, context not detected)
  - Platform-specific (macOS, Linux, Windows)
  - Error reference
  - Diagnostic script

**Time Budget:** 15-20 hours
**Output:** 3 documents (~50 pages), 20+ examples

---

### Week 3: Finalization
**Deliverable:** Complete suite deployed

- [ ] Write implementation summary
  - What was built (v0.1.0)
  - Architecture decisions
  - Performance metrics
  - Test coverage
  - Known limitations
  - Future roadmap
- [ ] Create documentation index
  - By audience (users, developers, contributors)
  - By feature (context detection, profiles, Claude integration)
  - By task ("I want to...")
  - Quick reference
  - Key concepts glossary
- [ ] Add cross-links between all docs
- [ ] Verify all code examples work
- [ ] Deploy to GitHub Pages
- [ ] Get early user feedback

**Time Budget:** 10-15 hours
**Output:** 2 documents (~10 pages), deployed site

---

## 📊 Success Metrics

### Documentation Quality
- [ ] 100% feature coverage (all features documented)
- [ ] All code examples tested (60+ examples work)
- [ ] All diagrams render correctly (20+ diagrams)
- [ ] Cross-links verified (no broken links)
- [ ] Spell-check passed

### User Experience
- [ ] New user can install in < 10 minutes (using docs)
- [ ] Developer can integrate in < 30 minutes (using examples)
- [ ] Common issues have clear solutions (troubleshooting)

### Project Impact
- [ ] Documentation guides Phase 1 implementation
- [ ] Design validated through docs exercise
- [ ] Scope clarified (prevents feature creep)
- [ ] Onboarding accelerated (users + contributors)

---

## 📚 Resources

### Templates (From RForge)
- API documentation structure
- Architecture diagram patterns
- User guide format
- Integration guide examples
- Troubleshooting flowcharts

### Reference Documentation
- `DOCUMENTATION-PLAN.md` - Complete plan
- `RFORGE-LEARNINGS.md` - Lessons from RForge
- `IMPLEMENTATION-PRIORITIES.md` - Updated priorities

### RForge Examples
- `/Users/dt/projects/dev-tools/mcp-servers/rforge/docs/`
  - `api/AUTO-DETECTION-API.md`
  - `architecture/AUTO-DETECTION-ARCHITECTURE.md`
  - `guides/AUTO-DETECTION-USER-GUIDE.md`
  - `guides/AUTO-DETECTION-INTEGRATION.md`
  - `troubleshooting/AUTO-DETECTION-TROUBLESHOOTING.md`
  - `AUTO-DETECTION-DOCS-INDEX.md`

---

## 🚀 Getting Started

### Immediate Next Steps (Today)

1. **Create docs structure**
```bash
mkdir -p docs/{api,architecture,guides,troubleshooting}
touch docs/api/AITERM-API.md
touch docs/architecture/AITERM-ARCHITECTURE.md
```

2. **Start API documentation**
   - Begin with CLI commands (most concrete)
   - List all subcommands with signatures
   - Add usage examples

3. **Create first 5 diagrams**
   - High-level architecture
   - Context detection flow
   - Profile switching sequence
   - Settings management
   - Terminal backend abstraction

### This Week (Week 1)

**Focus:** API + Architecture

**Daily Plan:**
- **Mon:** API doc (CLI commands)
- **Tue:** API doc (Python library)
- **Wed:** Architecture diagrams (10 diagrams)
- **Thu:** Architecture diagrams (10+ diagrams)
- **Fri:** Architecture doc (write descriptions)

**End of Week:**
- 2 documents complete
- 20+ diagrams created
- Foundation ready for Week 2

---

## 💡 Key Principles (From RForge)

### 1. ADHD-Friendly Formatting
```markdown
## Quick Wins
1. ⚡ [Fast action]
2. ⚡ [Fast action]

## Recommended Path
→ [Clear next step with reasoning]
```

### 2. Code Examples Over Explanation
- Complete, runnable examples
- Realistic scenarios
- Commented for understanding
- Multiple variations

### 3. Progressive Disclosure
- Basic → Advanced
- Quick start path clearly marked
- Deep dives available but not required

### 4. Visual Documentation
- Diagrams for complex flows
- Tables for comparisons
- Code blocks for examples
- Clear hierarchies (headers, bullets)

---

## ⚠️ Common Pitfalls to Avoid

### From RForge Experience

**Don't:**
- ❌ Write docs without testing examples
- ❌ Create diagrams that are too complex
- ❌ Assume user knowledge (spell it out)
- ❌ Skip troubleshooting section (critical!)
- ❌ Forget cross-links between docs

**Do:**
- ✅ Test every code example
- ✅ Layer diagrams (simple → complex)
- ✅ Explain acronyms and terms
- ✅ Include diagnostic tools
- ✅ Link related sections

---

## 🎯 After Phase 0

**Then proceed to Phase 1:**
- Implement `rforge:plan` (guided by docs)
- Implement `rforge:plan:quick-fix`
- Use docs as specification
- Validate docs with real usage

**Timeline:**
- Phase 0 (Docs): 3 weeks
- Phase 1 (Implementation): 2 weeks
- Total to MVP: 5 weeks

**Confidence:** High (validated by RForge success)

---

## 📝 Progress Tracking

### Week 1: Foundation
- [ ] Docs structure created
- [ ] API documentation written
- [ ] 20+ diagrams created
- [ ] Architecture documentation written

### Week 2: User-Facing
- [ ] User guide written
- [ ] Integration guide written
- [ ] Troubleshooting guide written

### Week 3: Finalization
- [ ] Implementation summary written
- [ ] Documentation index created
- [ ] Cross-links added
- [ ] Examples tested
- [ ] Deployed to GitHub Pages

---

## ✅ Ready to Start

**All planning complete:**
- ✅ Documentation plan created
- ✅ RForge learnings documented
- ✅ Implementation priorities updated
- ✅ Status files updated
- ✅ Committed and pushed to GitHub

**Next action:**
```bash
cd ~/projects/dev-tools/aiterm
mkdir -p docs/{api,architecture,guides,troubleshooting}
touch docs/api/AITERM-API.md
```

**Let's build comprehensive documentation! 🚀**
