The cargo rustdoc command is used to build the documentation of Rust packages. It is similar to the cargo doc command, but it allows you to pass options to rustdoc, which is the Rust documentation generator. This command provides more flexibility by allowing you to customize the documentation generation process using the available options.

Use case 1: Pass options to rustdoc

Code:

cargo rustdoc -- rustdoc_options

Motivation: The rustdoc_options parameter allows you to pass specific options to the rustdoc documentation generator. This can be useful when you want to customize the way your documentation is generated.

Explanation: The -- before rustdoc_options is used to separate the options for cargo rustdoc from the options for rustdoc itself. This allows you to pass any valid options supported by rustdoc. You can refer to the rustdoc --help command for a list of all available options.

Example output: The output will be the generated documentation based on the specified options for rustdoc.

Use case 2: Warn about a documentation lint

Code:

cargo rustdoc -- --warn rustdoc::lint_name

Motivation: The --warn option allows you to specify a documentation lint that should generate a warning when running cargo rustdoc. This can help you identify potential issues or areas for improvement in your documentation.

Explanation: The --warn option is used to specify a documentation lint name that should generate a warning during the generation of the documentation. The rustdoc::lint_name parameter should be replaced with the actual lint name you want to enable warnings for. You can refer to the Rust documentation for a list of available lints.

Example output: If the specified lint name is triggered during the generation of the documentation, a warning message will be displayed.

Use case 3: Ignore a documentation lint

Code:

cargo rustdoc -- --allow rustdoc::lint_name

Motivation: The --allow option allows you to specify a documentation lint that should be ignored when running cargo rustdoc. This can be useful when you want to suppress certain warnings that you consider acceptable in your documentation.

Explanation: The --allow option is used to specify a documentation lint name that should be ignored during the generation of the documentation. The rustdoc::lint_name parameter should be replaced with the actual lint name you want to ignore. You can refer to the Rust documentation for a list of available lints.

Example output: The specified lint will be ignored during the generation of the documentation, and no warning message will be displayed.

Use case 4: Document the package’s library

Code:

cargo rustdoc --lib

Motivation: The --lib option allows you to generate documentation specifically for the package’s library. This can be useful when you only want to document the library and exclude any other binaries or example code.

Explanation: The --lib option is used to instruct cargo rustdoc to generate documentation for the package’s library only. This will exclude any binaries or examples from the documentation generation process.

Example output: The output will be the generated documentation for the package’s library.

Use case 5: Document the specified binary

Code:

cargo rustdoc --bin name

Motivation: The --bin option allows you to specify a binary that should be documented using cargo rustdoc. This is useful when you want to generate documentation specifically for a certain binary in your Rust package.

Explanation: The --bin option is used to specify the name of the binary that should be documented. The name parameter should be replaced with the actual name of the binary you want to document. The binary must be present in the package’s source code.

Example output: The output will be the generated documentation for the specified binary.

Use case 6: Document the specified example

Code:

cargo rustdoc --example name

Motivation: The --example option allows you to generate documentation specifically for an example in your Rust package. This can be useful when you want to document a specific example’s code and provide usage instructions.

Explanation: The --example option is used to specify the name of the example that should be documented. The name parameter should be replaced with the actual name of the example you want to document. The example must be present in the package’s source code.

Example output: The output will be the generated documentation for the specified example.

Use case 7: Document the specified integration test

Code:

cargo rustdoc --test name

Motivation: The --test option allows you to generate documentation specifically for an integration test in your Rust package. This can be helpful when you want to document how the test interacts with the code and its expected behavior.

Explanation: The --test option is used to specify the name of the integration test that should be documented. The name parameter should be replaced with the actual name of the test you want to document. The integration test must be present in the package’s source code.

Example output: The output will be the generated documentation for the specified integration test.

Conclusion:

The cargo rustdoc command provides a powerful way to generate documentation for Rust packages. With the ability to pass options to the rustdoc documentation generator, you can customize the process and generate documentation tailored to your specific needs. Whether you want to document the entire package, specific binaries, examples, or integration tests, cargo rustdoc has you covered.