# Natural Docs

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Multi-language software documentation generator

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Natural Docs Original author Greg Valure Stable release 2.3 / September 11, 2023 Written in C# (Perl before 2.0)[1] Operating system Cross-platform Type Documentation generator License AGPL Website NaturalDocs.org Repository github.com/NaturalDocs/NaturalDocs

**Natural Docs** is a multi-language [documentation generator](/source/Documentation_generator). It is written in [C#](/source/C_Sharp_(programming_language)) and available as [free software](/source/Free_software) under the terms of the [AGPL](/source/GNU_Affero_General_Public_License). It attempts to keep the comments written in [source code](/source/Source_code) just as readable as the generated documentation. It is written and maintained by Greg Valure.

## Background

Theoretically, Natural Docs can generate documentation from any language that can support comments, or from plain text files. When executed, it can automatically document functions, variables, classes, and inheritance from [ActionScript](/source/ActionScript), [C#](/source/C_Sharp_(programming_language)), and [Perl](/source/Perl) regardless of existing documentation in the source code. In all other languages, these need to be explicitly documented for them to be generated. It can generate documentation in [HTML](/source/HTML), either with frames or without.

Unlike [Javadoc](/source/Javadoc), it is not considered an industry standard for documenting in any language, although it can incorporate Javadoc documentation for languages with "full support."[2] It is used by some hobbyists and companies, such as [CNET Networks, Inc.](/source/CNET) and [Iron Realms Entertainment](/source/Iron_Realms_Entertainment).[3][4] It has gained popularity amongst [ActionScript](/source/ActionScript) developers because no other free documentation generator exists that fully supports ActionScript and because it generates higher-quality output than similar generators that partially support the language, such as [ROBODoc](/source/ROBODoc).

## Example

This is an example of the documentation style:

 /*
  * Function: Multiply
  *
  * Multiplies two integers.
  *
  * Parameters:
  *    x - The first integer.
  *    y - The second integer.
  *
  * Returns:
  *    The two integers multiplied together.
  *
  * See Also:
  *    <Divide>
  */

 int Multiply (int x, int y)
    {  return x * y;  }

For comparison, this is how the same thing would be documented with [Javadoc](/source/Javadoc):

 /**
  * Multiplies two integers.
  *
  * @param x The first integer.
  * @param y The second integer.
  * @return The two integers multiplied together.
  * @see Divide
  */

 int Multiply (int x, int y)
    { return x * y; }

## See also

- [Comparison of documentation generators](/source/Comparison_of_documentation_generators)

## Notes and references

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [About Natural Docs](https://www.naturaldocs.org/about/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Natural Docs Languages](https://www.naturaldocs.org/languages/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [CNET's Global Framework](https://clientside.cnet.com/libraries/cnets-global-framework/) by [CNET Networks, Inc.](/source/CNET) and [generated documentation](https://clientside.cnet.com/cnet.gf/docs/) using Natural Docs

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Rapture](http://www.ironrealms.com/corp/other.htm) by [Iron Realms Entertainment](/source/Iron_Realms_Entertainment) and [generated documentation](http://www.ironrealms.com/rapture/manual/) using Natural Docs

## Further reading

- [Natural Docs Home Page](http://www.naturaldocs.org)

- [List of features](https://web.archive.org/web/20050603033339/http://www.naturaldocs.org/features.html)

- [List of supported languages](https://web.archive.org/web/20150820064110/http://www.naturaldocs.org/languages.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Natural Docs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Docs) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Docs?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.