Bootstrapping a new repository

Bootstrapping a new repository

Create the canonical project, establish a baseline, and build bounded context before adding or reviewing links.

First scan baseline

documentledger init --project-name example
documentledger --json scan

The first scan hashes configured sources and docs but has no prior version for comparison. It therefore reports no deltas. Later scans can report affected sections and unlinked changed sources.

Build bootstrap context

documentledger document build-context --bootstrap --out /tmp/documentledger-bootstrap.md

The output contains the current inventory and unlinked source evidence. Use it to decide what documentation should exist before adding links.

Review deterministic proposals

documentledger link propose --all-docs --out-dir /tmp/documentledger-maps
documentledger --json link import-map --directory /tmp/documentledger-maps --validate
documentledger --json link import-map --directory /tmp/documentledger-maps --check-and-apply

--validate checks the complete batch without writing. Review and correct proposal files, then use --check-and-apply for an atomic application.

An empty top-level sections: [] file is a valid reviewed no-op for a document. Empty links: [] inside a named section remains invalid unless an explicit clearing operation is requested.

Coverage and final gates

documentledger --json link audit
documentledger --json coverage

Review coverage before freshness marking: every configured document must be linked or explicitly accepted as intentionally unlinked, while internal and test source units may remain intentionally omitted. Run configured tests and documentation validation before freshness marking. For a reviewed bootstrap batch, finish with:

documentledger document mark-fresh --all --allow-unlinked \
  --reason "Bootstrap documentation completed after scan version VERSION."

Do not weaken lint, Sphinx, type-check, or documentation validation settings solely to make this gate pass.

Then run:

documentledger --json doctor
documentledger --json check
documentledger --json status

Mark fresh only after validation and only for intentionally linked or explicitly allowed unlinked docs.