Update Docs from Commits

Scan recent git history for commits that affect user-facing behavior and draft documentation updates for each.

Prerequisites

• You must be in the NemoClaw git repository (NemoClaw).
• The docs/ directory must exist with the current doc set.

When to Use

• After a batch of features or fixes has landed and docs may be stale.
• Before a release, to catch any doc gaps.
• When a contributor asks "what docs need updating?"

Step 1: Identify Relevant Commits

Determine the commit range. The user may provide one explicitly (e.g., "since v0.1.0" or "last 30 commits"). If not, default to commits since the head of the main branch.

# Commits since a tag
git log v0.1.0..HEAD --oneline --no-merges

# Or last 50 commits
git log -50 --oneline --no-merges

Filter to commits that are likely to affect docs. Look for these signals:

1. Commit type: feat, fix, refactor, perf commits often change behavior. docs commits are already doc changes. chore, ci, test commits rarely need doc updates.
2. Files changed: Changes to nemoclaw/src/, nemoclaw-blueprint/, bin/, scripts/, or policy-related code are high-signal.
3. Ignore: Changes limited to test/, .github/, or internal-only modules.

# Show files changed per commit to assess impact
git log v0.1.0..HEAD --oneline --no-merges --name-only

Step 2: Map Commits to Doc Pages

For each relevant commit, determine which doc page(s) it affects. Use this mapping as a starting point:

If a commit does not map to any existing page but introduces a user-visible concept, flag it as needing a new page.

Step 3: Read the Commit Details

For each commit that needs a doc update, read the full diff to understand the change:

git show <commit-hash> --stat
git show <commit-hash>

Extract:

• What changed (new flag, renamed command, changed default, new feature).
• Why it changed (from the commit message body, linked issue, or PR description).
• Any breaking changes or migration steps.

Step 4: Read the Current Doc Page

Before editing, read the full target doc page to understand its current content and structure.

Identify where the new content should go. Follow the page's existing structure.

Step 5: Draft the Update

Write the doc update following these conventions:

• Active voice, present tense, second person.
• No unnecessary bold. Reserve bold for UI labels and parameter names.
• No em dashes unless used sparingly. Prefer commas or separate sentences.
• Start sections with an introductory sentence that orients the reader.
• No superlatives. Say what the feature does, not how great it is.
• Code examples use console language with $ prompt prefix.
• Include the SPDX header if creating a new page.
• Match existing frontmatter format if creating a new page.
• Always write NVIDIA in all caps. Wrong: Nvidia, nvidia.
• Always capitalize NemoClaw correctly. Wrong: nemoclaw (in prose), Nemoclaw.
• Always capitalize OpenShell correctly. Wrong: openshell (in prose), Openshell, openShell.
• Do not number section titles. Wrong: "Section 1: Configure Inference" or "Step 3: Verify." Use plain descriptive titles.
• No colons in titles. Wrong: "Inference: Cloud and Local." Write "Cloud and Local Inference" instead.
• Use colons only to introduce a list. Do not use colons as general-purpose punctuation between clauses.

When updating an existing page:

• Add content in the logical place within the existing structure.
• Do not reorganize sections unless the change requires it.
• Update any cross-references or "Next Steps" links if relevant.

When creating a new page:

• Follow the frontmatter template from existing pages in docs/.
• Add the page to the appropriate toctree in docs/index.md.

Step 6: Present the Results

After drafting all updates, present a summary to the user:

## Doc Updates from Commits

### Updated pages
- `docs/reference/commands.md`: Added `eject` command documentation (from commit abc1234).
- `docs/reference/network-policies.md`: Updated policy schema for new egress rule (from commit def5678).

### New pages needed
- None (or list any new pages created).

### Commits with no doc impact
- `chore(deps): bump typescript` (abc1234) — internal dependency, no user-facing change.
- `test: add launch command test` (def5678) — test-only change.

Step 7: Build and Verify

After making changes, build the docs locally:

make docs

Check for:

• Build warnings or errors.
• Broken cross-references.
• Correct rendering of new content.

Tips

• When in doubt about whether a commit needs a doc update, check if the commit message references a CLI flag, config option, or user-visible behavior.
• Group related commits that touch the same doc page into a single update rather than making multiple small edits.
• If a commit is a breaking change, add a note at the top of the relevant section using a :::{warning} admonition.
• PRs that are purely internal refactors with no behavior change do not need doc updates, even if they touch high-signal directories.

Example Usage

User says: "Catch up the docs for everything merged since v0.1.0."

1. Run git log v0.1.0..HEAD --oneline --no-merges --name-only.
2. Filter to feat, fix, refactor, perf commits touching user-facing code.
3. Map each to a doc page.
4. Read the commit diffs and current doc pages.
5. Draft updates following the style guide.
6. Present the summary.
7. Build with make docs to verify.