Implements MkDocs-based documentation as modern alternative to DocBook/WebHelp.

[jordanpadams]

🗒️ Summary

Implements MkDocs-based documentation as modern alternative to DocBook/WebHelp.

New Features:

• WriteMkDocsFiles.java generates Markdown documentation for MkDocs
• Individual pages for classes, attributes, and datatypes with cross-references
• Namespace organization by type (Common/Discipline/Mission)
• Collapsible navigation for 30+ namespaces
• Full-text search with Material theme
• Python venv-based workflow documented

Implementation Details:

• Integrated into ExportModels for both full IM (-pW) and LDD generation
• Dynamic categorization: pds=Common, isDiscipline=Discipline, else=Mission
• Generates ~1500+ Markdown files organized by namespace
• Auto-generated mkdocs.yml with hierarchical navigation

Documentation:

• Added MKDOCS_DOCUMENTATION.md with complete setup and deployment guide
• Updated README.md with quick start instructions
• Updated .gitignore for Python virtual environments

⚙️ Test Data and/or Report

I was able to generate this site in ~30 seconds with 30 LDDs.

To run, see docs/MKDOCS_DOCUMENTATION.md in the branch.

1. Generate Documentation

Run LDDTool with the -W flag to generate both JSON and Markdown documentation:

# Build LDDTool (from repository root)
mvn clean package

# Extract the built lddtool package
tar -xzf model-lddtool/target/lddtool-*-bin.tar.gz

# Generate documentation
./lddtool-*/bin/lddtool -pW

# or 
./lddtool-*/bin/lddtool -lpW PDS4_RINGS_IngestLDD.xml PDS4_GEOM_IngestLDD.xml etc...

This creates:

• export/docs/ - Markdown files structured for MkDocs

2. Set Up Python Virtual Environment (First Time Only)

It's recommended to use a Python virtual environment to isolate dependencies:

# Create a virtual environment in the export/docs directory
python3 -m venv venv

# Activate the virtual environment
# On macOS/Linux:
source venv/bin/activate
# On Windows:
# venv\Scripts\activate

# Install mkdocs-material
pip install mkdocs-material

# To deactivate the virtual environment when done:
# deactivate

Note: You'll need to activate the virtual environment (step 2) each time you want to build or serve the documentation in a new terminal session.

3. Build and Preview

# Activate virtual environment (if not already activated)
source venv/bin/activate  # macOS/Linux
# venv\Scripts\activate   # Windows

# Navigate to the generated docs
cd export/docs

# Option A: Build static HTML
mkdocs build
# Output will be in export/docs/site/

# Option B: Serve locally with live reload
python3 -m http.server 8000

# Then open http://localhost:8000 in your browser
# Ctrl+C to exit

# When done, deactivate the virtual environment
deactivate

♻️ Related Issues

Resolves #926.

[Copilot]

Pull Request Overview

This PR implements MkDocs-based documentation generation as a modern alternative to DocBook/WebHelp for the PDS4 Information Model. The implementation generates ~1500+ Markdown files organized by namespace, with features including full-text search, collapsible navigation, and cross-references between classes, attributes, and datatypes.

Key changes:

• New WriteMkDocsFiles.java class generates Markdown documentation integrated into ExportModels
• Documentation organized into Common/Discipline/Mission categories based on namespace properties
• Python virtual environment workflow with mkdocs-material theme

Reviewed Changes

Copilot reviewed 3 out of 4 changed files in this pull request and generated 1 comment.

File	Description
model-dmdocument/src/main/java/gov/nasa/pds/model/plugin/WriteMkDocsFiles.java	Core implementation that generates Markdown files, mkdocs.yml config, and organizes content by namespace type
docs/MKDOCS_DOCUMENTATION.md	Comprehensive guide covering setup, build process, deployment options, and troubleshooting
README.md	Added quick start section for documentation generation with link to detailed guide

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[jordanpadams]

@jshughes this is not a final solution, but a start towards a more robust solution. we can talk more about this on Monday, but it is pretty easy to get running locally. see instructions above.

[sonarqubecloud]

Quality Gate failed

Failed conditions
8.2% Duplication on New Code (required ≤ 3%)

See analysis details on SonarQube Cloud