Cloned from bzantium's contribution on ArrayRecord docs.

Doc updates are in the next CL.

PiperOrigin-RevId: 836680555

Author: bzantium

docs/Makefile

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+# Minimal makefile for Sphinx documentation
+#
+
+# You can set these variables from the command line, and also
+# from the environment for the first two.
+SPHINXOPTS    ?=
+SPHINXBUILD  ?= python3.10 -m sphinx
+SOURCEDIR    = .
+BUILDDIR     = _build
+
+# Put it first so that "make" without argument is like "make help".
+help:
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -M help "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+
+.PHONY: help Makefile
+
+# Install dependencies
+install:
+	pip install -r requirements.txt
+
+# Build HTML documentation
+html:
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -b html "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)/html" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished. The HTML pages are in $(BUILDDIR)/html."
+
+# Build PDF documentation (requires LaTeX)
+latexpdf:
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -b latexpdf "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)/latex" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+	@echo
+	@echo "Build finished; the PDF files are in $(BUILDDIR)/latex."
+
+# Clean build directory
+clean:
+	rm -rf "$(BUILDDIR)"
+
+# Live reload server for development
+livehtml:
+	sphinx-autobuild "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)/html" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+
+# Check for broken links
+linkcheck:
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -b linkcheck "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)/linkcheck" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+	@echo
+	@echo "Link check complete; look for any errors in the above output " \
+	      "or in $(BUILDDIR)/linkcheck/output.txt."
+
+# Check spelling (requires sphinxcontrib-spelling)
+spelling:
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -b spelling "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)/spelling" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+	@echo
+	@echo "Spelling check complete; look for any errors in the above output " \
+	      "or in $(BUILDDIR)/spelling/output.txt."
+
+# Build all formats
+all: html latexpdf
+
+# Development setup
+dev-setup: install
+	pip install sphinx-autobuild sphinxcontrib-spelling
+
+# Catch-all target: route all unknown targets to Sphinx using the new
+# "make mode" option.  $(O) is meant as a shortcut for $(SPHINXOPTS).
+%: Makefile
+	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -M $@ "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)

docs/README.md

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+# ArrayRecord Documentation
+
+This directory contains the Sphinx documentation for ArrayRecord.
+
+## Building the Documentation
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+Install the documentation dependencies:
+
+```bash
+pip install -r requirements.txt
+```
+
+### Build HTML Documentation
+
+```bash
+# Using Sphinx directly
+sphinx-build -b html . _build/html
+
+# Or using the Makefile
+make html
+```
+
+The generated HTML documentation will be in `_build/html/`. Open `_build/html/index.html` in your browser to view it.
+
+### Development Workflow
+
+For development with live reload:
+
+```bash
+# Install additional development dependencies
+pip install sphinx-autobuild
+
+# Start live reload server
+sphinx-autobuild . _build/html
+```
+
+This will start a local server (usually at http://127.0.0.1:8000) that automatically rebuilds and reloads when you make changes.
+
+### Other Formats
+
+Build PDF documentation (requires LaTeX):
+
+```bash
+make latexpdf
+```
+
+Check for broken links:
+
+```bash
+make linkcheck
+```
+
+## Documentation Structure
+
+```
+docs/
+├── conf.py              # Sphinx configuration
+├── index.rst            # Main documentation index
+├── installation.md      # Installation guide
+├── quickstart.md        # Quick start guide
+├── core_concepts.md     # Core concepts explanation
+├── performance.md       # Performance optimization guide
+├── examples.md          # Comprehensive examples
+├── beam_integration.md  # Apache Beam integration guide
+├── contributing.md      # Contribution guidelines
+├── changelog.md         # Version changelog
+├── python_reference.rst # Python API reference
+├── beam_reference.rst   # Beam API reference
+├── cpp_reference.rst    # C++ API reference
+├── requirements.txt     # Documentation dependencies
+├── Makefile            # Build automation
+└── README.md           # This file
+```
+
+## Writing Documentation
+
+### Markdown vs reStructuredText
+
+- Use **Markdown (.md)** for user guides, tutorials, and narrative documentation
+- Use **reStructuredText (.rst)** for API references and when you need advanced Sphinx features
+
+### Style Guidelines
+
+1. **Use clear, concise language**
+2. **Include code examples** for all features
+3. **Provide context** for when to use different options
+4. **Link between related sections**
+5. **Keep examples up-to-date** with the current API
+
+### Code Examples
+
+Always include working code examples:
+
+```python
+from array_record.python import array_record_module
+
+# Create a writer
+writer = array_record_module.ArrayRecordWriter('example.array_record')
+writer.write(b'Hello, ArrayRecord!')
+writer.close()
+```
+
+### Cross-References
+
+Use Sphinx cross-references to link between sections:
+
+- `:doc:`installation`` - Link to installation.md
+- `:ref:`section-label`` - Link to a labeled section
+- `:class:`array_record.python.array_record_module.ArrayRecordWriter`` - Link to class
+
+### API Documentation
+
+API documentation is auto-generated from docstrings. Ensure all public APIs have comprehensive docstrings:
+
+```python
+def my_function(param1: str, param2: int = 0) -> bool:
+    """Brief description of the function.
+    
+    Longer description with more details about the function's behavior,
+    use cases, and any important considerations.
+    
+    Args:
+        param1: Description of the first parameter.
+        param2: Description of the second parameter. Defaults to 0.
+        
+    Returns:
+        Description of what the function returns.
+        
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: Description of when this exception is raised.
+        
+    Example:
+        >>> result = my_function("test", 42)
+        >>> print(result)
+        True
+    """
+    pass
+```
+
+## Contributing to Documentation
+
+1. **Check existing documentation** before adding new content
+2. **Follow the style guidelines** above
+3. **Test your changes** by building the documentation locally
+4. **Update the table of contents** if adding new pages
+5. **Check for broken links** using `make linkcheck`
+
+### Adding New Pages
+
+1. Create the new file (`.md` or `.rst`)
+2. Add it to the appropriate `toctree` in `index.rst`
+3. Update cross-references as needed
+4. Test the build
+
+### Updating API Documentation
+
+API documentation is automatically generated from docstrings. To update:
+
+1. Modify the docstrings in the source code
+2. Rebuild the documentation
+3. Check that the changes appear correctly
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Common Issues
+
+1. **Import errors during build**: Ensure ArrayRecord is installed in your environment
+2. **Missing dependencies**: Install requirements with `pip install -r requirements.txt`
+3. **Build warnings**: Address warnings as they often indicate real issues
+4. **Broken links**: Use `make linkcheck` to identify and fix broken links
+
+### Clean Builds
+
+If you encounter issues, try a clean build:
+
+```bash
+make clean
+make html
+```
+
+### Debugging Sphinx
+
+Enable verbose output to debug issues:
+
+```bash
+sphinx-build -v -b html . _build/html
+```
+
+## Deployment
+
+The documentation is typically built and deployed automatically via CI/CD. For manual deployment:
+
+1. Build the documentation: `make html`
+2. Upload the `_build/html` directory to your web server
+3. Ensure proper permissions and web server configuration
+
+## Resources
+
+- [Sphinx Documentation](https://www.sphinx-doc.org/)
+- [reStructuredText Primer](https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restructuredtext/basics.html)
+- [MyST Parser (Markdown)](https://myst-parser.readthedocs.io/)
+- [Read the Docs Sphinx Theme](https://sphinx-rtd-theme.readthedocs.io/)