Getting Started with PAELLADOC

PAELLADOC is a powerful documentation system that adapts to your workflow and language preferences. This guide will show you how to use the PAELLA command for different documentation scenarios.

⚠️ Important: Enable Auto-run Mode (YOLO)

Before starting, you MUST enable auto-run mode (also known as YOLO mode) in Cursor settings:

YOLO mode settings in Cursor IDE
  1. Open Cursor Settings
  2. Go to Chat section
  3. Check “Enable auto-run mode”
  4. This allows PAELLADOC to:
    • Run commands automatically without confirmation
    • Create and modify files instantly
    • Provide a seamless documentation experience
    • Execute all necessary operations without interruption

Without YOLO mode enabled, PAELLADOC cannot function properly as it needs to:

  • Create directory structures automatically
  • Initialize and update .memory.json files
  • Generate documentation templates on the fly
  • Update files in real-time
  • Execute commands without manual confirmation

💡 Pro Tip: YOLO mode is essential for PAELLADOC’s automated workflow. It allows the system to work efficiently without requiring constant user confirmation for each operation.

Requirements

  • Cursor IDE 0.47+ - PAELLADOC is designed to work with Cursor IDE
  • Auto-run Mode Enabled - Required for automatic file operations
  • Node.js 14+ - Required for running scripts
  • Internet connection - For research capabilities
  • Git - For repository management

Installation

  1. Clone the repository: 
    git clone https://github.com/jlcases/paelladoc.git

  2. Open with Cursor IDE: Ensure you’re using Cursor 0.47 or higher.

  3. That’s it! No additional setup required.

Command Structure

Basic Syntax

PAELLA [--path="path"] [--name="name"] [--lang="[language_code]"] [--type="api|lib|app"] [--start="entry_point"]

Core Parameters

  1. --lang="[language_code]" (Required First)
    • Documentation language (ISO 639-1 code)
    • Must be selected first
    • Supported languages:
      • 🇪🇸 es - Spanish (Español)
      • 🇬🇧 en - English
      • 🇫🇷 fr - French (Français)
      • 🇩🇪 de - German (Deutsch)
      • 🇷🇺 ru - Russian (Русский)
      • 🇨🇳 zh - Chinese (中文)
      • 🇯🇵 ja - Japanese (日本語)
  2. --path="path"
    • Documentation location
    • Optional (defaults to ./docs)
    • Examples: 
      --path="./docs"              # Standard location
--path="/custom/path/docs"   # Custom location
  3. --name="name"
    • Project name
    • Optional
    • Example: --name="MyProject"
  4. --type="api|lib|app"
    • Project type
    • Optional
    • Values: “api”, “lib”, “app”
    • Determines base templates
  5. --start="entry_point"
    • Documentation approach
    • Optional
    • Values:
      • “product” - Start with product documentation
      • “engineering” - Start with technical documentation
      • “existing” - Import existing documentation
      • “code” - Generate from codebase

Use Cases

1. Product Documentation (PRD First)

# Basic product documentation
PAELLA --lang="es" --start="product" --name="MiProducto"

# With custom path and type
PAELLA --lang="en" --start="product" --name="MyProduct" --path="/docs/product" --type="app"

Creates:

  • Product Requirements Document (PRD)
  • User Stories
  • Market Research Template
  • Product Roadmap
  • Feature Specifications

2. Technical Documentation

# API documentation
PAELLA --lang="en" --start="engineering" --type="api" --name="MyAPI"

# Library documentation
PAELLA --lang="de" --start="engineering" --type="lib" --name="MeinePaket"

Generates:

  • Technical Architecture
  • API/Library Specifications
  • Development Guidelines
  • Component Documentation
  • Testing Strategy

3. Code-First Documentation

# From existing codebase
PAELLA --lang="en" --start="code" --code-path="/path/to/source" --type="api"

# With custom output
PAELLA --lang="fr" --start="code" --code-path="/src" --type="lib" --path="/docs/api"

Produces:

  • Code Structure Analysis
  • API/Component Documentation
  • Setup Instructions
  • Development Guides
  • Dependency Documentation

4. Documentation Import

# Import and enhance
PAELLA --lang="es" --start="existing" --docs-path="/old/docs" --path="/new/docs"

# Import and translate
PAELLA --lang="de" --start="existing" --docs-path="/en/docs" --path="/de/docs"

Performs:

  • Documentation Import
  • Structure Analysis
  • Gap Identification
  • Content Enhancement
  • Translation (if needed)

Memory Management

PAELLADOC maintains a .memory.json file that tracks:

  • Selected language
  • Project information
  • Documentation progress
  • Created documents
  • Translation status

Best Practices

  1. Language Selection
    • Always select language first
    • All interactions will be in chosen language
    • Can be changed later but requires re-initialization
  2. Project Structure
    • Use recommended /docs directory when possible
    • Keep documentation with code for better versioning
    • Use custom paths for separate documentation management
  3. Documentation Flow
    • Start with clear project purpose
    • Define target audience
    • Set concrete objectives
    • Choose appropriate templates
    • Iterate and improve
  4. Version Control
    • Commit documentation with code
    • Use meaningful commit messages
    • Track documentation versions
    • Maintain change history

Error Handling

PAELLADOC provides:

  • Clear error messages
  • Recovery suggestions
  • Automatic rollback on failures
  • Path validation
  • Permission checks

Advanced Features

  1. Multi-language Support
    • Documentation in multiple languages
    • Automatic translation tracking
    • Language-specific templates
    • Cross-reference management
  2. Template Customization
    • Modify existing templates
    • Create custom templates
    • Import template sets
    • Share templates across projects
  3. Integration Capabilities
    • Code analysis integration
    • Version control hooks
    • CI/CD pipeline integration
    • Automated updates

Next Steps

Ready to dive deeper? Explore these essential resources:

For detailed information, visit the PAELLADOC GitHub repository.