Project Structure

Understanding how WharfDocs organizes files will help you create and maintain your documentation effectively.

#Directory Layout

wharfdocs/
├── docs/                          # Your documentation files
│   ├── 1.getting-started/
│   │   ├── 1.introduction.md
│   │   ├── 2.installation.md
│   │   └── 3.project-structure.md
│   ├── 2.core-concepts/
│   │   └── 1.markdown-syntax.md
│   └── 3.advanced/
│       └── 1.customization.md
├── src/                           # PHP source code
│   ├── DocumentationEngine.php
│   ├── MarkdownParser.php
│   ├── NavigationBuilder.php
│   └── SearchIndexer.php
├── templates/                     # HTML templates
│   └── layout.php
├── assets/                        # Static assets
│   └── css/
│       └── style.css
├── vendor/                        # Composer dependencies
├── index.php                      # Entry point
├── config.php                     # Configuration
├── composer.json                  # PHP dependencies
└── .htaccess                      # Apache rewrite rules

#Documentation Files

#File Naming Convention

Files and directories in the docs/ folder follow a specific naming pattern:

• Numeric Prefix: Controls the order (e.g., 1.getting-started, 2.core-concepts)
• Descriptive Name: The actual name displayed in navigation
• Extension: Always .md for Markdown files

Example:

1.getting-started/
  1.introduction.md
  2.installation.md
  3.project-structure.md

#Frontmatter

Each Markdown file can include frontmatter metadata:

---
title: Page Title
description: Page description for SEO
---

# Page Content Starts Here

#URL Structure

The file structure directly maps to URLs:

Note: Numeric prefixes are automatically removed from URLs.

#Creating New Pages

To add a new documentation page:

1. Create a new .md file in the appropriate directory
2. Add frontmatter with title and description
3. Write your content in Markdown
4. The navigation will update automatically

Example:

# Create a new section
mkdir docs/4.api-reference

# Add a page
touch docs/4.api-reference/1.endpoints.md

#Best Practices

• Use Numeric Prefixes: They control the order in navigation
• Organize by Topic: Group related pages in directories
• Write Clear Titles: They appear in navigation and search results
• Include Descriptions: Helps with SEO and search
• Keep URLs Clean: Use lowercase and hyphens for readability