DOCUMENTATION_INDEX.md

ZeroBuffer Documentation Index

Purpose: Central reference for all ZeroBuffer documentation to prevent duplication and ensure consistency.

Primary Documentation

Core References (Always Keep Updated)

• README.md - Project overview, installation, quick start
• PROTOCOL.md - Protocol specification v1.0.0 (authoritative)
• API.md - Complete API reference for all languages (authoritative)
• CHANGELOG.md - Version history and recent changes

Language-Specific Implementation

• cpp/README.md - C++ build instructions and specifics
• csharp/README.md - C# package details and usage
• python/README.md - Python installation and usage
• python/DUPLEX_CHANNEL.md - Python duplex implementation guide

Testing Documentation

Test Specifications

• TEST_SCENARIOS.md - Complete test scenario definitions (authoritative)
• CROSS_PLATFORM_TESTS.md - Cross-platform testing guide

Test Implementation

• cpp/tests/README.md - C++ test framework
• csharp/ZeroBuffer.Tests/README.md - C# test suite
• python/tests/README.md - Python test development guide

Development Documentation

Build and Release

• RELEASE.md - Release process for all packages
• cpp/BUILD_COMMANDS.md - C++ build reference
• VCPKG_SUBMISSION.md - vcpkg package submission

Performance

• BENCHMARKING_GUIDE.md - How to run benchmarks
• cpp/PERFORMANCE.md - C++ performance analysis
• csharp/BENCHMARK_RESULTS.md - C# benchmark results
• python/BENCHMARK_RESULTS.md - Python benchmark results

Future/Proposals

Version 2.0.0 Proposals

• DUPLEX_PROTOCOL_PROPOSITION.md - Shared buffer proposal (NOT IMPLEMENTED)
• IMPROVEMENTS_TODO.md - Future enhancement ideas

Historical/Reference

Validation Reports (May be outdated)

• DOCUMENTATION_VALIDATION.md - Documentation consistency check
• TEST_COVERAGE_AND_INCONSISTENCIES.md - Historical test coverage

Design Documents

• python/DESIGN.md - Python implementation design
• cpp/tests/DESIGN.md - C++ test framework design
• csharp/ZeroBuffer.ProtocolTests/DESIGN.md - C# protocol test design

Documentation Guidelines

When Adding New Documentation

1. Check this index first - Avoid creating duplicate documents
2. Update existing docs - Don't create new files for minor additions
3. Cross-reference properly - Link to related documents
4. Mark status clearly - Use "DRAFT", "CURRENT", "OUTDATED", "FUTURE"
5. Add to this index - Keep this file updated

Authoritative Sources

For each topic, there should be ONE authoritative document:

• Protocol details → PROTOCOL.md
• API reference → API.md
• Test scenarios → TEST_SCENARIOS.md
• Installation → README.md (root) or language-specific README

Avoiding Duplication

❌ DON'T:

• Create multiple protocol descriptions
• Duplicate API documentation
• Repeat installation instructions
• Create overlapping test documentation

✅ DO:

• Reference the authoritative document
• Add language-specific details to language folders
• Update existing documents
• Use this index to find the right document

Maintenance

Last Full Review: 2024-08-15

Review Checklist:

• All links work
• No duplicate content across documents
• Status markers are current
• New documents added to index
• Outdated documents marked or removed