Glossary

You do not need to memorise these terms. Use this page when a guide contains an unfamiliar word.

Audit

docsprout audit re-checks built content for publication mistakes and reports

coded errors and warnings without changing files.

Banner

One image shown above the home page’s h1 heading. Configure it with the

top-level banner object in docsprout.json.

Build

Turn source files, such as Markdown, into output files such as a website.

docsprout build writes a site to build/docs-site by default.

Capability cards

Short feature summaries shown under the home page’s opening summary. Configure

them with homepage.capabilities in docsprout.json.

CDN

A hosted service that sends website assets. DocSprout bundles its own CSS,

JavaScript, fonts and mathematics assets, so a built site does not need one.

Check

docsprout check validates configuration, links and anchors without writing

a site.

CLI

Command-line interface: a tool you run by typing commands in a terminal.

docsprout check is a CLI command.

Configuration

Small files that store choices for a tool. DocSprout uses JSON configuration

for the project identity, navigation and optional release history.

docsprout.json

The identity file under docs/, beside layout.json. It stores the project

name, theme, logo, banner, footer and home-page presentation.

Doctor

docsprout doctor reports the project shape, configuration state, release

state and workflow status; use it first when something is wrong.

Git

A tool that records changes to files. A saved point in Git history is called

a commit.

GitHub Actions

GitHub’s system for running automated jobs, such as checking and publishing a

documentation site.

GitHub Pages

GitHub’s service for hosting a static website from a repository.

Home page

The page a reader sees at the site’s root. layout.json.home selects which

listed Markdown page becomes the home page; docsprout.json.homepage controls only that selected page’s presentation.

HEAD

Git’s name for the exact commit currently checked out in your project folder.

Immutable

Unable to change. A release tag should keep pointing to the same commit so old

documentation remains historically accurate.

layout.json

The navigation file under docs/. It lists sections and pages, chooses the

home page and sets the unlisted policy.

Markdown

Plain text with small markers for structure. For example, # Title creates a

page title and Guide creates a link.

Mode

A reader’s colour choice: System, Light or Dark. DocSprout remembers it in the

browser.

Navigation

The sidebar list of pages. layout.json decides its sections, titles, order

and the home page.

Preset

One of the four starting colour schemes: blue, teal, ocean or purple.

Project folder

The top-level folder for your code. It often contains README.md, src/,

.git/ or a project file.

Release

A named version of a project that other people can use, such as 1.2.0.

Repository

A project folder whose changes are recorded by Git. People often shorten the

word to “repo”.

Route

The output path of a built page, such as guides/setup.html. Two listed

documents must not claim the same route.

Section

A titled group of navigation pages in layout.json.

SHA

A long identifier for one Git commit, such as a 40-character hexadecimal

value. Most beginners can use a tag instead.

Source ref

The tag or full commit SHA that tells DocSprout where one release’s files

live in Git history.

Style

The site’s starting visual theme: classic, paper or midnight. Visitors

can switch it.

Tag

A stable Git name attached to one commit, usually for a release. For example,

v1.2.0 can identify the exact files shipped as version 1.2.0.

Token (--dk-*)

A documented CSS custom property such as --dk-accent, safe to use in custom

CSS across every theme and colour mode.

Version manifest

The optional docs/versions.json file listing current and historical releases

and the Git tag or commit each one builds from.

Versioned documentation

A site that keeps separate documentation for current and older releases.

Unlisted

Markdown under docs/ that does not appear in navigation. New layouts use

"unlisted": "exclude", so it is not published.

Workflow

An automated series of steps. A GitHub Actions workflow is stored as a YAML

file inside .github/workflows/.