Documentation

Issue summary is created

When is this needed?

Required for any issue that cannot be understood easily at first glance. Recommended for all issues.

Details

Edit the original issue to summarize the issue, using the template.

Resources

Summary template

In-code API documentation is added or updated

When is this needed?

Required for all patches that change or add to code behavior.

Details

All functions, classes, files, constants, etc. that are added or updated must be documented. (minimum requirements)

Resources

API documentation standards, Minimum requirements for in-code documentation

module.api.php doc is added or updated

When is this needed?

Required for all patches invoking new hooks or changing how hooks are invoked.

Details

All new and updated hooks invoked by the code (including drupal_alter() calls) must be documented.

Resources

Hook documentation standards

hook_help() doc and module description are added/updated

When is this needed?

Required for all patches that add modules or change the user interface.

Details

Resources

Help text standards

Change record

When is this needed?

Required if the patch makes API or user interface changes (both BC breaks and new additions) that module or
theme developers need to know about, or that will need to be documented outside of the patch.

Details

Before commit, API change and User interface change sections from the issue summary are added as a change record. (Change record(s) will track
additional developer/themer documentation that needs to be updated, in turn.) Required for all patches that add
modules or change the user interface.

Resources

Use tag Needs change record to indicate the change records(s) have not yet been created.

Write a change record for a Drupal core issue

Minimum requirements for in-code documentation

When a patch changes code behavior, all code that is added or updated must have:

1. Documentation blocks for all files, interfaces, classes, methods (except constructor methods), class members, functions, hooks, and constants, which must contain:
   • A one-line summary (80 characters or fewer).
   • Typed @param, @return, @var, and @throws (with descriptions on param/return) where required by the API documentation standards.
   • Longer explanations for anything complicated.
2. Inline comments to explain the code flow.

The documentation must be clear and complete. Typos, verb tenses, formatting, and the like may be cleaned up in follow-up issues for large patches where it would hold up progress, at the committer's discretion.