protocolbuffers/protobuf

Ruby class documentation barely exists

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#21092 opened on Apr 4, 2025

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documentationhelp wantedruby

Description

What language does this apply to? Ruby

Describe the problem you are trying to solve.

Currently, languages like Golang provide full documentation on fields and methods for Protobuf objects:

The Ruby documentation https://www.rubydoc.info/gems/google-protobuf is extremely bare-bones and doesn't include any of the C-generated methods - there isn't even an entry for the Message class.

Describe the solution you'd like

I can definitely help with generating documentation via YARD comments. YARD allows you to make "fake" methods so it shouldn't affect the C-generated methods. There are other options of course, but that might be the one with the least lift.

Is this something that the team would be interested in accepting?

Contributor guide

Tech stack
ruby
Domain
documentation
Issue type
documentation
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
RubyYARDProtocol Buffers
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70
Research direction
Examine the protobuf Ruby source code in the repository (likely under ruby/ directory) to identify the C generated methods that lack documentation. Research YARD's features for documenting C extensions, particularly the `@!method` directive for creating fake method signatures. Review existing documentation at rubydoc.info/gems/google protobuf to understand the current gaps. Check issue comments for any maintainer guidance on preferred documentation approach.