---
name: "gi-docgen"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gi-docgen"
version: "2026.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gi-docgen"
---

# gi-docgen(1)

a documentation generator using gobject-introspection

## NAME

gi-docgen - a documentation generator using gobject-introspection

## SYNOPSIS

**gi-docgen** COMMAND \[OPTION...\] GIR\_FILE

## DESCRIPTION

GI-DocGen is a document generator for GObject-based libraries. GObject is the base type system of the GNOME project. GI-DocGen uses the machine readable introspection data provided by GObject-based libraries in order to generate the API reference of these libraries, as well as other ancillary documentation.

The main gi-docgen executable provides various subcommands to access all its functionality.

## Common options

All commands have the following options:

- **--quiet**

  do not print details of the current operation

- **--fatal-warnings**

  make warnings fatal errors

- **--help**

  print command line help

## The generate command

The **generate** command provides the main functionality of gi-docgen.

**gi-docgen generate \[** *OPTIONS* **\] \[** *GIR\_FILE* **\]**

The generate command will parse the given GIR file, as well as its dependencies, and build an API reference for the namespace it finds in the introspection data. Projects can use a configuration file to control aspects of the output, as well as provide additional content that should be included in the documentation.

### options:

- **--config=***FILE*

  use the given project configuration file

- **--content-dir=***PATH*

  specify the directory where the content files listed in the project configuration file can be found

- **--templates-dir=***PATH*

  specify the directory where the templates used to generate the documentation can be found

- **--theme-name=***NAME*

  specify the template name to be used when generating the documentation, overriding the project's configuration

- **--output-dir=***PATH*

  create the documentation under the given directory

- **--no-namespace-dir**

  generate all documentation files directly under the output directory, instead of creating a directory using the namespace name and version

- **--add-include-path=***PATH*

  add a directory to the path which the scanner uses to find GIR files. Can be used multiple times to specify multiple directories

- **--section=***NAME*

  generate the documentation only for the given section. Can be used multiple times to specify multiple sections. The supported sections are *aliases*, *bitfields*, *classes*, *domains*, *enums*, *interfaces*, *structs* and *unions*. Special values are *all*, meaning all sections (the default); and *none*, meaning no section

- **--dry-run**

  parse the *GIR\_FILE* without generating the documentation

## The gen-index command

The **gen-index** command generates an index of symbols and terms that can be used to search inside the documentation generated by gi-docgen.

**gi-docgen gen-index \[** *OPTIONS* **\] \[** *GIR\_FILE* **\]**

The generated index is a JSON formatted file is called *index.json*.

### options:

- **--config=***FILE*

  use the given project configuration file

- **--content-dir=***PATH*

  specify the directory where the content files listed in the project configuration file can be found

- **--output-dir=***PATH*

  create the index under the given directory

- **--add-include-path=***PATH*

  add a directory to the path which the scanner uses to find GIR files. Can be used multiple times to specify multiple directories

- **--dry-run**

  parse the *GIR\_FILE* without generating the documentation

## The check command

The **check** command runs a series of checks on the introspection file, to verify that public API is properly documented. It can be used as part of a test suite.

**gi-docgen check \[** *OPTIONS* **\] \[** *GIR\_FILE* **\]**

### options:

- **--config=***FILE*

  use the given project configuration file

- **--add-include-path=***PATH*

  add a directory to the path which the scanner uses to find GIR files. Can be used multiple times to specify multiple directories

## The serve command

The **serve** command generates an API reference and serves it using a local HTTP server.

**gi-docgen serve \[** *OPTIONS* **\] \[** *GIR\_FILE* **\]**

The serve command will parse the given GIR file, as well as its dependencies, and build an API reference for the namespace it finds in the introspection data. Once the reference has been built successfully, gi-docgen will start a local HTTP server pointing at the output directory.

### options:

- **--bind=***ADDRESS*

  use the given address for the HTTP server; the default is 127.0.0.1

- **--port=***PORT*

  use the given port for the HTTP server; the default is 8080

## The help command

The **help** command prints out the command line help. If you don't specify any command or option when invoking gi-docgen, the help command will be implied.

**gi-docgen help \[** *OPTIONS* **\] \[** *COMMAND* **\]**

If no command is specified, help will print out the list of commands.

If a command is specified, help will print out the command line help for that program.

### options:

- **--version**

  print out the version of gi-docgen

## EXIT STATUS

- **0**

  The command was successful.

- **1**

  Error, or warning, was generated.

## ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

The gi-docgen executable uses the **XDG\_DATA\_DIRS** and **XDG\_DATA\_HOME** environment variables to search for introspection data included in the GIR file.

If the **GIDOCGEN\_DEBUG** environment variable is set, gi-docgen will print out additional messages, which can be helpful when debugging issues.

## SEE ALSO

GI-DocGen: http://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/gi-docgen/

GObject-Introspection: https://gi.readthedocs.org/

GObject: https://developer.gnome.org/gobject/