# jsdoc-api > A programmatic interface for jsdoc Latest version **9.3.6** (published 2026-04-28) · MIT license · 0 weekly downloads ## Install ```sh npm install jsdoc-api pnpm add jsdoc-api yarn add jsdoc-api bun add jsdoc-api ``` ## Health **Score 50/100 (C)** — status: active. Positive: esm support; no vulnerabilities. Warnings: low downloads; no types. ## Facts | | | |---|---| | Version | 9.3.6 | | Published | 2026-04-28 | | First published | 2015-12-15 | | Weekly downloads | 0 | | License | MIT | | TypeScript types | none | | Module format | ESM | | Node | >=12.17 | | Dependencies | 7 | | Unpacked size | 27.4 KB | | Known vulnerabilities | 0 | | Install scripts | no | | GitHub stars | 68 | | Author | Lloyd Brookes | | Maintainers | 75lb | | Keywords | jsdoc, api, programmatic, interface, javascript, documentation | ## Links - npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/jsdoc-api - Repository: https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api - Homepage: https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api#readme - Issues: https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api/issues - npm.io page: https://npm.io/package/jsdoc-api ## Dependencies (7) - [jsdoc](https://npm.io/package/jsdoc.md) ^4.0.5 - [file-set](https://npm.io/package/file-set.md) ^5.3.0 - [walk-back](https://npm.io/package/walk-back.md) ^5.1.2 - [array-back](https://npm.io/package/array-back.md) ^6.2.3 - [cache-point](https://npm.io/package/cache-point.md) ^3.0.1 - [current-module-paths](https://npm.io/package/current-module-paths.md) ^1.1.3 - [object-to-spawn-args](https://npm.io/package/object-to-spawn-args.md) ^2.0.1 ## Alternatives - [@cantoo/pdf-lib](https://npm.io/package/@cantoo/pdf-lib.md) — 297.9K weekly downloads - [datatables.net-buttons](https://npm.io/package/datatables.net-buttons.md) — 200.1K weekly downloads - [@ckeditor/ckeditor5-export-pdf](https://npm.io/package/@ckeditor/ckeditor5-export-pdf.md) — 167.0K weekly downloads - [scanbot-web-sdk](https://npm.io/package/scanbot-web-sdk.md) — 15.0K weekly downloads - [@syncfusion/ej2-angular-pdfviewer](https://npm.io/package/@syncfusion/ej2-angular-pdfviewer.md) — 8.8K weekly downloads ## Recent versions - 9.3.6 (latest) — 2026-04-28 - 9.0.0-1 (next) — 2024-08-25 - 9.3.5 — 2025-07-17 - 9.3.4 — 2024-11-01 - 9.3.3 — 2024-10-19 - 9.3.2 — 2024-10-19 - 9.3.1 — 2024-08-31 - 9.3.0 — 2024-08-30 - 9.2.0 — 2024-08-27 - 9.1.0 — 2024-08-26 - 9.0.2 — 2024-08-26 - 9.0.1 — 2024-08-25 - 9.0.0 — 2024-08-25 - 8.1.1 — 2024-07-24 - 8.1.0 — 2024-07-19 - … 44 more at https://npm.io/package/jsdoc-api/versions ## README [![view on npm](https://badgen.net/npm/v/jsdoc-api)](https://www.npmjs.org/package/jsdoc-api) [![npm module downloads](https://badgen.net/npm/dt/jsdoc-api)](https://www.npmjs.org/package/jsdoc-api) [![Gihub repo dependents](https://badgen.net/github/dependents-repo/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api)](https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api/network/dependents?dependent_type=REPOSITORY) [![Gihub package dependents](https://badgen.net/github/dependents-pkg/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api)](https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api/network/dependents?dependent_type=PACKAGE) [![Node.js CI](https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api/actions/workflows/node.js.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api/actions/workflows/node.js.yml) ***Upgraders, please check the [release notes](https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api/releases).*** # jsdoc-api A programmatic interface for [jsdoc3](https://github.com/jsdoc3/jsdoc) with a few features: - Asynchronous 'explain' and 'render documentation' methods (the two main jsdoc operations). - Input (source code) can supplied as a string or set of file names and/or globs. - Optional caching, dramatically speeding up future invocations with the same input. ## Synopsis To output an array of json objects, each representing a doclet, use [.explain()](https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api/blob/master/docs/api.md#module_jsdoc-api--jsdoc.explain). Pass in an array of file names and/or glob expressions. Use the `cache: true` flag for a faster, more efficient invocation (cached output from a prior invocation will be returned if the input has not changed). ```js import jsdoc from 'jsdoc-api' const data = await jsdoc.explain({ files: ['index.js', 'lib/*.js'], cache: true }) console.log(data) ``` Typical output (truncated): ```js [ { comment: '/**\n' + ' * The [cache-point](https://github.com/75lb/cache-point) instance used when `cache: true` is specified on `.explain()`.\n' + ' * @type {external:cache-point}\n' + ' */', meta: { range: [ 491, 554 ], filename: 'index.js', lineno: 21, columnno: 6, path: '/Users/lloyd/Documents/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api', code: { id: 'astnode100000027', name: 'cache', type: 'NewExpression', value: '' } }, description: 'The [cache-point](https://github.com/75lb/cache-point) instance used when `cache: true` is specified on `.explain()`.', type: { names: [ 'external:cache-point' ] }, name: 'cache', longname: 'module:jsdoc-api~cache', kind: 'constant', scope: 'inner', memberof: 'module:jsdoc-api', params: [] }, // etc // etc ] ``` As an alternative to passing in file names/globs (above), you can pass in one or more source code strings. ```js import jsdoc from 'jsdoc-api' const data = await jsdoc.explain({ source: '/** example doclet */ \n var example = true' }) console.log(data) ``` Output: ```js [ { comment: '/** example doclet */', meta: { range: [ 28, 42 ], filename: '934b1fbe2810.js', lineno: 2, columnno: 5, path: '/var/folders/bt/jgn73jf50vsb5gj92dk00v3r0000gn/T/jsdoc-api-W854dk', code: { id: 'astnode100000003', name: 'example', type: 'Literal', value: true } }, description: 'example doclet', name: 'example', longname: 'example', kind: 'member', scope: 'global', params: [] }, { kind: 'package', longname: 'package:undefined', files: [ '/var/folders/bt/jgn73jf50vsb5gj92dk00v3r0000gn/T/jsdoc-api-W854dk/934b1fbe2810.js' ] } ] ``` Finally, use the `render()` method to invocate jsdoc directly, generating your documentation. ```js import jsdoc from 'jsdoc-api' await jsdoc.render({ files: ['index.js', 'lib/something.js'], destination: 'jsdoc-output' }) ``` If you need to use a specific `jsdoc` version or fork, specify its path via `JSDOC_PATH` and jsdoc-api will use it instead of the default. ```sh $ export JSDOC_PATH=./node_modules/.bin/jsdoc # An alternative jsdoc version you installed $ node my-jsdoc-api-script.js # Run your jsdoc-api app as usual ``` See the [API documentation](https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api/blob/master/docs/api.md) for further details. See the [example folder](https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-api/tree/master/example) for code examples. * * * © 2015-2026 [Lloyd Brookes](https://github.com/75lb) \. Documented by [jsdoc-to-markdown](https://github.com/jsdoc2md/jsdoc-to-markdown). --- _Source: https://npm.io/package/jsdoc-api · Machine-readable twin of the npm.io package page. Health data is recomputed on every publish._