How does Atlas ensure my Lua README is up-to-date with current code?

Atlas uses the `lsp` tool's `documentSymbol` operation to enumerate the real exported surface of your Lua module and the `read` tool to understand its current behavior. This ensures documentation reflects what the code actually does today, not what it was supposed to do a year ago, providing traceable and accurate information.

Can Atlas verify Lua code examples in the generated README?

Yes, Atlas verifies every Lua code sample in the generated documentation by running it with the `bash` tool. This critical step ensures that all examples are executable and accurate, preventing the inclusion of stale or incorrect code snippets that could mislead developers.

Does Atlas respect my Lua project's `luarocks` dependencies?

Absolutely. When you run Atlas where your `.lua` modules and `rockspec` live, it reads the rocks resolved by `luarocks`. This allows Atlas to accurately understand your project's dependencies and context, which is essential for generating relevant and correct documentation for your Lua modules.

How does Atlas handle formatting for Lua code in the README?

Atlas can be configured to run `stylua` over any touched modules or generated code samples. This ensures that all Lua code within your new `README.md` adheres to your project's established formatting standards, maintaining consistency and readability across your codebase.

What kind of control do I have over Atlas's changes to my Lua project?

Atlas provides extensive control. Every tool call is permission-gated, it drafts a plan in a read-only agent, and it computes a unified diff for every file edit, surfacing it for your approval before writing any changes to your Lua codebase. This ensures you always have the final say.

Will Atlas invent features or APIs for my Lua module documentation?

No, Atlas writes documentation strictly from source. It uses the `lsp` tool to enumerate the real public API and `read` to understand actual implementation, ensuring no export is missed or invented. Every claim in the documentation is traceable directly to your Lua code.

Can Atlas integrate with my local Lua development environment?

Yes, Atlas is terminal-native and can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings, keeping your Lua code off third-party servers. It also reads `git` branches, status, and diffs, and can stage and create commits on your behalf within your local development environment, making it a direct part of your workflow.

How does Atlas determine the tone and structure for a new Lua README?

Atlas uses the `grep` tool to search your repository for an existing `README.md` file. It then analyzes this existing documentation to match its heading structure and tone, ensuring consistency rather than inventing a new format for your Lua module's documentation.

Document a module with a README in Lua with Atlas in 2026

Atlas helps Lua developers in 2026 produce precise README documentation for their modules by directly reading source code, leveraging tools like `lsp` for API enumeration, `read` for implementation details, and `write` for output, all while respecting your existing `busted` tests and `luarocks` package structure. This ensures the documentation reflects the current state of your Lua codebase.

How does Atlas document Lua modules with a README?

Atlas documents Lua modules by directly analyzing your source code in 2026, ensuring the README reflects what the code actually does today, not what it was intended to do a year ago. It uses the `lsp` tool to enumerate the public API and `read` to understand implementation details.

To produce accurate documentation for your Lua modules, Atlas employs a robust, source-driven workflow. It begins by using the `lsp` tool's `documentSymbol` operation to enumerate every public API export from your `.lua` files, ensuring no function, table, or variable is missed or invented. Following this, Atlas utilizes the `read` tool to analyze the implementation of each identified export, understanding its behavior and purpose. To provide real-world context, `codebase_search` is then used to find how callers actually interact with these exports within your project, offering practical usage examples. Before writing, Atlas `grep`s your repository for an existing `README.md` to match its heading structure and tone, maintaining consistency. Finally, the `write` tool generates the `README.md`, quoting real Lua signatures and file paths like `src/my_module.lua`, ensuring every claim is traceable back to your codebase.

What Lua tools does Atlas integrate for documentation?

Atlas integrates direct with your existing Lua toolchain in 2026, recognizing `luarocks` for package management, `busted` for test verification, and `stylua` for code formatting. This ensures generated documentation aligns with your project's established practices.

Atlas is designed to be a native part of your Lua development environment. When you run Atlas where your `.lua` modules and `rockspec` files reside, it automatically reads the rocks resolved by `luarocks`, understanding your project's dependencies and module structure. This context is crucial for generating accurate documentation that reflects how your modules interact within their ecosystem. Furthermore, Atlas leverages `busted`, the popular Lua test runner, to verify every code sample included in the generated `README.md`. This critical step, performed behind a permission prompt, ensures that all examples are executable and reflect current functionality, preventing stale or incorrect code snippets. For code consistency, Atlas can also run `stylua` over any touched modules or generated code, ensuring that all Lua code in your documentation adheres to your project's formatting standards.

How does Atlas ensure documentation accuracy and safety?

Atlas prioritizes accuracy and safety in 2026 by verifying every generated code sample with `bash`, presenting a unified diff for approval, and operating with permission-gated tool calls. This ensures you maintain full control over changes to your Lua codebase.

Ensuring documentation accuracy and the safety of your Lua codebase is paramount for Atlas. Every code sample included in the generated `README.md` is rigorously verified by running it with the `bash` tool. This automated execution confirms that the examples are functional and reflect the current state of your code, eliminating the liability of unexecuted or outdated snippets. Before any changes are written, Atlas computes a unified diff for every file edit and surfaces it for your explicit approval, giving you granular control. All Atlas tool calls, including those to `lsp`, `read`, `codebase_search`, `grep`, `write`, and `bash`, are permission-gated against allow, ask, and deny rules. Atlas drafts its plan in a read-only plan agent and asks for your confirmation before switching to a build agent, further enhancing safety. For privacy, Atlas can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings, keeping your Lua code off third-party servers. It also snapshots file changes as `git` patches, allowing edits to be easily diffed and rolled back if needed.

What are the concrete steps to generate a Lua README?

Generating a Lua README with Atlas in 2026 involves a few concrete steps, starting with initializing Atlas in your project directory where `.lua` modules and `rockspec` files are located. Atlas then reads your module structure and dependencies.

To generate a comprehensive and accurate `README.md` for your Lua module, begin by running `atlas` in the root of your project, specifically where your `.lua` modules and `rockspec` files reside. This allows Atlas to properly initialize and understand your project's context. Next, ensure Atlas is permitted to read your module returns, metatables, and the rocks resolved by `luarocks`, which provides it with a complete understanding of your codebase's structure and dependencies. Atlas will then use the `lsp` tool's `documentSymbol` operation to enumerate your module's public API. It proceeds to `read` the implementation of each export and uses `codebase_search` to find real-world usage examples. To maintain consistency, Atlas `grep`s for any existing `README.md` to match its style. Finally, Atlas uses the `write` tool to generate the `README.md`, quoting real Lua signatures and file paths. Crucially, every code sample in the generated documentation is verified by Atlas running it with the `bash` tool, ensuring accuracy before you approve the final unified diff for writing.

Step by step

01Initialize Atlas in your Lua project: Run `atlas` where your `.lua` modules and `rockspec` live to begin the documentation process.
02Allow Atlas to understand your Lua codebase: Let Atlas read your module returns, metatables, and the rocks resolved by `luarocks` for comprehensive context.
03Enumerate the public API: Use the `lsp` tool's `documentSymbol` operation to identify every exported function and variable in your Lua module, ensuring no public surface is missed.
04Gather implementation details and usage: Employ the `read` tool to analyze each export's implementation and `codebase_search` to find how callers actually use it in your Lua project, providing real-world context.
05Reference existing documentation style: `Grep` your repository for an existing `README.md` file to match its heading structure and tone for your new Lua documentation, ensuring consistency.
06Draft the README: Instruct Atlas to `write` the `README.md` with the `write` tool, ensuring it quotes real Lua signatures and file paths like `src/my_module.lua`.
07Verify code examples: Verify every Lua code sample within the generated `README.md` by having Atlas run it with the `bash` tool, ensuring accuracy and preventing stale examples.
08Review and commit changes: Approve the unified diff presented by Atlas before it writes the new `README.md`, and optionally have Atlas run `stylua` over touched modules for formatting consistency.

Frequently asked questions

How does Atlas ensure my Lua README is up-to-date with current code?: Atlas uses the `lsp` tool's `documentSymbol` operation to enumerate the real exported surface of your Lua module and the `read` tool to understand its current behavior. This ensures documentation reflects what the code actually does today, not what it was supposed to do a year ago, providing traceable and accurate information.
Can Atlas verify Lua code examples in the generated README?: Yes, Atlas verifies every Lua code sample in the generated documentation by running it with the `bash` tool. This critical step ensures that all examples are executable and accurate, preventing the inclusion of stale or incorrect code snippets that could mislead developers.
Does Atlas respect my Lua project's `luarocks` dependencies?: Absolutely. When you run Atlas where your `.lua` modules and `rockspec` live, it reads the rocks resolved by `luarocks`. This allows Atlas to accurately understand your project's dependencies and context, which is essential for generating relevant and correct documentation for your Lua modules.
How does Atlas handle formatting for Lua code in the README?: Atlas can be configured to run `stylua` over any touched modules or generated code samples. This ensures that all Lua code within your new `README.md` adheres to your project's established formatting standards, maintaining consistency and readability across your codebase.
What kind of control do I have over Atlas's changes to my Lua project?: Atlas provides extensive control. Every tool call is permission-gated, it drafts a plan in a read-only agent, and it computes a unified diff for every file edit, surfacing it for your approval before writing any changes to your Lua codebase. This ensures you always have the final say.
Will Atlas invent features or APIs for my Lua module documentation?: No, Atlas writes documentation strictly from source. It uses the `lsp` tool to enumerate the real public API and `read` to understand actual implementation, ensuring no export is missed or invented. Every claim in the documentation is traceable directly to your Lua code.
Can Atlas integrate with my local Lua development environment?: Yes, Atlas is terminal-native and can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings, keeping your Lua code off third-party servers. It also reads `git` branches, status, and diffs, and can stage and create commits on your behalf within your local development environment, making it a direct part of your workflow.
How does Atlas determine the tone and structure for a new Lua README?: Atlas uses the `grep` tool to search your repository for an existing `README.md` file. It then analyzes this existing documentation to match its heading structure and tone, ensuring consistency rather than inventing a new format for your Lua module's documentation.

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