How does Atlas ensure Spring documentation is up-to-date?

Atlas ensures Spring documentation is current by reading the actual source code, including controllers and services, using `lsp` and `read` tools. It documents what the code does today, not what it was planned to do a year ago.

Can Atlas document Spring Boot controllers and services?

Yes, Atlas is specifically designed to work with Spring Boot. It uses the `lsp` tool to enumerate `@RestController` endpoints and `@Service` beans, then reads their implementations to generate accurate documentation.

What Spring build tools does Atlas integrate with?

Atlas integrates direct with `Maven` as the package manager for Spring projects. It also uses `JUnit 5 via mvn test` to verify code samples and `Spotless` for formatting consistency.

How does Atlas prevent incorrect documentation for Spring projects?

Atlas prevents incorrect documentation by deriving all claims directly from the codebase, verifying code samples with `bash` (e.g., `mvn test`), and requiring user approval for all proposed changes via unified diffs.

Can Atlas verify code examples in a Spring README?

Absolutely. Atlas uses the `bash` tool to execute code samples found in the generated `README.md`. For Spring projects, this often means running `mvn test` to confirm `JUnit 5` snippets are functional.

Does Atlas keep my Spring code local when generating documentation?

Yes, Atlas is designed for local operation. It can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings, ensuring your Spring code remains on your machine and off third-party servers.

How does Atlas handle existing `README.md` files in a Spring project?

Atlas uses the `grep` tool to find existing `README.md` files or documentation structures. This allows it to match the established heading structure and tone, ensuring consistency with your project's existing documentation.

Document a Module with a README in Spring with Atlas in 2026

Atlas helps Spring developers in 2026 produce accurate, current documentation for their modules by directly reading source code, leveraging tools like Maven and JUnit 5. Instead of relying on outdated comments, Atlas uses its `lsp` and `read` tools to enumerate public APIs and understand their actual behavior, ensuring READMEs reflect the code's current state and not just historical intent.

How does Atlas document a Spring module's README?

Atlas documents Spring modules by directly analyzing the codebase in 2026, ensuring READMEs reflect current functionality rather than outdated plans. It enumerates public APIs, reads implementations, and verifies code samples, providing a traceable and accurate representation of your Spring Boot application.

Atlas approaches Spring module documentation by first enumerating the module's public API using the `lsp` tool's `documentSymbol` operation. This ensures that every `@RestController` endpoint, `@Service` bean, or public method within a Spring component is identified and considered for documentation, preventing any exports from being missed or invented. Following this, Atlas employs its `read` tool to examine the implementation details of each identified export. To understand how these components are actually used in practice within the Spring application, Atlas utilizes `codebase_search` to find real-world caller examples. Before writing, Atlas `grep`s the repository for existing `README.md` files or documentation structures to match the established heading style and tone, ensuring consistency across your Spring project. Finally, the `write` tool generates the `README.md`, quoting real Spring signatures and actual file paths like `src/main/java/com/example/MyService.java`. This entire process guarantees that the documentation describes what the Spring code actually does today, not what it was intended to do a year ago.

What Atlas tools document Spring code and what files are involved?

Atlas leverages 6 core tools to document Spring code, interacting directly with familiar files like `pom.xml` and `src/main/java/`. These tools ensure that every aspect of your Spring Boot application, from `@RestController` definitions to `JUnit 5` tests, is accurately captured in the README.

Documenting a Spring module with Atlas involves a precise set of tools interacting with your project's specific files. The `lsp` tool, specifically its `documentSymbol` operation, is crucial for identifying the public surface of your Spring application. This means it can enumerate all `@RestController` methods, `@Service` beans, or `@Component` classes defined in files such as `src/main/java/com/example/myapp/controller/MyController.java` or `src/main/java/com/example/myapp/service/MyService.java`. Once identified, the `read` tool accesses the content of these Java files to understand their behavior and implementation details. To provide context on how these Spring components are utilized, `codebase_search` scans the entire project, including other Java files and even `application.properties`, to find practical usage examples. Before generating the documentation, Atlas uses `grep` to locate existing `README.md` files or `docs/` directories, often found at the project root or within specific module directories, to ensure the new documentation adheres to the project's established format and tone. The `write` tool then creates or updates the `README.md` file, populating it with accurate descriptions, real Spring code snippets, and actual file paths. Crucially, the `bash` tool is used to verify every code sample included in the documentation. For instance, if a `README.md` contains a `JUnit 5` test snippet, Atlas can execute `mvn test` to confirm its validity, ensuring that all documented examples are runnable and correct within your `Maven`-managed Spring project.

How does Atlas ensure safe and accurate Spring documentation?

Atlas ensures the safety and accuracy of Spring documentation through a multi-layered approach, including permission-gated tool calls and explicit user approval for all changes. In 2026, every edit to your `pom.xml` or Java source files is presented as a unified diff for review.

Atlas prioritizes both accuracy and safety when generating documentation for Spring projects. Every Atlas tool call, including `lsp`, `read`, `write`, and `bash`, is permission-gated against `allow`, `ask`, and `deny` rules configured by the developer. This means Atlas will always seek explicit permission before performing actions that could modify your Spring codebase or execute commands. Before any changes are made, Atlas drafts a comprehensive plan in a read-only plan agent, which is then presented to the user for approval. This allows Spring developers to review the proposed steps, such as which files Atlas intends to read or modify, before any execution begins. When Atlas proposes an edit to a file, such as updating a `README.md` or even suggesting a change to a `JUnit 5` test in `src/test/java/`, it computes a unified diff for every proposed file edit. This diff is surfaced for approval, giving the developer full transparency and control over what changes are written to their Spring project. Furthermore, Atlas connects to Model Context Protocol servers, exposing their tools to the agent, and ships with a TUI theme system for a clear user experience. Atlas also reads `git` branches, status, and diffs, and can stage and create commits on your behalf, ensuring that documentation changes are integrated direct and can be rolled back if necessary. The verification of every code sample in the documentation by running it with `bash` (e.g., `mvn test`) is a critical accuracy check, preventing the inclusion of non-functional or outdated examples.

Step by step

01Run Atlas in your Spring Boot project, ensuring a `pom.xml` file is present and Atlas can read your controllers, services, and application properties.
02Ask Atlas to enumerate the public API of your Spring module using the `lsp` tool's `documentSymbol` operation, ensuring all `@RestController` endpoints or `@Service` beans are identified.
03Direct Atlas to read the implementation of each identified Spring export with the `read` tool, and use `codebase_search` to find how other Spring components actually use it in practice.
04Instruct Atlas to `grep` your repository for an existing `README.md` or `docs/` directory to match the established heading structure and tone for your Spring project.
05Have Atlas write the new or updated `README.md` for your Spring module using the `write` tool, incorporating real Spring signatures and file paths like `src/main/java/com/example/MyService.java`.
06Verify every code sample within the generated documentation by instructing Atlas to execute it with the `bash` tool, for instance, by running `mvn test` to confirm a `JUnit 5` test snippet.

Frequently asked questions

How does Atlas ensure Spring documentation is up-to-date?: Atlas ensures Spring documentation is current by reading the actual source code, including controllers and services, using `lsp` and `read` tools. It documents what the code does today, not what it was planned to do a year ago.
Can Atlas document Spring Boot controllers and services?: Yes, Atlas is specifically designed to work with Spring Boot. It uses the `lsp` tool to enumerate `@RestController` endpoints and `@Service` beans, then reads their implementations to generate accurate documentation.
What Spring build tools does Atlas integrate with?: Atlas integrates direct with `Maven` as the package manager for Spring projects. It also uses `JUnit 5 via mvn test` to verify code samples and `Spotless` for formatting consistency.
How does Atlas prevent incorrect documentation for Spring projects?: Atlas prevents incorrect documentation by deriving all claims directly from the codebase, verifying code samples with `bash` (e.g., `mvn test`), and requiring user approval for all proposed changes via unified diffs.
Can Atlas verify code examples in a Spring README?: Absolutely. Atlas uses the `bash` tool to execute code samples found in the generated `README.md`. For Spring projects, this often means running `mvn test` to confirm `JUnit 5` snippets are functional.
Does Atlas keep my Spring code local when generating documentation?: Yes, Atlas is designed for local operation. It can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings, ensuring your Spring code remains on your machine and off third-party servers.
How does Atlas handle existing `README.md` files in a Spring project?: Atlas uses the `grep` tool to find existing `README.md` files or documentation structures. This allows it to match the established heading structure and tone, ensuring consistency with your project's existing documentation.

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