javadockotlinkdockotlin-dokka

How do I inherit KDoc documentation?


In Java's Javadoc, there is a way to inherit a method's documentation in a subclass using {@inheritDoc} tag.

Is there a way to do the same in Kotlin's KDoc?

Basically, what I'd like to do is the following:

abstract class Base {
    /**
     * Some KDoc documentation here.
     */
    abstract fun foo()
}

class Derived: Base() {
    /**
     * Here is all the documentation from Base#foo's KDoc inherited.
     *
     * And here goes something more in addition.
     */
    override fun foo() { /* ... */ }
}

Solution

  • Dokka always copies the documentation from a base member to an inherited one if the inherited member does not have its own documentation. There is no way to combine the base member documentation with additional text provided in the inherited member.

    (Dokka doesn't support the @inheritdoc Javadoc tag because this inevitably leads to the proliferation of comments consisting of only /** @inheritdoc */ which I find super useless and redundant.)