history

Framework owns UI and compatibility documentation

id: LK-20260717-framework-documentation-ownership
date: 2026-07-17
sequence: 133
type: docs
compatibility: compatible
scope: App Framework documentation

Context

The documentation described labkit.ui as the App Framework but presented its public API and the compatibility contracts through the generic Functions area. The visible information architecture therefore disagreed with the framework terminology used by app development guides.

Decision and rationale

Make Framework the documentation owner for labkit.ui.* and labkit.contract.*. Compatibility requirements belong in the Framework because App definitions and startup consume them. Keep the stable labkit.contract MATLAB namespace because it checks UI and domain facades alike; moving it below labkit.ui would create a misleading dependency and break existing App definitions.

Changes

• Added compatibility contracts as a Framework sidebar branch.
• Classified UI and contract API pages under the Framework top navigation.
• Replaced raw UI package headings with visible Framework API labels while retaining fully qualified MATLAB symbols.
• Removed the separate Contracts entry from the Functions guide table.

User and data impact

Readers now enter framework runtime, layout, plotting, interaction, debugging, and compatibility material through one consistent Framework route. MATLAB calls, saved projects, scientific results, and URLs remain compatible.

Compatibility and migration

No code migration is required. Existing labkit.ui.* and labkit.contract.* symbols are unchanged.

Validation

Renderer regression tests verify Framework ownership for the contracts guide and a runtime API page. docsCheck rebuilds and compares the complete site.

Evidence

Generated UI and contract pages highlight Framework in the product navigation, and the Framework landing sidebar links the compatibility guide.

Known limitations and follow-up

The global API reference still indexes all public symbols together so exact MATLAB functions remain searchable from one place.