arc42 Documentation Generation

ArchTect can generate complete architecture documentation from your model, following the arc42 template — a widely-used standard for software architecture documentation.

What is arc42?

arc42 provides a standardized structure for architecture documentation with sections covering:

1. Introduction and Goals
2. Architecture Constraints
3. Context & Scope
4. Solution Strategy
5. Building Block View
6. Runtime View
7. Deployment View
8. Cross-cutting Concepts
9. Architecture Decisions
10. Quality Requirements
11. Risks and Technical Debt
12. Glossary

How to generate

VS Code extension

1. Open your project in ArchTect.
2. Command Palette → ArchTect: Generate Documentation.
3. Generated Markdown files are saved to the output folder.

Browser app

1. Open the Architecture menu in the top bar.
2. Select Generate Documentation.
3. Download the generated files.

View-to-section mapping

ArchTect automatically places your views into the correct arc42 sections:

arc42 section	Mapped view types
3. Context & Scope	System Landscape, System Context
5. Building Block View	Container, Component
6. Runtime View	Dynamic
7. Deployment View	Deployment

Note

Unassigned views

Filtered and Custom views are not automatically mapped to arc42 sections. They are included as appendices or listed separately.

AI-assisted content

When AI assistance is enabled, ArchTect enhances the generated documentation with:

• Section introductions — Prose descriptions for each arc42 section based on your model.
• Element descriptions — Summaries of each element’s role and purpose.
• Relationship narratives — Descriptions of how components interact.
• Gap detection — Highlights sections that lack views or content.

Caution

Review AI-generated content

AI-generated text is a starting point. Always review and refine the output for accuracy and completeness before publishing.

Output contents

Each generated section includes:

Content	Description
Diagrams	Embedded PNG or SVG exports of relevant views
Element tables	Name, description, technology for all elements in scope
Relationship tables	Source, destination, description, technology
View metadata	View title, description, and key
Section prose	AI-generated descriptions (when enabled)

Tips

Tip

Complete your model first

The quality of generated documentation depends on the completeness of your model. Add descriptions, technologies, and tags to elements and relationships before generating docs.

Tip

Use multiple view types

arc42 sections map to specific view types. For comprehensive documentation, create at least a System Context, Container, Dynamic, and Deployment view.

See also

• Documentation Map — How view types map to arc42 sections
• View Types — Understanding which views map to which sections
• Export overview — All export formats