Design Documentation Export

Exports design documentation to various formats (PDF, HTML, markdown) for distribution, presentation, or archival purposes.

Overview

This skill exports design docs by collecting documents across modules, preparing content with resolved links and processed images, generating exports in requested formats using Pandoc, applying styling and theming, creating table of contents, and producing professional output files.

Quick Start

Export to PDF:

/design-export --format=pdf

Export specific module to HTML:

/design-export effect-type-registry --format=html

Export to multiple formats:

/design-export --format=pdf,html,markdown

Parameters

Optional

• module

  : Specific module to export (default: all modules)

• format

  : Output format - pdf, html, markdown, or comma-separated list (default: pdf)

• output

  : Custom output path (default:

  .claude/exports/design-docs-{date}.{ext}

  )

• include-archived

  : Include archived docs (default: false)

• standalone

  : Create self-contained file (default: true)

Workflow

High-level export process:

1. Parse parameters to determine module scope, format, and options
2. Load design.config.json to get module paths and export settings
3. Collect documents based on scope and filters
4. Prepare content (process frontmatter, resolve links, handle images)
5. Generate export using Pandoc or direct markdown processing
6. Apply styling (format-specific themes and layouts)
7. Generate table of contents with navigation structure
8. Write export file to output path
9. Generate metadata file with export details
10. Report results with summary and file location

For detailed implementation steps, see supporting documentation below.

Supporting Documentation

When you need detailed information, load the appropriate supporting file:

For Detailed Workflow

See instructions.md for:

• Complete step-by-step export workflow
• Document collection and filtering
• Content preparation (links, images, frontmatter)
• Export generation for each format
• Styling application
• TOC generation algorithms
• Metadata creation
• Advanced features (batch export, selective export, incremental, templates)

Load when: Performing exports or need implementation details

For Export Formats

See export-formats.md for:

• PDF format specifications (Pandoc commands, LaTeX templates, options)
• HTML format specifications (structure, CSS, JavaScript)
• Markdown format specifications (organization, frontmatter handling)
• Format comparison and selection guidelines
• Requirements and dependencies

Load when: Need format specifications or Pandoc command details

For Usage Examples

See examples.md for:

• Export all modules to PDF
• Export specific module to HTML
• Multi-format export
• Standalone markdown export
• Custom output path
• Error scenarios (Pandoc not found, invalid format)

Load when: User needs examples or clarification

Error Handling

Pandoc Not Found

ERROR: Pandoc not installed

PDF and HTML export require Pandoc.

Install: brew install pandoc (macOS)
or visit https://pandoc.org/installing.html

LaTeX Engine Missing

ERROR: LaTeX engine not found

PDF export requires XeLaTeX or PDFLaTeX.

Install: brew install --cask mactex (macOS)

Invalid Format

ERROR: Invalid export format: {format}

Valid formats: pdf, html, markdown

Example: /design-export --format=pdf

Integration

Works well with:

• /design-review

  - Review docs before exporting

• /design-validate

  - Ensure docs valid before export

• /design-sync

  - Sync docs before exporting

• /design-prune

  - Clean docs before exporting

Success Criteria

A successful export:

• ✅ All target documents collected
• ✅ Content properly prepared (links resolved, images handled)
• ✅ Export generated in requested format(s)
• ✅ Styling applied correctly
• ✅ Table of contents included
• ✅ Metadata file created
• ✅ Output file created at specified location
• ✅ Clear export summary provided