Welcome to Diplodocus Workspaces

Diplodocus is a markdown-first documentation system designed for developers who want to:

  • Write docs alongside code (in Git, version-controlled)
  • Keep docs close to projects without duplicating them
  • Deploy docs instantly with zero build process
  • Share guides across multiple projects and teams

This guide teaches the workspace pattern — the recommended way to use Diplodocus across multiple projects and repositories.

The Problem This Solves

Typically, developers either:

  • Store docs in the project repo — coupled to releases, hard to share across apps
  • Use a separate wiki or CMS — disconnected from code, stale, duplicate effort
  • Write docs nowhere — because the workflow is too heavy

Diplodocus Workspaces let you:

Your local machine:
  somenewproject/          ← Your actual app (Laravel, React, etc.)
  diplodocus-workspace/    ← Cloned docs repo (sparse, on-demand)

The deployed site:
  diplodocus.joehunter.dev/laravel-13-guide/     ← Shared guide
  diplodocus.joehunter.dev/somenewproject-docs/  ← Your project docs

Both live in the same Git repository. Locally, you clone only what you need. When you push, everything deploys.

Key Ideas

Sparse Checkout — Clone only the folders you care about, not the entire repository.

git clone --filter=blob:none https://github.com/.../diplodocus.git
git sparse-checkout set public_md/laravel-13-guide public_md/somenewproject-docs

Mounted Workspaces — Diplodocus scans any folder in public_md/ and renders it as a documentation space. No code required.

Flat-Numbered Structure — Files like 01-welcome.md, 02-setup.md, 03-deployment.md auto-sort and render in order.

Git as the Source — Push to GitHub, Diplodocus picks it up. No admin panels, no database.

What You'll Learn

  1. Local Setup — Clone and sparse-checkout the docs repo
  2. Project Structure — How to organize your docs folder
  3. Configuration — The optional .diplodocus.json file
  4. Adding Custom Docs — Create a folder for your project
  5. Deployment — Push to GitHub and watch it go live
  6. Real Example — Complete walkthrough from zero to deployed

Ready? Let's start.