What is rtd?

Read the Docs (RTD) is a popular platform that automates the building, versioning, and hosting of documentation for software projects. It is especially prevalent in the Python community but supports other languages as well. RTD allows developers to easily host documentation alongside their code, typically using Sphinx as the documentation generator.

Key features and aspects of Read the Docs include:

• Automatic Builds: RTD automatically builds your documentation whenever you push code to your repository (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket).
• Version Control: It supports multiple versions of your documentation, corresponding to different branches or tags in your repository, making it easy to access historical documentation.
• Web Hosting: RTD hosts your documentation on a dedicated subdomain (e.g., yourproject.readthedocs.io) for free (for the standard community plan).
• Custom Domains: Paid plans allow the use of custom domains.
• Integration with Git: Seamless integration with popular version control systems like Git.
• Markdown and reStructuredText Support: RTD supports various documentation formats, primarily reStructuredText (used by Sphinx) and Markdown.
• Themes: RTD provides default themes and allows for customization of the look and feel of your documentation.
• Search: It provides built-in search functionality, allowing users to easily find information within your documentation.
• Open Source Focus: Read the Docs has a strong commitment to open-source projects and offers free hosting for them.

In summary, RTD simplifies the process of creating, maintaining, and hosting project documentation, promoting better documentation practices within the software development lifecycle.