Replay for Docusaurus: Documentation UI from Video

TL;DR: Replay lets you generate fully functional Docusaurus documentation UIs directly from video recordings of user interactions, drastically speeding up documentation development and ensuring accuracy.

Stop building documentation UIs from scratch. Every. Single. Time. The current workflow is broken. Manual recreation of interfaces based on design specs or existing implementations is time-consuming, error-prone, and often results in documentation that lags behind the actual product. Screenshots-to-code tools offer a slight improvement, but they lack the crucial understanding of user intent. What if you could simply record someone using your product and have a working Docusaurus UI generated automatically?

Enter Replay. We're not just converting images to code; we're using Behavior-Driven Reconstruction to understand what the user is doing and why, allowing us to generate more accurate and functional code. Specifically, we're tackling the bottleneck of Docusaurus documentation, enabling developers to build dynamic, interactive documentation from video recordings.

The Problem with Traditional Documentation UI Development#

Building effective documentation UIs is a pain. The process typically involves:

1. •Analyzing existing UI or design specifications.
2. •Manually coding components in React (or similar).
3. •Integrating with Docusaurus's theming and structure.
4. •Adding interactive elements and examples.
5. •Testing and iterating.

This process is slow, expensive, and prone to inconsistencies. Moreover, it's difficult to keep documentation up-to-date as the product evolves. Screenshot-to-code tools address part of the problem, but they are limited by their inability to understand user behavior. They can reproduce the look of the UI, but not the feel or functionality.

Replay: Behavior-Driven Documentation UI Generation#

Replay offers a radical alternative: video-to-code generation that understands user behavior. By analyzing video recordings of users interacting with your product, Replay reconstructs the UI and its underlying logic. This "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" approach allows us to generate Docusaurus documentation UIs that are:

• •Accurate: Reconstructed directly from real-world usage.
• •Functional: Captures interactive elements and data flow.
• •Dynamic: Easily updated by recording new user interactions.
• •Fast: Reduces development time from days to minutes.

Here's how Replay stacks up against traditional methods and screenshot-to-code tools:

💡 Pro Tip: For optimal results, record videos of users completing specific tasks or workflows within your application. This provides Replay with the necessary context to generate accurate and functional documentation UIs.

Building Docusaurus Documentation with Replay: A Step-by-Step Guide#

Let's walk through the process of using Replay to generate a Docusaurus documentation UI from a video recording.

Step 1: Recording the User Interaction#

First, record a video of a user interacting with the component or feature you want to document. Make sure the video clearly shows the user's actions, including clicks, form inputs, and navigation. Think of this as a "user story" in video format.

📝 Note: The clearer the video, the better the results. Use a screen recorder with high resolution and minimal distractions.

Step 2: Uploading the Video to Replay#

Upload the video to the Replay platform. Replay's AI engine will begin analyzing the video, identifying UI elements, user actions, and data flow.

Step 3: Configuring Replay for Docusaurus#

Specify that you want to generate a Docusaurus UI. Replay offers configuration options to customize the output, including:

• •Component Structure: Define how the generated code should be organized into components.
• •Style Injection: Choose how styles should be applied (e.g., inline, CSS modules, Tailwind CSS).
• •Supabase Integration: Configure data fetching and persistence using Supabase.

Step 4: Generating the Code#

Click the "Generate" button. Replay will generate the React code for the UI, along with the necessary Docusaurus configuration files.

Step 5: Integrating with Your Docusaurus Project#

Download the generated code and integrate it into your Docusaurus project. This typically involves:

1. •Copying the React components into your
   text

   src/components
   directory.
2. •Updating your Docusaurus configuration to include the new components.
3. •Adding the components to your documentation pages.

That's it! You've just created a functional Docusaurus documentation UI from a video recording.

Example: Generating a Form Component#

Let's say you have a video of a user filling out a form. Replay can generate the following React component:

typescript
// Generated by Replay
import React, { useState } from 'react';

interface FormProps {
  onSubmit: (data: any) => void;
}

const MyForm: React.FC<FormProps> = ({ onSubmit }) => {
  const [name, setName] = useState('');
  const [email, setEmail] = useState('');

  const handleSubmit = (e: React.FormEvent) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    onSubmit({ name, email });
  };

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="name">Name:</label>
        <input
          type="text"
          id="name"
          value={name}
          onChange={(e) => setName(e.target.value)}
        />
      </div>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="email">Email:</label>
        <input
          type="email"
          id="email"
          value={email}
          onChange={(e) => setEmail(e.target.value)}
        />
      </div>
      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
  );
};

export default MyForm;

And you can use it within your Docusaurus documentation page like this:

jsx
// Example usage in a Docusaurus MDX file
import MyForm from '@site/src/components/MyForm';

const handleSubmit = (data: any) => {
  console.log('Form data submitted:', data);
  // Here you might want to send the data to a server
};

<MyForm onSubmit={handleSubmit} />

Replay doesn't just generate static HTML; it understands the interactive elements and data flow, creating a fully functional form component.

Beyond Basic Components: Product Flow Maps#

Replay goes beyond generating individual components. It can also generate product flow maps from video recordings of users navigating through your application. These maps provide a visual representation of the user's journey, highlighting key interactions and decision points. You can then embed these maps directly into your Docusaurus documentation, providing users with a clear understanding of how to use your product.

⚠️ Warning: Replay is still under active development. While we strive for 100% accuracy, the generated code may require some manual adjustments. Always review the code carefully before deploying it to production.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited functionality. Paid plans are available for more advanced features and higher usage limits.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While both tools aim to accelerate UI development, they take different approaches. v0.dev uses AI to generate UI code based on text prompts. Replay, on the other hand, uses video recordings as input, allowing it to capture user behavior and generate more accurate and functional code. Replay understands intent, not just visual appearance.

What kind of videos work best with Replay?#

Videos that clearly show user interactions with the UI, including clicks, form inputs, and navigation, work best. High-resolution videos with minimal distractions will produce the best results.

What styling options are supported?#

Replay supports inline styles, CSS modules, and Tailwind CSS. You can choose the styling option that best fits your project's needs.

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Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.