\hypertarget{features}{}\section{Features}\label{features}
 \index{features@{features}} \begin{CompactItemize}
\item 
Requires very little overhead from the writer of the documentation.  Plain text will do, but for more fancy or structured output HTML tags  and/or some of doxygen's special commands can be used. \item 
Supports C++, Java, (Corba, Microsoft, and KDE-DCOP) Java, IDL and C sources. \item 
Supports documentation of files, namespaces, classes, structs, unions,  templates, variables, functions, typedefs, enums and defines.  \item 
Java\-Doc (1.1), Qt-Doc, and KDOC compatible. \item 
Automatically generates class diagrams in HTML (as clickable  image maps) and $\mbox{\LaTeX}$ (as Encapsulated Post\-Script images). \item 
Uses the dot tool of the Graphviz tool kit to generate include dependency graphs, collaboration diagrams, and  graphical class hierarchy graphs.  \item 
Allows you to put documentation in the header file (before the  declaration of an entity), source file (before the definition of an entity)  or in a separate file. \item 
Can generate a list of all members of a class (including any inherited members) along with their protection level. \item 
Outputs documentation in on-line format (HTML and UNIX man page) and  off-line format ($\mbox{\LaTeX}$ and RTF) simultaneously  (any of these can be disabled if desired). All formats are optimized for  ease of reading. \par
 Furthermore, compressed HTML can be generated from HTML output using  Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop (Windows only) and PDF can be generated  from the $\mbox{\LaTeX}$ output. \item 
Includes a full C preprocessor to allow proper parsing of conditional  code fragments and to allow expansion of all or part of macros definitions. \item 
Automatically detects public, protected and private sections, as well as the Qt specific signal and slots sections. Extraction of private class  members is optional. \item 
Automatically generates references to documented classes, files, namespaces and members. Documentation of global functions, globals variables,  typedefs, defines and enumerations is also supported. \item 
References to base/super classes and inherited/overridden members are  generated automatically. \item 
Includes a fast, rank based search engine to search for strings or words  in the class and member documentation. \item 
You can type normal HTML tags in your documentation. Doxygen will convert them to their equivalent $\mbox{\LaTeX}$, RTF, and man-page  counterparts automatically. \item 
Allows references to documentation generated for other projects  (or another part of the same project) in a location independent way. \item 
Allows inclusion of source code examples that are automatically  cross-referenced with the documentation. \item 
Inclusion of undocumented classes is also supported, allowing to quickly learn the structure and interfaces of a (large) piece of code without  looking into the implementation details. \item 
Allows automatic cross-referencing of (documented) entities with their definition in the source code. \item 
All source code fragments are syntax highlighted for ease of reading. \item 
Allows inclusion of function/member/class definitions in the documentation. \item 
All options are read from an easy to edit and (optionally) annotated  configuration file. \item 
Documentation and search engine can be transferred to another  location or machine without regenerating the documentation. \item 
Can cope with large projects easily. \end{CompactItemize}
Although doxygen can be used in any C or C++ project, it was specifically designed to be used for projects that make use of Troll Tech's  \href{http://www.trolltech.com/products/qt.html}{\tt Qt toolkit}. I have tried to make doxygen  `Qt-compatible'. That is: Doxygen can read the documentation contained in  the Qt source code and create a class browser that looks very similar to the  one that is generated by Troll Tech. Doxygen understands the C++ extensions  used by Qt such as signals and slots.

Doxygen can also automatically generate links to existing documentation that was generated with Doxygen or with Qt's non-public class browser  generator. For a Qt based project this means that whenever you refer to  members or classes belonging to the Qt toolkit, a link will be generated to  the Qt documentation. This is done independent of where this documentation  is located!

