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Improve documentation for add_js_file() and add_css_file() #14322

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66 changes: 61 additions & 5 deletions sphinx/application.py
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -1461,14 +1461,38 @@ def add_js_file(
Example::
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@gastmaier gastmaier Feb 27, 2026

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I think the overall description could be simpler.
add_js_file always adds the .js file to the .html, and suffixes it with the checksum if it is available.

For example, app.config.html_static_path.append + add_js_file at 'builder_inited' will generate the checksum, while add_js_file at 'builder_inited' and copy_asset at 'build_finished' will not suffix with the checksum, because the generation step already happened.
For both, the .js script tag are added to the html page.

See for reference analogdevicesinc/doctools@42be7a6


app.add_js_file('example.js')
# => <script src="_static/example.js"></script>
# => <script src="_static/example.js?v=a1b2c3d4"></script>

app.add_js_file('example.js', loading_method='async')
# => <script src="_static/example.js" async="async"></script>
# => <script src="_static/example.js?v=a1b2c3d4" async="async"></script>

app.add_js_file(None, body="var myVariable = 'foo';")
# => <script>var myVariable = 'foo';</script>

.. note::

For the file to be included in the output, it must be present in
the ``_static`` directory at build time.
Extension developers should use :meth:`add_static_dir` to register
a directory whose contents will be copied to ``_static``.
Site authors can place files into a directory listed in
:confval:`html_static_path` instead.

.. tip::

Site authors (as opposed to extension developers) who wish to add
custom JavaScript files may find it easier to use the
:confval:`html_js_files` configuration value in combination with
:confval:`html_static_path`, rather than writing an extension.

.. note::

Files registered by extensions can be overridden by site authors
by placing a file with the same name into their
:confval:`html_static_path`. Note that this may not work in all
cases; see `#12096 <https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/issues/12096>`__
for details.

.. list-table:: priority range for JavaScript files
:widths: 20,80

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1498,6 +1522,9 @@ def add_js_file(
.. versionchanged:: 4.4
Take loading_method argument. Allow to change the loading method of the
JavaScript file.
.. versionchanged:: 7.1
A CRC32 checksum is appended as a query parameter to local asset
URIs (e.g. ``?v=a1b2c3d4``) for cache-busting purposes.
"""
if loading_method == 'async':
kwargs['async'] = 'async'
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1527,16 +1554,41 @@ def add_css_file(self, filename: str, priority: int = 500, **kwargs: Any) -> Non
Example::

app.add_css_file('custom.css')
# => <link rel="stylesheet" href="_static/custom.css" type="text/css" />
# => <link rel="stylesheet" href="_static/custom.css?v=a1b2c3d4"
# type="text/css" />

app.add_css_file('print.css', media='print')
# => <link rel="stylesheet" href="_static/print.css"
# => <link rel="stylesheet" href="_static/print.css?v=a1b2c3d4"
# type="text/css" media="print" />

app.add_css_file('fancy.css', rel='alternate stylesheet', title='fancy')
# => <link rel="alternate stylesheet" href="_static/fancy.css"
# => <link rel="alternate stylesheet" href="_static/fancy.css?v=a1b2c3d4"
# type="text/css" title="fancy" />

.. note::

For the file to be included in the output, it must be present in
the ``_static`` directory at build time.
Extension developers should use :meth:`add_static_dir` to register
a directory whose contents will be copied to ``_static``.
Site authors can place files into a directory listed in
:confval:`html_static_path` instead.

.. tip::

Site authors (as opposed to extension developers) who wish to add
custom CSS files may find it easier to use the
:confval:`html_css_files` configuration value in combination with
:confval:`html_static_path`, rather than writing an extension.

.. note::

Files registered by extensions can be overridden by site authors
by placing a file with the same name into their
:confval:`html_static_path`. Note that this may not work in all
cases; see `#12096 <https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/issues/12096>`__
for details.

.. list-table:: priority range for CSS files
:widths: 20,80

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1570,6 +1622,10 @@ def add_css_file(self, filename: str, priority: int = 500, **kwargs: Any) -> Non

.. versionchanged:: 3.5
Take priority argument. Allow to add a CSS file to the specific page.

.. versionchanged:: 7.1
A CRC32 checksum is appended as a query parameter to local asset
URIs (e.g. ``?v=a1b2c3d4``) for cache-busting purposes.
"""
logger.debug('[app] adding stylesheet: %r', filename)
self.registry.add_css_files(filename, priority=priority, **kwargs)
Expand Down
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