Abstract: Documentation is automatically generated having a specified format for a computer program having a source code consisting of a stream of characters. The ordering of the stream of characters follows a set of syntax rules. The set of syntax rules includes a set of reserved words. The specified format of the documentation and the set of syntax rules define a set of selection rules for selecting a set of selected character strings. The set of selected character strings includes at least one selected reserved word and at least one word affiliated with the selected reserved word. The stream of characters is read and the selected character strings are searched. Each time one of the selected character strings is found, at least one related character string affiliated with the found selected character string is stored in memory. After all the characters in the source code are read, the related character strings are retrieved.