What Documentation Sets Does Dash Include and How Are They Kept Up to Date?

Updated

Dash for macOS ships with access to 200+ offline documentation sets, and you control which ones are downloaded. After you pick a set, Dash keeps it up to date automatically. The catalog covers major languages and frameworks such as iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, Swift, Python, JavaScript, Java SE/EE, PHP, Ruby, Go, Rust, React, Vue.js, Docker, and many more, plus 100+ cheat sheets. All documentation sets are generated and maintained by Kapeli, and you can also add third-party docsets, generate your own, or request new ones.

What's in the built-in catalog

Dash's documentation sets span platform SDKs, languages, frameworks, databases, and tools. Representative entries from the published list:

Category Examples
Apple platforms iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, Swift
Languages Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java SE/EE, Go, Rust, Ruby, PHP, C, C++, Elixir, Haskell, Lua, R, Scala
Web frameworks React, Vue.js, Angular, Ember.js, Django, Flask, Laravel, Ruby on Rails, Spring Framework, Express.js
Databases & data MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MongoDB, Redis, Pandas, NumPy, SciPy
Tooling & infra Docker, Vagrant, Nginx, Gradle, CMake, Bash, Vim, Emacs Lisp
Markup & styling HTML, CSS, Sass, Less, SVG, Bootstrap, Foundation

The site notes that the most popular sets are highlighted, and that all sets are generated and maintained with care. Beyond docsets, Dash also includes 100+ cheat sheets.

How updates work

  1. Choose your sets. Dash presents the catalog and you select which documentation sets to download; you don't have to store all 200+ locally.
  2. Dash handles the rest. Once a set is selected, Dash keeps it up to date automatically, so you don't manually re-download new versions.
  3. Search offline. Selected sets are searched instantly without a network connection.

This model matters if you work on a laptop with intermittent connectivity or want fast, local lookups instead of browser tabs.

Adding documentation beyond the built-in list

Dash supports three routes for documentation it doesn't ship:

  • Third-party sources. You can download docsets from third-party documentation sources.
  • Package-manager integration. Dash integrates with package managers to generate docsets for packages you use, with listed sources including Swift Package Index (swiftpackageindex.com), RubyGems (rubygems.org), Python packages via Sphinx docs, PHP packages via packagist.org, and Java packages via Maven.
  • Docset Generator and requests. You can generate your own docsets with the built-in Docset Generator, or request that a docset be included in the official catalog.

Practical notes before you commit

  • Download size is your call. Because you choose which sets to download, local storage depends on your selection rather than a fixed bundle.
  • Offline is the point. The core value is instant offline search across your chosen sets; if you mostly look things up online, the benefit is smaller.
  • AI integration exists. The site lists MCP support for integration with Claude and other AI agents, and editor integration, if those workflows matter to you.
  • Pricing is separate from the catalog. The site links a "$€£ Purchase" option; the documentation above doesn't state prices, so check the purchase page for current terms rather than assuming free access.

For a developer juggling several stacks, the workflow is straightforward: pick the docsets for the languages and frameworks you actually use, let Dash keep them current, and fall back to package-manager generation or the Docset Generator when you need something outside the official list.