mandoc/manuals.7 - diff

Return to manuals.7 CVS log

Up to [cvsweb.bsd.lv] / mandoc

Diff for /mandoc/Attic/manuals.7 between version 1.10 and 1.17

version 1.10, 2009/03/26 23:01:26

version 1.17, 2009/07/20 13:45:11

Line 1

.\" $Id$

.\"

.\" Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any

.\" purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the

.\" purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above

.\" above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all

.\" copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.

.\" copies.

.\"

.\" THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL

.\" THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES

.\" WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED

.\" WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF

.\" WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE

.\" MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR

.\" AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL

.\" ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES

.\" DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR

.\" WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN

.\" PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER

.\" ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF

.\" TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR

.\" OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

.\" PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

.\"

.Dd $Mdocdate$

.Dt manuals 7

.Dt MANUALS 7

.Os

.\" SECTION

.Sh NAME

Line 30

Line 28

.Pp

A system component's documentation describes the utility of that

component, whether it's a device driver, an executable or, most

importantly, a game.

.Pp

This document serves as a tutorial to writing

.Ux

documentation

.Pq Dq manuals .

.\" SECTION

.Sh COMPOSITION

.Sh ENVIRONMENT

Prepare your composition environment by copying over the manual template

First, copy over the manual template from

from

.Pa /usr/share/misc/mdoc.template

.Pa /usr/share/misc/mdoc.template .

into your source directory.

.Pp

If this file doesn't exist, bug your administrator.

.Dl % cp /usr/share/misc/mdoc.template \.

.Pp

.Em \&Do not

start afresh or by copying another manual unless you know exactly what

you're doing!

you're doing! If the template doesn't exist, bug your administrator.

.\" SUBSECTION

.Ss Section Numbering

Find an appropriate section for your manual. There may exist multiple

Line 67 file and wire protocol formats

Line 66 file and wire protocol formats

games

.It 7

tutorials, documents and papers

.It 8

administrator utilities

.It 9

in-kernel routines

Line 96 other manuals by that same name before committing:

Line 95 other manuals by that same name before committing:

.Pp

.Dl % apropos myname

.Pp

Manual files are named

.Pa myname.mysection ,

such as

.Pa manuals.7

for this document.

for this document. Rename the template file:

.\" SUBSECTION

.Ss Input Language

Manuals should

.Em always

be written in the

.Xr mdoc 7

formatting language.

.Pp

There exist other documentation-specific languages, such as the

.Dl % mv mdoc.template myname.mysection

historical

.Xr man 7

package of

.Xr roff 7 ;

newer languages such as DocBook or texinfo; or even ad-hoc conventions

such as README files.

.Em Avoid these formats .

.Pp

There are two canonical references for writing mdoc. Read them.

.Pp

.\" LIST

.Bl -tag -width XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX -offset indent -compact

.It Xr mdoc 7

formal language reference

.It Xr mdoc.samples 7

macro reference

.El

.Pp

Open the template you've copied into

.Pa name.section

and begin editing.

.\" SUBSECTION

.Ss Development Tools

While writing, make sure that your manual is correctly structured:

Line 140 While writing, make sure that your manual is correctly

Line 111 While writing, make sure that your manual is correctly

You may spell-check your work as follows:

.Pp

.Dl % deroff name.1 | spell

.Pp

.Xr ispell 1

is installed, it has a special mode for manuals:

.Pp

.Dl % ispell \-n name.1

.Pp

Use

.Xr cvs 1

.Xr rcs 1

Line 152 your document's date, use the following RCS tag for th

Line 128 your document's date, use the following RCS tag for th

.Dl \&.Dd $Mdocdate$

.\" SUBSECTION

.Ss Viewing

mdoc documents may be paged to your terminal with

.Xr mandoc 1 .

If you plan on distributing your work to systems without this tool,

check it against

Line 163 check it against

Line 139 check it against

.Ed

.\" SUBSECTION

.Ss Automation

Consider adding your mdoc documents to

.Xr make 1

Makefiles in order to automatically check your input:

.Bd -literal -offset indent

Line 178 Makefiles in order to automatically check your input:

Line 154 Makefiles in order to automatically check your input:

Your manual must have a license. It should be listed at the start of

your document, just as in source code.

.\" SECTION

.Sh BEST PRACTICES

.Sh COMPOSITION

The

Manuals should

.Em always

be written in the

.Xr mdoc 7

and

formatting language.

.Xr mdoc.samples 7

.\" PARAGRAPH

files are indispensable in guiding composition. In this section, we

.Pp

introduce some

Open the template you've copied into

.Ux

.Pa myname.mysection

manual best practices:

and begin editing.

.\" SUBSECTION

.Ss Language

.Bl -enum

.It

Use clear, concise language. Favour simplicity.

.It

Line 209 symbols and so on), use the escapes dictated in

Line 187 symbols and so on), use the escapes dictated in

.Ss Style

The structure of the mdoc language makes it very hard to have any

particular format style. Keep your lines under 72 characters in length.

If you must have long option lines, use

.Sq \&Oo/Oc .

The same goes for function prototypes.

.Em \&Do not

use

.Sq \&Xo/Xc .

Find another way to structure your line.

.\" SUBSECTION

.Ss References

Other components may be referenced with the

.Sq \&Xr

and

Line 242 and style.

Line 220 and style.

.\" SECTION

.Sh MAINTENANCE

As your component changes and bugs are fixed, your manual may become out

of date. You may be tempted to use automation tools like Doxygen to

of date. You may be tempted to use tools like Doxygen to automate the

smooth the development of your manuals. Don't. Source documentation is

development of your manuals. Don't.

different from a component manual.

.Pp

.Em Manuals are part of a system component :

if you modify your code or specifications, modify the documentation.

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