=================================================================== RCS file: /cvs/mandoc/Attic/manuals.7,v retrieving revision 1.10 retrieving revision 1.19 diff -u -p -r1.10 -r1.19 --- mandoc/Attic/manuals.7 2009/03/26 23:01:26 1.10 +++ mandoc/Attic/manuals.7 2009/07/27 19:43:02 1.19 @@ -1,23 +1,21 @@ -.\" $Id: manuals.7,v 1.10 2009/03/26 23:01:26 kristaps Exp $ +.\" $Id: manuals.7,v 1.19 2009/07/27 19:43:02 kristaps Exp $ .\" -.\" Copyright (c) 2009 Kristaps Dzonsons +.\" Copyright (c) 2009 Kristaps Dzonsons .\" .\" Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any -.\" purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the -.\" above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all -.\" copies. +.\" purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above +.\" copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies. .\" -.\" THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL -.\" WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED -.\" WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE -.\" AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL -.\" DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR -.\" PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER -.\" TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR -.\" PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE. -.\" -.Dd $Mdocdate: March 26 2009 $ -.Dt manuals 7 +.\" THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES +.\" WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF +.\" MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR +.\" ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES +.\" WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN +.\" ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF +.\" OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE. +.\" +.Dd $Mdocdate: July 27 2009 $ +.Dt MANUALS 7 .Os .\" SECTION .Sh NAME @@ -30,22 +28,23 @@ .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. +importantly, a game. .Pp -This document serves as a tutorial to writing -.Ux +This document serves as a tutorial to writing +.Ux documentation .Pq Dq manuals . .\" SECTION -.Sh COMPOSITION -Prepare your composition environment by copying over the manual template -from -.Pa /usr/share/misc/mdoc.template . +.Sh ENVIRONMENT +First, copy over the manual template from +.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 @@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ file and wire protocol formats games .It 7 tutorials, documents and papers -.It 8 +.It 8 administrator utilities .It 9 in-kernel routines @@ -96,63 +95,49 @@ other manuals by that same name before committing: .Pp .Dl % apropos myname .Pp -Manual files are named +Manual files are named .Pa myname.mysection , such as .Pa manuals.7 -for this document. -.\" SUBSECTION -.Ss Input Language -Manuals should -.Em always -be written in the -.Xr mdoc 7 -formatting language. +for this document. Rename the template file: .Pp -There exist other documentation-specific languages, such as the -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. +.Dl % mv mdoc.template myname.mysection .\" SUBSECTION .Ss Development Tools While writing, make sure that your manual is correctly structured: .Pp -.Dl % mandoc \-Tlint \-Wall name.1 +.Dl % mandoc \-Tlint \-Wall \-fstrict name.1 .Pp +The quick-fix feature of +.Xr vim 1 +is useful for checking over many manuals: +.Bd -literal -offset indent +% mandoc \-Wall \-fstrict \-Tlint \-fign-errors \e + ./path/to/manuals/* 2>&1 > /tmp/mandoc.errs +% vim -q /tmp/mandoc.errs +.Ed +.Pp You may spell-check your work as follows: .Pp .Dl % deroff name.1 | spell +.Pp +If +.Xr ispell 1 +is installed, it has a special mode for manuals: +.Pp .Dl % ispell \-n name.1 .Pp -Use +Use .Xr cvs 1 or .Xr rcs 1 to version-control your work. If you wish the last check-in to effect your document's date, use the following RCS tag for the date macro: .Pp -.Dl \&.Dd $Mdocdate: March 26 2009 $ +.Dl \&.Dd $Mdocdate: July 27 2009 $ .\" SUBSECTION .Ss Viewing -mdoc documents may be paged to your terminal with +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 @@ -163,7 +148,7 @@ check it against .Ed .\" SUBSECTION .Ss Automation -Consider adding your mdoc documents to +Consider adding your mdoc documents to .Xr make 1 Makefiles in order to automatically check your input: .Bd -literal -offset indent @@ -178,18 +163,20 @@ 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 -The +.Sh COMPOSITION +Manuals should +.Em always +be written in the .Xr mdoc 7 -and -.Xr mdoc.samples 7 -files are indispensable in guiding composition. In this section, we -introduce some -.Ux -manual best practices: +formatting language. +.\" PARAGRAPH +.Pp +Open the template you've copied into +.Pa myname.mysection +and begin editing. .\" SUBSECTION .Ss Language -.Bl -enum +.Bl -enum .It Use clear, concise language. Favour simplicity. .It @@ -209,15 +196,15 @@ 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 +If you must have long option lines, use .Sq \&Oo/Oc . The same goes for function prototypes. .Em \&Do not -use +use .Sq \&Xo/Xc . Find another way to structure your line. .\" SUBSECTION -.Ss References +.Ss References Other components may be referenced with the .Sq \&Xr and @@ -242,6 +229,8 @@ 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 -smooth the development of your manuals. Don't. Source documentation is -different from a component manual. +of date. You may be tempted to use tools like Doxygen to automate the +development of your manuals. Don't. +.Pp +.Em Manuals are part of a system component : +if you modify your code or specifications, modify the documentation.