version 1.4, 2009/03/26 16:23:22 |
version 1.18, 2009/07/04 09:00:41 |
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.\" $Id$ |
.\" $Id$ |
.\" |
.\" |
.\" Copyright (c) 2009 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@openbsd.org> |
.\" Copyright (c) 2009 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@kth.se> |
.\" |
.\" |
.\" Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any |
.\" 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 $Mdocdate$ |
.Dd $Mdocdate$ |
.Dt man 7 |
.Dt MAN 7 |
.Os |
.Os |
.\" SECTION |
.\" SECTION |
.Sh NAME |
.Sh NAME |
|
|
.Nm man |
.Nm man |
language was historically used to format |
language was historically used to format |
.Ux |
.Ux |
manuals. In this reference document, we describe the syntax and |
manuals. This reference document describes the syntax and structure of |
structure of the |
this language. |
.Nm |
|
language. |
|
.Pp |
.Pp |
.Em \&Do not ever |
.Em \&Do not |
use |
use |
.Nm |
.Nm |
to write your manuals. Use the |
to write your manuals. Use the |
|
|
\&.SH Macro lines change control state. |
\&.SH Macro lines change control state. |
Other lines are interpreted within the current state. |
Other lines are interpreted within the current state. |
.Ed |
.Ed |
.\" PARAGRAPH |
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.Pp |
|
Macros are character sequences whose structural rules are described |
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later in this document. |
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.\" SECTION |
.\" SECTION |
.Sh INPUT ENCODING |
.Sh INPUT ENCODING |
.Nm |
.Nm |
documents may contain only graphable 7-bit ASCII characters and the |
documents may contain only graphable 7-bit ASCII characters, the |
space character |
space character |
.Sq \ . |
.Sq \ , |
|
and tabs |
|
.Sq \et . |
All manuals must have |
All manuals must have |
|
.Ux |
.Sq \en |
.Sq \en |
line termination. |
line termination. |
.Pp |
.Pp |
Blank lines are acceptable; where found, the output will also assert a |
Blank lines are acceptable; where found, the output will assert a |
vertical space. |
vertical space. |
.Pp |
.Pp |
The |
The |
Line 77 escape is common in historical |
|
Line 72 escape is common in historical |
|
documents; if encountered at the end of a word, it ensures that the |
documents; if encountered at the end of a word, it ensures that the |
subsequent word isn't off-set by whitespace. |
subsequent word isn't off-set by whitespace. |
.\" SUB-SECTION |
.\" SUB-SECTION |
|
.Ss Comments |
|
Anything following a |
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.Sq \e" |
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delimiter is considered a comment (unless the |
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.Sq \e |
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itself has been escaped) and is ignored to the end of line. |
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Furthermore, a macro line with only a control character |
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.Sq \. , |
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optionally followed by whitespace, is ignored. |
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.\" SUB-SECTION |
.Ss Special Characters |
.Ss Special Characters |
Special character sequences begin with the escape character |
Special character sequences begin with the escape character |
.Sq \e |
.Sq \e |
Line 90 or a single one-character sequence. |
|
Line 95 or a single one-character sequence. |
|
.Pp |
.Pp |
Characters may alternatively be escaped by a slash-asterisk, |
Characters may alternatively be escaped by a slash-asterisk, |
.Sq \e* , |
.Sq \e* , |
with the same combinations as described above. This form is deprecated. |
with the same combinations as described above. |
.Pp |
.Pp |
The |
Terms may also be text-decorated using the |
.Xr mdoc 7 |
.Sq \ef |
contains a table of all available escapes. |
escape followed by a text-decoration letter: B (bold), I, (italic), or P |
|
and R (Roman, or reset). |
|
.\" SUB-SECTION |
|
.Ss Whitespace |
|
Unless specifically escaped, consecutive blocks of whitespace are pruned |
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from input. These are later re-added, if applicable, by a front-end |
|
utility such as |
|
.Xr mandoc 1 . |
.\" SECTION |
.\" SECTION |
.Sh STRUCTURE |
.Sh STRUCTURE |
|
Each |
|
.Nm |
|
document must contain contains at least the |
|
.Sq \&.TH |
|
macro describing the document's section and title. It may occur |
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anywhere in the document, although conventionally, it appears as the |
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first macro. |
|
.Pp |
|
Beyond the |
|
.Sq \&.TH , |
|
at least one macro or text node must appear in the document. |
|
.\" SECTION |
|
.Sh SYNTAX |
Macros are one to three three characters in length and begin with a |
Macros are one to three three characters in length and begin with a |
control character , |
control character , |
.Sq \&. , |
.Sq \&. , |
|
|
.Sq \&.RI . |
.Sq \&.RI . |
When these macros are invoked without arguments, the subsequent line is |
When these macros are invoked without arguments, the subsequent line is |
considered a continuation of the macro. Thus: |
considered a continuation of the macro. Thus: |
.Bd -literal -offset indent |
|
\&.RI foo |
|
.Ed |
|
.Pp |
|
and |
|
.Bd -literal -offset indent |
.Bd -literal -offset indent |
\&.RI |
\&.RI |
foo |
foo |
.Ed |
.Ed |
.Pp |
.Pp |
are equivalent. If two consecutive lines exhibit the latter behaviour, |
is equivalent to |
an error is raised. Thus, the following is acceptable: |
.Sq \&.RI foo . |
|
If two consecutive lines exhibit the latter behaviour, |
|
an error is raised. Thus, the following is not acceptable: |
.Bd -literal -offset indent |
.Bd -literal -offset indent |
\&.RI |
\&.RI |
\&.I Hello, world. |
|
foo |
|
.Ed |
|
.Pp |
|
The following, however, is not: |
|
.Bd -literal -offset indent |
|
\&.RI |
|
\&.I |
\&.I |
Hello, world. |
Hello, world. |
.Ed |
.Ed |
.Pp |
.Pp |
The |
The |
.Sq \&.TP |
.Sq \&.TP |
macro has similar behaviour, but does not need an empty argument line in |
macro is similar, but does not need an empty argument line to trigger |
order to trigger scope. |
the behaviour. |
.\" PARAGRAPH |
.\" SECTION |
.Sh MACROS |
.Sh MACROS |
This section contains a complete list of all |
This section contains a complete list of all |
.Nm |
.Nm |
macros, arranged alphabetically, with the number of arguments. |
macros and corresponding number of arguments. |
.Pp |
.Pp |
.Bl -column "MacroX" "Arguments" -compact -offset indent |
.Bl -column "MacroX" "Arguments" -compact -offset indent |
.It Em Macro Ta Em Arguments |
.It Em Macro Ta Em Arguments |
Line 193 macros, arranged alphabetically, with the number of ar |
|
Line 208 macros, arranged alphabetically, with the number of ar |
|
.It \&.IR Ta n |
.It \&.IR Ta n |
.It \&.RI Ta n |
.It \&.RI Ta n |
.El |
.El |
|
.Pp |
|
Although not historically part of the |
|
.Nm |
|
system, the following macros are also supported: |
|
.Pp |
|
.Bl -column "MacroX" "Arguments" -compact -offset indent |
|
.It Em Macro Ta Em Arguments |
|
.It \&.br Ta 0 |
|
.It \&.i Ta n |
|
.El |
|
.Pp |
|
These follow the same calling conventions as the above |
|
.Nm |
|
macros. |
.\" SECTION |
.\" SECTION |
|
.Sh COMPATIBILITY |
|
See |
|
.Xr mdoc 7 |
|
for groff compatibility notes. |
|
.\" SECTION |
.Sh SEE ALSO |
.Sh SEE ALSO |
.Xr mandoc 1 |
.Xr mandoc 1 , |
|
.Xr mandoc_char 7 |
.\" SECTION |
.\" SECTION |
.Sh AUTHORS |
.Sh AUTHORS |
The |
The |
.Nm |
.Nm |
utility was written by |
utility was written by |
.An Kristaps Dzonsons Aq kristaps@openbsd.org . |
.An Kristaps Dzonsons Aq kristaps@kth.se . |
.\" SECTION |
.\" SECTION |
.Sh CAVEATS |
.Sh CAVEATS |
Do not use this language. Use |
Do not use this language. Use |