mdoc - quick reference guide for the -mdoc macro package
nroff -TNAME -mandoc file
The -mdoc package is a set of content-based and domain-based
macros used
to format the BSD man pages. The macro names and their
meanings are
listed below for quick reference; for a detailed explanation
on using the
package, see the tutorial sampler mdoc.samples(7).
The macros are described in two groups. The first includes
the structural
and physical page layout macros. The second contains
the manual
and general text domain macros which differentiate the -mdoc
package from
other troff(1) formatting packages.
PAGE STRUCTURE DOMAIN [Toc] [Back] Title Macros
To create a valid manual page, these three macros, in this
order, are required:
.Dd Month day, year Document date.
.Dt DOCUMENT_TITLE [section] [volume] Title, in upper
case.
.Os OPERATING_SYSTEM [version/release] Operating system
(BSD).
Page Layout Macros [Toc] [Back]
Section headers, paragraph breaks, lists and displays.
.Sh Section Headers. Valid headers, in the order of presentation:
NAME Name section. Should include the `.Nm'
or `.Fn' and
the `.Nd' macros.
SYNOPSIS Usage. All `.Nm' macros must be given
an argument.
DESCRIPTION General description, including any options,
operands, or other parameters.
RETURN VALUES Sections two, three, and nine function
calls.
ENVIRONMENT Describe environment variables.
FILES Files associated with the subject, with
short descriptions.
EXAMPLES Examples and suggestions.
DIAGNOSTICS Sections one, four, six, and eight diagnostics.
ERRORS Sections two, three, and nine error and
signal handling.
SEE ALSO Cross references and citations.
STANDARDS Conformance to standards if applicable.
HISTORY A brief history of the subject, including where support
first appeared.
AUTHORS Credit to the person or persons who
wrote the code
and/or documentation.
CAVEATS Explanations of common misuses, i.e.,
security considerations
for certain library functions.
BUGS Gotchas and caveats.
other Customized headers may be added at the
author's discretion.
.Ss Subsection Headers.
.Pp Paragraph Break. Vertical space (one line).
.D1 (D-one) Display-one Indent and display one text line.
.Dl (D-ell) Display-one literal. Indent and display one
line of literal
text.
.Bd Begin-display block. Display options:
-ragged Unjustified (ragged edges).
-unfilled Unfilled, unjustified.
-filled Filled, and if troff(1), also justified.
-literal Literal text or code.
-file NAME Read in named file and display.
-offset string Offset display. Acceptable string
values:
left Align block on left (default).
center Approximate center margin.
indent Six constant width spaces
(a tab).
indent-two Two tabs.
right Left aligns block 2 inches from right.
xxn Where xx is a number from
4n to 99n.
Aa Where Aa is a callable
macro name.
string The width of string is
used.
.Ed End-display (matches .Bd).
.Bl Begin-list. Create lists or columns. Options:
List-types
-bullet Bullet Item List
-dash Dash Item List
-hyphen (as per -dash)
-item Unlabeled List
-enum Enumerated List
-tag Tag Labeled List
-diag Diagnostic List
-hang Hanging Labeled List
-ohang Overhanging Labeled List
-inset Inset or Run-on Labeled List
-column Multiple Columns
List-parameters
-offset (All lists.) See `.Bd' begin-display
above.
-width (-tag and -hang lists only.) This
parameter is
effectively required for -tag lists.
-compact (All lists.) Suppresses blank lines.
.El End-list.
.It List item.
MANUAL AND GENERAL TEXT DOMAIN MACROS [Toc] [Back] The manual and general text domain macros are special in
that most of
them are parsed for callable macros for example:
.Op Fl s Ar file Produces [-s file]
In this example, the option enclosure macro `.Op' is parsed,
and calls
the callable content macro `Fl' which operates on the argument `s' and
then calls the callable content macro `Ar' which operates on
the argument
`file'. Some macros may be callable but are not parsed, or
vice versa.
These macros are indicated in the parsed and callable
columns below.
Unless stated, manual domain macros share a common syntax:
.Va argument [ . , ; : ? ! ( ) [ ] argument ... ]
Note: Opening and closing punctuation characters are only
recognized as
such if they are presented one at a time. The string `),'
is not recognized
as punctuation and will be output with a leading
whitespace and in
whatever font the calling macro uses. The argument list `]
) ,' is recognized
as three sequential closing punctuation characters
and a leading
white space is not output between the characters and the
previous argument
(if any). The special meaning of a punctuation character may be escaped
with the string `'. For example the following string,
.Ar file1 , file2 , file3 ) . Produces file1, file2,
file3).
Manual Domain Macros [Toc] [Back]
NAME Parsed Callable DESCRIPTION
Ad Yes Yes Address. (This macro may be
deprecated.)
An Yes No Author name.
Ar Yes Yes Command line argument.
Cd No No Configuration declaration.
Cm Yes Yes Command line argument modifier.
Dv Yes Yes Defined variable (source
code).
Er Yes Yes Error number (source code).
Ev Yes Yes Environment variable.
Ex No No Exit values.
Fa Yes Yes Function argument.
Fd No No Function declaration.
Fl Yes Yes Flags.
Fn Yes Yes Function call (also .Fo and
.Fc).
Ft Yes Yes Function type.
Ic Yes Yes Interactive command.
In No No Include header file.
Li Yes Yes Literal text.
Nd No No Command description.
Nm Yes Yes Command name.
Op Yes Yes Option (also .Oo and .Oc).
Ot Yes Yes Old style function type (Fortran only).
Pa Yes Yes Pathname or file name.
Rv No No Return values.
St Yes Yes Standards (see below).
Va Yes Yes Variable name.
Vt Yes Yes Variable type.
Xr Yes Yes Manual Page Cross Reference.
The known standards for the St macro are:
-p1003.1-88, -p1003.1-90, -p1003.1-96, -p1003.1-2001,
-p1003.1-2003,
-p1003.1, -p1003.1b, -p1003.1b-93, -p1003.1c-95,
-p1003.1g-2000,
-p1003.2-92, -p1003.2-95, -p1003.2, -p1387.2, -isoC-90,
-isoC-amd1,
-isoC-tcor1, -isoC-tcor2, isoC-99, -ansiC, -ansiC-89,
-ansiC-99,
-ieee754, -iso8802-3, -xpg3, -xpg4, -xpg4.2, -xpg4.3,
-xbd5, -xcu5,
-xsh5, -xns5, -xns5.2d2.0, -xcurses4.2, -susv2, -susv3,
and -svid4.
General Text Domain Macros [Toc] [Back]
NAME Parsed Callable DESCRIPTION
%A Yes No Reference author.
%B Yes Yes Reference book title.
%D No No Reference date.
%I Yes Yes Issuer/Publisher name.
%J Yes Yes Reference journal title.
%N No No Reference issue number.
%O No No Reference optional information.
%P No No Reference page number(s).
%R No No Reference report Name.
%T Yes Yes Reference article title.
%V No No Reference volume.
Ac Yes Yes Angle close quote.
Ao Yes Yes Angle open quote.
Aq Yes Yes Angle quote.
At No No AT&T UNIX.
Bc Yes Yes Bracket close quote.
Bf No No Begin font mode.
Bo Yes Yes Bracket open quote.
Bq Yes Yes Bracket quote.
Bsx Yes No BSDI BSD/OS.
Bx Yes No BSD.
Db No No Debug (default is "off").
Dc Yes Yes Double close quote.
Do Yes Yes Double open quote.
Dq Yes Yes Double quote.
Ec Yes Yes Enclose string close quote.
Ef No No End font mode.
Em Yes Yes Emphasis (traditional English).
Eo Yes Yes Enclose string open quote.
Fx No No FreeBSD.
Ms Yes No Mathematical symbol.
No Yes Yes Normal text (no-op).
Ns Yes Yes No space.
Nx No No NetBSD.
Ox No No OpenBSD.
Pc Yes Yes Parenthesis close quote.
Pf Yes No Prefix string.
Po Yes Yes Parenthesis open quote.
Pq Yes Yes Parentheses quote.
Qc Yes Yes Straight double close quote.
Ql Yes Yes Quoted literal.
Qo Yes Yes Straight double open quote.
Qq Yes Yes Straight double quote.
Re No No Reference end.
Rs No No Reference start.
Sc Yes Yes Single close quote.
So Yes Yes Single open quote.
Sq Yes Yes Single quote.
Sm No No Space mode (default is "on").
Sx Yes Yes Section Cross Reference.
Sy Yes Yes Symbolic (traditional English).
Tn Yes Yes Trade or type name (small
Caps).
Ux Yes No UNIX.
Xc Yes Yes Extend argument list close.
Xo Yes Yes Extend argument list open.
Macro names ending in `q' quote remaining items on the argument list.
Macro names ending in `o' begin a quote which may span more
than one line
of input and are close quoted with the matching macro name
ending in `c'.
Enclosure macros may be nested and are limited to eight arguments.
Note: the extended argument list macros (`.Xo', `.Xc') and
the function
enclosure macros (`.Fo', `.Fc') are irregular. The extended
list macros
are used when the number of macro arguments would exceed the
troff(1)
limitation of nine arguments.
tmac.doc manual macro package
tmac.doc-common common structural macros and
definitions
tmac.doc-ditroff site dependent troff(1) style
file
tmac.doc-nroff site dependent nroff(1) style
file
tmac.doc-syms special defines
/usr/share/misc/mdoc.template template for writing a man
page
groff(1), man(1), nroff(1), troff(1), mdoc.samples(7)
OpenBSD 3.6 December 30, 1993
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