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author | Karl Berry <karl@freefriends.org> | 2012-05-21 00:15:27 +0000 |
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committer | Karl Berry <karl@freefriends.org> | 2012-05-21 00:15:27 +0000 |
commit | a4c42bfb2337d37da89d789cb8cc226367994e32 (patch) | |
tree | c3eabdef5d565a4e515d2be0d9d4d0540bde0250 /Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/pods/perlpodstyle.pod | |
parent | 8274475057f024d35332ac47c2e2f23ea156e6ed (diff) |
perl 5.14.2 from siep
git-svn-id: svn://tug.org/texlive/trunk@26525 c570f23f-e606-0410-a88d-b1316a301751
Diffstat (limited to 'Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/pods/perlpodstyle.pod')
-rw-r--r-- | Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/pods/perlpodstyle.pod | 295 |
1 files changed, 295 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/pods/perlpodstyle.pod b/Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/pods/perlpodstyle.pod new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..6c4cfa04afc --- /dev/null +++ b/Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/pods/perlpodstyle.pod @@ -0,0 +1,295 @@ +=head1 NAME + +perlpodstyle - Perl POD style guide + +=head1 DESCRIPTION + +These are general guidelines for how to write POD documentation for Perl +scripts and modules, based on general guidelines for writing good UNIX man +pages. All of these guidelines are, of course, optional, but following +them will make your documentation more consistent with other documentation +on the system. + +The name of the program being documented is conventionally written in bold +(using BE<lt>E<gt>) wherever it occurs, as are all program options. +Arguments should be written in italics (IE<lt>E<gt>). Function names are +traditionally written in italics; if you write a function as function(), +Pod::Man will take care of this for you. Literal code or commands should +be in CE<lt>E<gt>. References to other man pages should be in the form +C<manpage(section)> or C<LE<lt>manpage(section)E<gt>>, and Pod::Man will +automatically format those appropriately. The second form, with +LE<lt>E<gt>, is used to request that a POD formatter make a link to the +man page if possible. As an exception, one normally omits the section +when referring to module documentation since it's not clear what section +module documentation will be in; use C<LE<lt>Module::NameE<gt>> for module +references instead. + +References to other programs or functions are normally in the form of man +page references so that cross-referencing tools can provide the user with +links and the like. It's possible to overdo this, though, so be careful not +to clutter your documentation with too much markup. References to other +programs that are not given as man page references should be enclosed in +BE<lt>E<gt>. + +The major headers should be set out using a C<=head1> directive, and are +historically written in the rather startling ALL UPPER CASE format; this +is not mandatory, but it's strongly recommended so that sections have +consistent naming across different software packages. Minor headers may +be included using C<=head2>, and are typically in mixed case. + +The standard sections of a manual page are: + +=over 4 + +=item NAME + +Mandatory section; should be a comma-separated list of programs or +functions documented by this POD page, such as: + + foo, bar - programs to do something + +Manual page indexers are often extremely picky about the format of this +section, so don't put anything in it except this line. Every program or +function documented by this POD page should be listed, separated by a +comma and a space. For a Perl module, just give the module name. A +single dash, and only a single dash, should separate the list of programs +or functions from the description. Do not use any markup such as +CE<lt>E<gt> or BE<lt>E<gt> anywhere in this line. Functions should not be +qualified with C<()> or the like. The description should ideally fit on a +single line, even if a man program replaces the dash with a few tabs. + +=item SYNOPSIS + +A short usage summary for programs and functions. This section is +mandatory for section 3 pages. For Perl module documentation, it's +usually convenient to have the contents of this section be a verbatim +block showing some (brief) examples of typical ways the module is used. + +=item DESCRIPTION + +Extended description and discussion of the program or functions, or the +body of the documentation for man pages that document something else. If +particularly long, it's a good idea to break this up into subsections +C<=head2> directives like: + + =head2 Normal Usage + + =head2 Advanced Features + + =head2 Writing Configuration Files + +or whatever is appropriate for your documentation. + +For a module, this is generally where the documentation of the interfaces +provided by the module goes, usually in the form of a list with an +C<=item> for each interface. Depending on how many interfaces there are, +you may want to put that documentation in separate METHODS, FUNCTIONS, +CLASS METHODS, or INSTANCE METHODS sections instead and save the +DESCRIPTION section for an overview. + +=item OPTIONS + +Detailed description of each of the command-line options taken by the +program. This should be separate from the description for the use of +parsers like L<Pod::Usage>. This is normally presented as a list, with +each option as a separate C<=item>. The specific option string should be +enclosed in BE<lt>E<gt>. Any values that the option takes should be +enclosed in IE<lt>E<gt>. For example, the section for the option +B<--section>=I<manext> would be introduced with: + + =item B<--section>=I<manext> + +Synonymous options (like both the short and long forms) are separated by a +comma and a space on the same C<=item> line, or optionally listed as their +own item with a reference to the canonical name. For example, since +B<--section> can also be written as B<-s>, the above would be: + + =item B<-s> I<manext>, B<--section>=I<manext> + +Writing the short option first is recommended because it's easier to read. +The long option is long enough to draw the eye to it anyway and the short +option can otherwise get lost in visual noise. + +=item RETURN VALUE + +What the program or function returns, if successful. This section can be +omitted for programs whose precise exit codes aren't important, provided +they return 0 on success and non-zero on failure as is standard. It +should always be present for functions. For modules, it may be useful to +summarize return values from the module interface here, or it may be more +useful to discuss return values separately in the documentation of each +function or method the module provides. + +=item ERRORS + +Exceptions, error return codes, exit statuses, and errno settings. +Typically used for function or module documentation; program documentation +uses DIAGNOSTICS instead. The general rule of thumb is that errors +printed to C<STDOUT> or C<STDERR> and intended for the end user are +documented in DIAGNOSTICS while errors passed internal to the calling +program and intended for other programmers are documented in ERRORS. When +documenting a function that sets errno, a full list of the possible errno +values should be given here. + +=item DIAGNOSTICS + +All possible messages the program can print out and what they mean. You +may wish to follow the same documentation style as the Perl documentation; +see perldiag(1) for more details (and look at the POD source as well). + +If applicable, please include details on what the user should do to +correct the error; documenting an error as indicating "the input buffer is +too small" without telling the user how to increase the size of the input +buffer (or at least telling them that it isn't possible) aren't very +useful. + +=item EXAMPLES + +Give some example uses of the program or function. Don't skimp; users +often find this the most useful part of the documentation. The examples +are generally given as verbatim paragraphs. + +Don't just present an example without explaining what it does. Adding a +short paragraph saying what the example will do can increase the value of +the example immensely. + +=item ENVIRONMENT + +Environment variables that the program cares about, normally presented as +a list using C<=over>, C<=item>, and C<=back>. For example: + + =over 6 + + =item HOME + + Used to determine the user's home directory. F<.foorc> in this + directory is read for configuration details, if it exists. + + =back + +Since environment variables are normally in all uppercase, no additional +special formatting is generally needed; they're glaring enough as it is. + +=item FILES + +All files used by the program or function, normally presented as a list, +and what it uses them for. File names should be enclosed in FE<lt>E<gt>. +It's particularly important to document files that will be potentially +modified. + +=item CAVEATS + +Things to take special care with, sometimes called WARNINGS. + +=item BUGS + +Things that are broken or just don't work quite right. + +=item RESTRICTIONS + +Bugs you don't plan to fix. :-) + +=item NOTES + +Miscellaneous commentary. + +=item AUTHOR + +Who wrote it (use AUTHORS for multiple people). It's a good idea to +include your current e-mail address (or some e-mail address to which bug +reports should be sent) or some other contact information so that users +have a way of contacting you. Remember that program documentation tends +to roam the wild for far longer than you expect and pick a contact method +that's likely to last. + +=item HISTORY + +Programs derived from other sources sometimes have this. Some people keep +a modification log here, but that usually gets long and is normally better +maintained in a separate file. + +=item COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE + +For copyright + + Copyright YEAR(s) YOUR NAME(s) + +(No, (C) is not needed. No, "all rights reserved" is not needed.) + +For licensing the easiest way is to use the same licensing as Perl itself: + + This library is free software; you may redistribute it and/or modify + it under the same terms as Perl itself. + +This makes it easy for people to use your module with Perl. Note that +this licensing example is neither an endorsement or a requirement, you are +of course free to choose any licensing. + +=item SEE ALSO + +Other man pages to check out, like man(1), man(7), makewhatis(8), or +catman(8). Normally a simple list of man pages separated by commas, or a +paragraph giving the name of a reference work. Man page references, if +they use the standard C<name(section)> form, don't have to be enclosed in +LE<lt>E<gt> (although it's recommended), but other things in this section +probably should be when appropriate. + +If the package has a mailing list, include a URL or subscription +instructions here. + +If the package has a web site, include a URL here. + +=back + +Documentation of object-oriented libraries or modules may want to use +CONSTRUCTORS and METHODS sections, or CLASS METHODS and INSTANCE METHODS +sections, for detailed documentation of the parts of the library and save +the DESCRIPTION section for an overview. Large modules with a function +interface may want to use FUNCTIONS for similar reasons. Some people use +OVERVIEW to summarize the description if it's quite long. + +Section ordering varies, although NAME must always be the first section +(you'll break some man page systems otherwise), and NAME, SYNOPSIS, +DESCRIPTION, and OPTIONS generally always occur first and in that order if +present. In general, SEE ALSO, AUTHOR, and similar material should be +left for last. Some systems also move WARNINGS and NOTES to last. The +order given above should be reasonable for most purposes. + +Some systems use CONFORMING TO to note conformance to relevant standards +and MT-LEVEL to note safeness for use in threaded programs or signal +handlers. These headings are primarily useful when documenting parts of a +C library. + +Finally, as a general note, try not to use an excessive amount of markup. +As documented here and in L<Pod::Man>, you can safely leave Perl +variables, function names, man page references, and the like unadorned by +markup and the POD translators will figure it out for you. This makes it +much easier to later edit the documentation. Note that many existing +translators will do the wrong thing with e-mail addresses when wrapped in +LE<lt>E<gt>, so don't do that. + +=head1 SEE ALSO + +For additional information that may be more accurate for your specific +system, see either L<man(5)> or L<man(7)> depending on your system manual +section numbering conventions. + +This documentation is maintained as part of the podlators distribution. +The current version is always available from its web site at +<http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/software/podlators/>. + +=head1 AUTHOR + +Russ Allbery <rra@stanford.edu>, with large portions of this documentation +taken from the documentation of the original B<pod2man> implementation by +Larry Wall and Tom Christiansen. + +=head1 COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE + +Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 Russ Allbery +<rra@stanford.edu>. + +This documentation is free software; you may redistribute it and/or modify +it under the same terms as Perl itself. + +=cut |