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-\typeout{niceverb.tex 2010/03/29 documenting niceverb.sty}
-
+\typeout{niceverb.tex 2010/04/05 documenting niceverb.sty}
\title{\textsf{niceverb.sty}\\---\\Minimizing
-
Markup\\for Documenting \LaTeX\ packages%%% \thanks{This
-
% manual describes package version
-
% version 0.2 as of April 09, 2009%%%\fileversion\ as of \filedate\
-
% .}}%%%of the package.}%
-
}
-
% \listfiles 2010/03/19
-
{ \RequirePackage{makedoc} \ProcessLineMessage{} %% 2010/03/11
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\MakeJobDoc{19}{\SectionLevelThreeParseInput} }
-
\documentclass{article}%% TODO paper dimensions!?
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\input{makedoc.cfg} %% shared formatting settings
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\begin{document}
-
\maketitle
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\begin{abstract}\noindent
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'niceverb.sty' provides very decent syntax (through active characters)
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for describing \LaTeX\ packages and the syntax of macros conforming to
-
\LaTeX\ syntax conventions.
-
\end{abstract}
-
\tableofcontents
-
-
%% TODO table listing of active characters
-
%% Were tests 2010/03/08:
-
% \section{Presenting Nasty's `Nasty' ``Nasty'' &\NVerb\ 'niceverb'}
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% \section{Presenting \cs{NVerb} 'niceverb'}
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\section{Presenting 'niceverb'}
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\subsection{Purpose}
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% \begin{abstract}\noindent
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% The 'nicetext' bundle provides ``minimal" markup
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The 'niceverb' package provides ``minimal" markup for documenting \LaTeX\
-
packages, reducing the number of keystrokes/visible characters needed
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% .\,.\,. %%% ... %% TODO nicedots
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(kind of poor man's WYSIWYG).\footnote{``What you see is what you
-
get." Novices are always warned that WYSIWYG is essentially
-
impossible with \LaTeX.} %% TODO UK FAQ 2010/03/11
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% One feature---\verb'&\foo'%%% badly self-documenting, `&' fails
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It conveniently handles command names in arguments of macros
-
such as &\footnote or even of sectioning commands.
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% (`.aux'/`.toc' entries).
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%
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% This is done by making some characters active.
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% 'niceverb.sty' thus resembles 'wiki.sty'; both are siblings.
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% \end{abstract}
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If you use 'makedoc.sty' additionally, commands for typesetting a
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package's code are inserted automatically (just using \TeX).
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%%% \footnote{Stephan I. B\"ottcher used
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%%% 'awk' instead to typeset the documentation of his 'lineno.sty'.}
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As opposed to tools that are rather common on UNIX/Linux, this
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operation should work at any \TeX\ installation, irrespective of
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platform.
-
-
Both packages may at least be useful while working at a very new package
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and may suffice with small, simple packages. After having edited your
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package's code
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%% <jobname> 2010/02/28:
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(typically in a `.sty' file---<jobname>`.sty'),
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you just ``{`latex'}" the manual file
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(maybe some `.tex' file---<jobname>`.tex')
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and get instantly the corresponding updated documentation.
-
-
'niceverb' and 'makedoc' may also help to generate without much effort
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documentations of nowadays commonly expected typographical quality for
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packages that so far only had plain text documentations.
-
-
\subsection{Acknowledgement/Basic Ideas}
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Three ideas of Stephan I. B\"ottcher's in documenting his
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\ctanpkgref{lineno}
-
inspired the present work:
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\begin{enumerate}
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\item
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The markup and its definitions are short and simple,
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markup commands are placed at the right ``margin"
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of the ASCII file,
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so you hardly see them in reading the source file,
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you rather just read the text that will be printed.
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\item
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An 'awk' script removes the `%'s starting \emph{documentation} lines
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and inserts the commands for typesetting the package's \emph{code}
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(you don't see these commands in the source).\footnote{The
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corresponding part of the ``present work" is 'makedoc.sty'.}
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%% <- clarified 2010/03/11
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\item
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An active character (\lq&|\rq) issues a `\string' \emph{and} switches
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to typewriter typeface for typesetting a command verbatim---so this
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works without changing category codes (which is the usual idea of
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typesetting code), therefore it works even in macro arguments.
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\end{enumerate}
-
-
\subsection{The Commands and Features of 'niceverb'}
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Actually, it is the main purpose of 'niceverb' to save you from
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``commands" $\dots$\par
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Single quotes &`, &', ``less than" &< (accompanied
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with `>'), the ``vertical" &|, the hash mark `#', ampersand `&',
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and in an extended ``auto mode" even backslash `\' become `\active'
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characters with ``special effects."
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% \qtd{&|$\dots$&|} (i.e., \GenCmdBox+|<code>|+) in general
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% should highlight descriptions of user commands and their syntax.
-
-
The package mainly aims at typesetting commands and descriptions of their
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syntax \emph{if the latter is ``standard \LaTeX-like"},
-
using ``meta-variables." A string to be
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typeset ``verbatim" thus is assumed to start with a single command like
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&\foo, maybe followed by stars (\lq`*'\rq) and pairs of
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square brackets (\lq`['<opt-arg>`]'\rq)
-
or curly braces (\lq`{'<mand-arg>`}'\rq),
-
where those pairs contain strings indicating the typical
-
kinds of contents for the respective arguments of that command.
-
A typical example is this:
-
\[\InlineCmdBox{&\foo*[<opt-arg>]{<mand-arg>}}\]
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This was achieved by typing
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\[\HardVerbBox+&\foo*[<opt-arg>]{<mand-arg>}+\]
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In ``auto mode" of the package, even typing
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\[\HardVerbBox+\foo*[<opt-arg>]{<mand-arg>}+\]
-
would have sufficed---WYSIWYG! I call such mixtures of
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\emph{verbatim} and ``meta-variables" \textit{\qtd{meta-code}}.
-
-
Outside macro arguments, you obtain the same by typing
-
% \[\verb+`\foo*[<opt-arg>]{<mand-arg>}'+\]
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\[\HardVerbBox+`\foo*[<opt-arg>]{<mand-arg>}'+\]
-
-
Details:
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\begin{description}
-
-
\item[``Meta-variables:"] The package supports the ``angle
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brackets" style of ``meta-variables" (as with <meta-variable>).
-
You just type \lq\verb'<bar>'\rq\ to get \lq<bar>\rq.
-
-
This works due to a sloppy variant `\NVerb' of `\verb'
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which doesn't care about possible ligatures and definitions of active
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characters. Instead, it assumes that the ``verbatim" font doesn't
-
contain ligatures anyway.\footnote{On the other hand, &\NVerb is more
-
\emph{careful} with 'niceverb''s special characters.}
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\lq\verb'\verb+<foo>+'\rq, by contrast, just yields \lq\verb'<foo>'\rq.
-
-
Almost the same feature is offered by 'ltxguide.cls' which formats the
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basic guides from the \LaTeX\ Project Team. The present feature,
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however, also works in plain text outside verbatim mode.
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% On the other hand: without << feature
-
-
\item[Single quotes (left/right) for ``short verb:"]
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The package ``assumes" that \emph{quoting} refers to
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\emph{code}, therefore \lq\verb+`foo'+\rq\ is typeset as
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\lq`foo'\rq, or (generally) |`<content>'| turns <content>
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into meta-code with the meta-variable feature as above.
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This somewhat resembles the &\MakeShortVerb feature of 'doc.sty'.
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%% Moved up here 2010/02/28:
-
You can ``abuse" our %%% ``single quotes"
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feature just to get typewriter
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typeface.{\sloppy\par}%% not so useful here 2010/02/28:
-
% \footnote{In macro arguments this requires that the right
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% single quote &' is &\active.}
-
-
Problems with this feature will typically arise %%% fail %% 2010/02/28
-
when you try
-
to typeset commands (and their syntax) in \emph{macro arguments}---e.g.,
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$$\verb+\footnote{`\bar' is a celebrated fake example!}+$$
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will try to \emph{execute} &\bar instead of typesetting it, giving
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an ``undefined" error or so. %% TODO try! 2010/02/28
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\verb+\verb+ fails in the same situation, for the same reason.
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\lq\verb+&+\rq\ (&\footnote{&&&\bar<remaining>}) or
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``auto mode" (see below) may then work better.\footnote{&\bar indeed!}
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More generally, the quoting feature still works in macro arguments in
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the sense that you then have to mark difficult characters with `&'
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(simply as short for `\string'). However, it still won't work with
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curly braces that don't follow a command name
-
(such \emph{pairs} of braces will simply get lost,
-
\emph{single} braces will give errors or so).%%%\footnote{`{group}'}
-
-
Double quotes and apostrophes should still work the usual way.
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% %% TODO doesn't work, inside runs into `}' 2010/02/28:
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% otherwise you could control the parsing mechanisms using curly braces
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% (outside and inside don't interact: `Harry{'}s' for \qtd{Harry's}).
-
For difficult cases, you can still use the standard `\verb'
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command from \LaTeX.
-
To get \emph{usual} single quotes, you can use their standard substitutes
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`\lq' and `\rq', or for pairs of them,
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|\qtd{<text>}| in place of `\lq <text>\rq'---or even `\lq <text>\rq\ '.
-
-
\item[Single right quotes for &\textsf:]
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Package names are (by some convention I often yet not always
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see working)
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typeset with `\textsf';
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it was natural to use a remaining case of using single quotes
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for abbreviating $$&\textsf{<text>}$$ by |'<text>'|.
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% \footnote{%
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% Font switching by sequences of single quotes is a feature of the
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% syntax for editing \textit{Wikipedia} pages and of 'wiki.sty'.}
-
%% <- undoubled 2010/02/28 ->
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This idea of switching fonts continues font switching of 'wiki.sty'
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which uses the syntax for editing {\it Wikipedia} pages
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(font switching by sequences of right single quotes).
-
-
\item[Verticals for setting-off command descriptions:]%%%
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\hskip0pt plus 2em
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\GenCmdBox+|<code>|+ works like \qtd{&`<code>&'} except putting
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the result into a \emph{framed box} (just as all around
-
here)---or something else that you can achieve using some \emph{hooks}
-
described with the implementation. There are variants like
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\GenCmdBox+\cmdboxitem|<code>|+.
-
-
\item[Ampersand shows command syntax \&c. even in arguments:]
-
\hfil E.g., type \lq\verb+&\foo{<arg>}+\rq\ to get
-
\lq`\foo{<arg>}'\rq. This may be even more convenient for typing than
-
the single quotes method, although looking somewhat strange.
-
However, in macro arguments this does not work with
-
\emph{private letters} (`@' and `_' here), for this case,
-
use |\cs{<characters>}| or |\cstx{<characters>}<parameters>|.%%%
-
% `&' may terminate \textit{verbatim} unexpectedly, being designed for
-
% displaying ``\LaTeX-like command syntax" in the first instance.
-
\footnote{Moreover, && currently has a limited 'xspace'
-
functionality only.}%%%\footnote{You can even use && for referring to
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% active characters like && in footnotes etc.!}
-
%% <- said elsewhere now 2010/03/07
-
-
\begin{sloppypar}
-
This choice of `&' rests on the assumption that there won't be many
-
tables in the documenation. You can restore the usual meaning of `&'
-
by `\MakeNormal\&' and turn the present special meaning on again by
-
\[`\MakeActive\&' \mbox{\quad or\quad }
-
`\MakeActiveLet\&\CmdSyntaxVerb'\]
-
You could also
-
redefine (&\renewcommand) &\descriptionlabel using `\CmdSyntaxVerb'
-
(the ``normal command" that is equivalent to `&', its ``permanent
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alias")
-
so \verb+\item[\foo]+ works as wanted.
-
\end{sloppypar}
-
-
\textbf{Another} feature of 'niceverb''s `&' is getting
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(some of the) special characters %% 2010/03/20
-
(as listed in the standard macro `\dospecials') verbatim in arguments
-
(where `\verb' and the like fail). It just acts similarly as \TeX's
-
(as listed in the standard macro `\dospecials') verbatim in arguments
-
(where `\verb' and the like fail). It just acts similarly as \TeX's
-
primitive `\string' (which it actually invokes---cf. discussion on the
-
left quote feature above).
-
-
\item[``Auto mode" typesets commands verbatim unless .\,.\,.]
-
\begin{sloppypar}
-
In~``auto mode," the backslash \lq`\'\rq\ is an active character that
-
builds a command name from the ensuing letters and typesets the
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command (and its syntax, allowing meta-variables) verbatim.
-
However, there are some exceptions, which are collected in a macro
-
|\niceverbNoVerbList|. &\begin, &\end, and &\item belong to this list,
-
you can redefine (`\renewcommand') it, or add <macros> to it by
-
|\AddToMacro{\niceverbNoVerbList}{<macros>}|
-
There is also a command |\NormalCommand{<letters>}| \emph{issuing} the
-
command `\<letters>' instead of typesetting it.
-
Since auto mode is somewhat dangerous, you have to start it explicitly
-
by |\AutoCmdSyntaxVerb|. You can end it by |\EndAutoCmdSyntaxVerb|.
-
|\AutoCmdInput{<file>}| is probably most important.
-
\end{sloppypar}
-
-
Auto mode is motivated by the observation that there are package files
-
containing their documentation as pure (well-readable) ASCII
-
text---contain\-ing the names of the new commands without any kind of
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quotation marks or verbatim commands.
-
Auto mode should typeset such documentation just from the same ASCII
-
text.
-
-
\item[Hash mark \lq&#\rq\ comes verbatim.]
-
No macro definitions are expected in the `document'
-
environment.\footnote{This idea appeared 2009 on the 'LATEX-L'
-
mailing list. It may be wrong,
-
as I have sometimes experienced $\dots$}
-
%% <- changed 2010/03/11
-
Rather, \lq`#'\rq\ is an active character for taking the next
-
character (assuming it is a digit) to form a reference to a
-
\emph{macro parameter}---\lq`#1'\rq\ becomes \lq#1\rq\---WYSIWYG
-
indeed! (So the general syntax is |#<digit>|.)
-
\item[Escaping from 'niceverb' (generally).]
-
To get rid of the functionality of some active character <char>
-
(\qtd{&&}, single quote, ampersand, hash mark---not
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``auto mode," see above) here, use |\MakeNormal\<char>|---may
-
be within a group. To revive it again, use |\MakeActive\<char>|.
-
This may fail when a different package overtook the active <char>
-
(but I expect more failures then), in this case
-
|\MakeActiveLet\<char>\<perm-alias>|
-
revives the 'niceverb' meaning of <char>
-
where `\<perm-alias>' is the ``permanent alias" for that active
-
<char> according to the documentation below.
-
E.g., `\LQverb' is the ``permanent alias" for active single left
-
quote, 'niceverb' activates it by
-
\NVerb+\MakeActiveLet\'\LQverb+.---You can turn off 'niceverb'
-
syntax \emph{alltogether} by |\noNiceVerb| and revive it
-
by |\useNiceVerb| (without ``auto mode").{\sloppy\par}
-
-
\textbf{Right Quotes:} Disabling\slash reviving replacement
-
of `\textsf' by single right quotes requires
-
\[|\nvRightQuoteNormal| \mbox{\quad or\quad } |\nvRightQuoteSansSerif|\]
-
respectively.
-
\end{description}
-
-
\subsection{Examples}
-
The file 'mdoccorr.cfg' providing some `.txt'$\to$\LaTeX\
-
functionality---i.e., typographical corrections---documents itself
-
using 'niceverb' syntax. Its code and the documentation that is
-
typeset from it are in the \qtd{examples} section of
-
'makedoc.pdf'.---Moreover,
-
the documentation 'niceverb.pdf' of 'niceverb.sty' was
-
typeset from 'niceverb.tex' and 'niceverb.sty' using 'niceverb'
-
syntax, likewise 'fifinddo.pdf' and 'makedoc.pdf'.
-
The example of 'niceverb' shows the most frequent use of the `&'
-
feature.{\sloppy\par}
-
-
'nicetext' bundle release v0.4 contains a file 'substr.tex'
-
that should typeset the documentation of the version of
-
-Harald Harder's
-
+Harald Harders'
'substr.sty'\footnote{\url{http://ctan.org/pkg/substr}}
-
that your \TeX\ finds first, as well as 'arseneau.tex'
-
typesetting a few packages by Donald Arseneau.
-
The outcomes (with me) are 'substr.pdf' and 'arseneau.pdf'.
-
These are the first applications of 'niceverb''s ``auto mode" to
-
(unmodified) third-party package files.
-
(I also made a more ambitious documentation of Donald Arseneau's
-
'import.sty v3.0' before I found that CTAN already has a nicely
-
typeset documentation of 'import.sty v5.2'.)
-
-
%% removed 2010/03/11:
-
% It seems to me that I could type so many pages on 'fifinddo' and
-
% 'makedoc' in little more than a week
-
% % (2009/04/12, much of which was needed for debugging and reworking concepts)
-
% only due to the ``minimal" \emph{verbatim} and syntax-display syntax.
-
%
-
\subsection{What is Wrong with the Present Version}
-
\begin{enumerate}
-
\item 'niceverb.sty' should be an extension of 'wiki.sty';
-
yet their font selection mechanisms are currently not compatible.
-
%% 2010/02/28:
-
Especially, the feature of \[\hbox\bgroup|''<text>''|\egroup\]
-
%% <- failed with \mbox as of 2010/03/23, first two rq missing
-
%% 2010/03/29
-
replacing
-
`\textit{<text>}' or `\emph{<text>}' may be considered missing.
-
\item Font switching or horizontal spacing may fail in certain
-
situations.
-
% (parentheses, titles, footnotes;
-
You can correct spacing by \lq`\ '\rq.
-
%% <- \qtd{`&\ '}.
-
% \item
-
% The feature of mixing high-quality-typeset comments into the
-
% package code listing is implemented in a very rudimentary way only.
-
% % just allowing for `\subsection's.
-
% The ``comment detector" detects Wikipedia-style subsection titles
-
% instead of lines beginning with percent characters.\footnote{%
-
% Percent characters will definitely not be ``ignored" as with &\DocInput,
-
% rather they will hide rests of \emph{documentation} lines as usually,
-
% while they will be typeset verbatim in \emph{package code} lines.}
-
% Switching between plain and verbatim typesetting in the package
-
% listings isn't settled yet, since there are different styles of using
-
% percent symbols. I have sometimes used double percent symbols
-
% (\lq\verb+%%+\rq)
-
% for commenting text and single ones just for ``reversible deletion of
-
% code," while usually single percent symbols indicate commenting text
-
% indeed. Double percent symbols may, by contrast, mean that the text remains
-
% visible in the `.sty' file only, suppressed in the typeset
-
% documentation ('lineno.sty').
-
% For a while, it may be necessary to provide replacing macros for each
-
% package separately instead of providing a single macro package
-
% managing all of them.
-
% \item
-
% The code listing currently uses the `listing' and `listingcont'
-
% environments of 'moreverb.sty';
-
% the code font and the line numbers may be too large.
-
\item The ``vertical" character \qtd{&|} produces inline boxes
-
only at present. It might as well provide a version of the
-
`decl' tabular environment of 'ltxguide.cls'.
-
%% changes 2010/03/10
-
% coloured\slash framed boxes instead (2009/04/09). They have
-
% their merits! See 'fifinddo.pdf' and 'makedoc.pdf'. However,
-
% they
-
The inline boxes
-
badly deal with long command names and many arguments.
-
Doubled verticals could ensure the `decl' mode.
-
Moreover, such a box might issue an \emph{index} entry.
-
\item One may have \emph{opposite} ideas about using quotes---maybe
-
rather `"<code>"' should typeset <code> \textit{verbatim}.
-
There might be a package option for this. If ordinary
-
\qtd{\NVerb'``<text>"'} still should work, awful tricks as now with
-
the right quote feature would be needed. %% TODO 2010/03/06
-
% \item ``Auto mode" has \emph{not} been tested on a serious application yet.
-
%% partially improved 2010/02/28:
-
% \item % 'niceverb''s font switching tricks sometimes turn against their
-
% % inventor (and other users?). There must be some switching
-
% % ``off'' (and ``on'' again).%
-
% % \footnote{\hspace{1sp}'fifinddo'\slash\hspace{1sp}'makedoc'
-
% % %% <- TODO oh, oh! 2009/04/11
-
% % allow inserting such commands from a driver script,
-
% % invisible in the file that contains the ``contentual''
-
% % documentation.}
-
% % Also, there
-
% There
-
% might better help with weird errors,
-
% some syntax checks might intercept earlier.
-
%
-
% Similarly, some choices reflect a %% rather OK 2010/02/28
-
% personal style and should be modifiable, especially by package
-
% options.\footnote{Please sponsor the project or support it
-
% otherwise!}
-
\item Certain difficulties with typesetting code in macro arguments
-
may be overcome easily using $\varepsilon$\mbox{-}\TeX\
-
features, I need to find out $\dots$
-
\end{enumerate}
-
-
\section{Implementation of the Markup Syntax}
-
\input{niceverb.doc}
-
\end{document}
-
-
HISTORY
-
-
2009/04/09 adjusted to new doc-generation method
-
2009/04/12 examples, 'awk' lower-case
-
2009/04/15 example 'mdcorr.cfg', abstract,
-
\pagebreak to implementation
-
2010/02/27 replaced `|' by `+' with \verb
-
so `|' works as announced
-
2010/02/28 "Missing:" ''...'' 'wiki' feature,
-
somethings aren't missing anymore
-
(or otherwise removed); more on quotes;
-
applying |...|
-
2010/03/05 \SimpleVerb -> \NVerb; after intro on `&' quotes as well
-
2010/03/06 typo in ``examples''; removed makedoc.cfg sample;
-
more on `&'
-
2010/03/07 without \listfiles
-
2010/03/09 hyperref ... \input{mdcorr.cfg}!, |...| settled
-
2010/03/10 moved pdf stuff to 'makedoc.cfg';
-
do use 'mdcorr.cfg' for demo; future of |
-
2010/03/11 applied \MakeJobDoc and shortened preamble;
-
various minor doc changes
-
2010/03/12 ``Ampersand" improved; \noNiceVerb + \useNiceVerb
-
2010/03/14 use \InlineCmdBox and \HardVerbBox; |...| described
-
2010/03/18 \AddToMacro; ``auto mode" tested seriously (substr.sty)
-
- \AutoCmdInput
-
2010/03/19 line break changes; '' -> "
-
2010/03/20 testing niceverb v0.31
-
2010/03/23 `mdoccorr.cfg' example again
-
2010/03/27 ``auto mode,"
-
2010/03/29 \mbox -> \hbox in display; arseneau.tex/pdf
-
+2010/04/05 Harder -> Harders