- mdocml is a suite of tools compiling -mdoc
, the roff macro package
- of choice for BSD manual pages, and -man
, the predominant historical package for UNIX
- manuals. The mission of mdocml is to deprecate groff, the GNU roff implementation, for
- displaying -mdoc pages whilst providing token support for -man.
+ mdocml is a suite of tools compiling -mdoc
, the
+ roff macro package of choice for BSD manual pages, and -man
, the
+ predominant historical package for UNIX manuals. The mission of mdocml is to
+ deprecate groff, the GNU troff
+ implementation, for displaying -mdoc pages whilst providing token support for -man.
Why? groff amounts to over 5 MB of source code, most of which is C++ and all of which is GPL. It runs slowly, produces uncertain output, and varies in operation from system to system. mdocml strives to fix - this (respectively small, C, ISC-licensed, fast and regular). + this (respectively small, C, ISC-licensed, fast and regular).
- The core of mdocml is composed of the libmdoc and libman - validating compiler libraries. Both are simple, fast libraries operating on memory buffers, so they may - be used for a variety of front-ends (terminal-based, CGI and so on). The primary front-end is - mandoc, which formats manuals for display on the terminal. + mdocml consists of the libmdoc, libman, and libroff validating compilers; and mandoc, which interfaces with the compiler libraries to format output for UNIX + terminals, XHTML, HTML, and PostScript. mdocml is a BSD.lv project.
- The mdocml utility is a BSD.lv
- Project member.
+ Disambiguation: mdocml is often referred to by its installed binary,
+ mandoc
.
- Sources correctly build and install on DragonFly BSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and GNU/Linux operating - systems, tested variously on i386, AMD64, alpha, and others. The most current version is @VERSION@, dated @VDATE@. A full ChangeLog (txt) is written with each release. + mdocml is architecture- and system-neutral, written in plain-old C. The most + current version is @VERSION@, dated @VDATE@. A full + ChangeLog (txt) is written with each release.
- These manuals are generated automatically and refer to the current snapshot. + These manuals are generated automatically and refer to the current snapshot.
| mandoc(1) (text) | -format and display UNIX manuals | +man(3) | ++ man macro compiler library + + (text | + pdf | + postscript) + + |
| mandoc_char(7) (text) | -mandoc special characters | +man(7) | ++ man language reference + + (text | + pdf | + postscript) + + | +
| mandoc(1) | ++ format and display UNIX manuals + + (text | + pdf | + postscript) + + | ||
| mdoc(7) (text) | -mdoc language reference | +mandoc_char(7) | ++ mandoc special characters + + (text | + pdf | + postscript) + + |
| man(7) (text) | -man language reference | +mdoc(3) | ++ mdoc macro compiler library + + (text | + pdf | + postscript) + + |
| manuals(7) (text) | -a guide to writing UNIX manuals | +mdoc(7) | ++ mdoc language reference + + (text | + pdf | + postscript) + + |
| mdoc(3) (text) | -mdoc macro compiler library | +roff(3) | ++ roff macro compiler library + + (text | + pdf | + postscript) + + |
| man(3) (text) | -man macro compiler library | +roff(7) | ++ roff-mandoc language reference + + (text | + pdf | + postscript) + + |
+ See Writing UNIX Manual Pages
for a general
+ introduction to manpages and mdoc.
+
- For all issues related to mdocml, contact Kristaps Dzonsons, kris...@bsd.lv. + Please use the mailing lists for bug-reports, patches, questions, etc. Beyond that, contact + Kristaps at kris...@bsd.lv.
- If you want to receive a semi-automated mail-out of new releases, then please write with a message - subject of subscribe mdocml (or unsubscribe mdocml). + You may also subscribe to several mailing lists (these require subscription, which is + moderated).
-| 30-03-2010 | -
- Version 1.9.20: more efforts to get roff instructions
- in -man documents under control. Note that roff instructions embedded in
- line-scoped, next-line macros (e.g. B) are not supported. Leading - punctuation for -mdoc macros, such as Fl ( ( a, are now correctly - handled. + | + disc...@mdocml.bsd.lv | -|
| 27-03-2010 | -
- Version 1.9.18: many fixes (largely pertaining to
- scope) and improvements (e.g., handling of apostrophe-control macros, which
- fixes the strange BRseen in some macro output) to handling roff - instructions in -man documents. + | + bug-reports, general questions, and announcements + (archive) | |
| 25-03-2010 | -
- Version 1.9.17 highlights: accept perlpod standard preamble.
- Also accept (and discard) de, dei, am, ami, and - igroff macro blocks. + | + tec...@mdocml.bsd.lv | -|
| 22-03-2010 | -
- Version 1.9.16 highlights: inspired by patches and bug
- reports by Ingo Schwarze, allowed -man to accept
- non-printing elements to be nested within next-line scopes, such as br- within Bor TH, which is valid roff. Longsoon architecture also - noted and Makefile cleaned up. + | + patches and system discussions + (archive) | |
| 18-02-2010 | -
- Moved to our new BSD.lv home.
- Version 1.9.15 highlights: XHTML is now an acceptable
- output mode for mandoc(1); Xrmade more - compatible with groff; Vtfixed when invoked in SYNOPSIS; \\- escape removed; end-of-line white-space detected for all lines; subtle bug - fixed in list display for some modes; compatibility layer checked in for - compilation in diverse UNIX systems; and column lengths handled correctly. + | + sou...@mdocml.bsd.lv + | ++ source commit messages + (archive) |
+ 27-07-2010: + version 1.10.5 +
++ Primarily a bug-fix and polish release, but including -Tpdf + support in mandoc by way of Summer of Code. + Highlights: +
+Smand
Bdhandling
+ 12-07-2010: + version 1.10.4 +
++ Lots of features developed during both Summer of Code and the + OpenBSD c2k10 hackathon: +
+ ++ 19-06-2010: + version 1.10.2 +
++ Small release featuring text-decoration in -Tps output, a few + minor relaxations of errors, and some optimisations. +
++ 07-06-2010: + version 1.10.1 +
+
+ This primarily focusses on the Bl
and It
macros described in mdoc. Multi-line column support is now fully compatible with
+ groff, as are implicit list entries for columns. Removed manuals.7 in favour of http://manpages.bsd.lv. The way we
+ handle the SYNOPSIS section (see the SYNOPSIS documentation in MANUAL STRUCTURE) has also
+ been considerably simplified compared to groff's method. Furthermore, the -Owidth=width output option has been added to -Tascii (see mandoc). Lastly, initial
+ PostScript output has been added with the -Tps option to mandoc. It's brutally simple at the moment: fixed-font, with
+ no font decorations.
+
+ 29-05-2010: + version 1.10.0 +
++ Release consisting of the results from the m2k10 hackathon and up-merge from OpenBSD. + This requires a significant note of thanks to Ingo Schwarze (OpenBSD) and Joerg + Sonnenberger (NetBSD) for their hard work, and again to Joerg for hosting m2k10. + Highlights (mostly cribbed from Ingo's m2k10 report) follow in no particular order: +
++ See cvsweb for + historical notes. +
+