mdoc

macro package

The package is a set of content-based and domain-based macros used to format the x 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 groff_mdoc(7)

Note that this is not the usual macro package for Linux documentation, although it is used for documentation of several widely-used programs; see man(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 package from other formatting packages.

To create a valid manual page, these three macros, in this order, are required:

• year Document date.
• [volume] Title, in upper case.
• [version/release] Operating system

Section headers, paragraph breaks, lists and displays.

• .Sh Section Headers. Valid headers, in the order of presentation:
• • NAME Name section, should include the or and the macros.
  • SYNOPSIS Usage.
  • DESCRIPTION General description, should include options and parameters.
  • VALUE Sections two and three function calls.
  • ENVIRONMENT Describe environment variables.
  • FILES Files associated with the subject.
  • EXAMPLES Examples and suggestions.
  • DIAGNOSTICS Normally used for section four device interface diagnostics.
  • ERRORS Sections two and three error and signal handling.
  • ALSO Cross references and citations.
  • TO Conformance to standards if applicable.
  • HISTORY If a standard is not applicable, the history of the subject should be given.
  • BUGS Gotchas and caveats.
  • other Customized headers may be added at the authors 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).
  • filled Justified.
  • literal Literal text or code.
  • name Read in named and display.
  • string Offset display. Acceptable 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.
    • n Where is a number from to
    • Aa Where is a callable macro name.
    • string The width of is used.
• .Ed End-display (matches .Bd).
• .Bl Begin-list. Create lists or columns. Options:
• • List-types
  • • List
    • List
    • List
    • List
    • List
    • List
    • List
    • List
  • List-parameters
  • • offset (All lists.) See begin-display above.
    • width

and lists only.) See

compact (All lists.) Suppresses blank lines.

.El End-list.

.It List item.

The manual and general text domain macros are special in that most of them are parsed for callable macros for example:

• file Produces

In this example, the option enclosure macro is parsed, and calls the callable content macro which operates on the argument and then calls the callable content macro which operates on the argument Some macros may be callable, but are not parsed and vice versa. These macros are indicated in the and columns below.

Unless stated, manual domain macros share a common syntax:

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 white space and in what ever 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,

• . Produces

• Description
• deprecated.)
• name.
• argument.
• only).
• modifier.
• code).
• code).
• variable.
• argument.
• declaration.
• .Fc).
• command.
• text.
• name.
• .Oc).
• only).
• filename.
• -ansiC)
• name.
• only).
• Reference.

• Description
• author.
• title.
• (city).
• date.
• title.
• number.
• information.
• number(s).
• Name.
• title.
• volume.
• quote.
• quote.
• Apostrophe.
• quote.
• UNIX
• quote.
• mode.
• quote.
• quote.
• .
• \*qoff\*q)
• quote.
• quote.
• quote.
• quote.
• mode.
• English).
• quote.
• system
• (no-op).
• space.
• quote.
• string.
• quote.
• quote.
• quote.
• literal.
• quote.
• quote.
• end.
• start.
• only).
• quote.
• quote.
• quote.
• \*qon\*q)
• Reference.
• English).
• Caps).
• Ux
• close.
• open.

Macro names ending in quote remaining items on the argument list. Macro names ending in begin a quote which may span more than one line of input and are close quoted with the matching macro name ending in Enclosure macros may be nested and are limited to eight arguments.

Note: the extended argument list macros

and the function enclosure macros

are irregular. The extended list macros are used when the number of macro arguments would exceed the limitation of nine arguments.

The macros UR (starting a URI/URL hypertext reference), UE (ending one), and UN (identifying a target for a reference) are also available. See man(7) for more information on these macros.

groff_mdoc(7) mdoc.samples(7) man(7) man-pages(7)