


MAN(7)		Linux Programmer's Manual		MAN(7)


NNAAMMEE
       man - macros to format man pages

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
       ggrrooffff --TTaaccssiiii --mmaann _f_i_l_e ...

       ggrrooffff --TTppss --mmaann _f_i_l_e ...

       mmaann [_s_e_c_t_i_o_n] _t_i_t_l_e

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
       This manual page explains the ggrrooffff ttmmaacc..aann macro package.
       This macro package should be used by developers when writ-
       ing or porting man pages for Linux.  It is fairly compati-
       ble with other versions of this macro package, so  porting
       man  pages  should  not	be  a  major  problem (exceptions
       include the NET-2 BSD release, which uses a  totally  dif-
       ferent macro package).

PPRREEAAMMBBLLEE
       The first command in a man page should be

	      ..TTHH _t_i_t_l_e _s_e_c_t_i_o_n _d_a_t_e _s_o_u_r_c_e _m_a_n_u_a_l,

       where:

	      _t_i_t_l_e  is the title of the man page (e.g., _M_A_N),

	      _s_e_c_t_i_o_n
		     is the section number the man page should be
		     placed in (e.g., _7),

	      _d_a_t_e   is the date of the last revision,

	      _s_o_u_r_c_e is related to  the	source	of  the  command
		     (e.g.,  _G_N_U, _N_E_T_-_2, _A_B_C _D_i_s_t_r_i_b_u_t_i_o_n, etc.),
		     and

	      _m_a_n_u_a_l is the title of the manual (e.g., _L_i_n_u_x _P_r_o_-
		     _g_r_a_m_m_e_r_'_s _M_a_n_u_a_l).

       The manual sections are traditionally defined as follows:

	      1	Commands  (e.g.,  those commands that can be
		     executed by the user from within a shell)

	      2	System calls (e.g.,  those	functions  which
		     must be performed by the kernel)

	      3	Library  calls (e.g., most of the _l_i_b_c func-
		     tions, such as _s_o_r_t_(_3_))

	      4	Special files (e.g., files found in _/_d_e_v)




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MAN(7)		Linux Programmer's Manual		MAN(7)


	      5	File formats and conventions (e.g., the for-
		     mat for _/_e_t_c_/_p_a_s_s_w_d)

	      6	Games

	      7	Macro  packages  and  conventions	(e.g.,	a
		     description of the standard file system lay-
		     out, and this man page)

	      8	System  management	commands (e.g., commands
		     like _m_o_u_n_t(8), which only _r_o_o_t can execute)

	      9	Kernel routines (this is a non-standard man-
		     ual  section  and	is  included  because the
		     source code to the Linux  kernel  is  freely
		     available	under  the GNU Public License and
		     many people are working on	changes  to  the
		     kernel)

FFOONNTTSS
       In some conventions, command names and options are in bboolldd
       ffaaccee, file names and variable names are	in  _i_t_a_l_i_c_s,  and
       the  rest  of  the  text	is  in Roman.	Other conventions
       reverse the use of bold	and  italics.	In  general,  you
       should try to make your usage consistent throughout a doc-
       ument.  The commands to select the  type	face  are  given
       below:

       ..BB     Bold

       ..BBII    Bold alternating with italics

       ..BBRR    Bold alternating with Roman

       ..II     Italics

       ..IIBB    Italics alternating with bold

       ..IIRR    Italics alternating with Roman

       ..RRBB    Roman alternating with bold

       ..RRII    Roman alternating with italics

       ..SSBB    Small alternating with bold

       ..SSMM    Small

       Traditionally,  each command can have up to six arguments,
       but the GNU  version  seems  to	remove	this  limitation.
       Arguments  are  delimited by spaces.  Double quotes can be
       used to specify an argument which contains spaces.  All of
       the  arguments  will be printed next to each other without
       intervening spaces, so that the ..BBRR command can be used to



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MAN(7)		Linux Programmer's Manual		MAN(7)


       specify	a  word in bold followed by a mark of punctuation
       in Roman.

SSEECCTTIIOONNSS
       Sections are started with  ..SSHH  followed	by  the  heading
       name.  If the name contains spaces and appears on the same
       line as ..SSHH, then place	the  heading  in  double  quotes.
       Traditional headings include: NAME, SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION,
       OPTIONS, FILES, SEE ALSO, DIAGNOSTICS, BUGS,  and  AUTHOR.
       The  only  required  heading is _N_A_M_E, which should be fol-
       lowed on the next line by a one line  description  of  the
       program:

	      .SH NAME
	      chess \- the game of chess

       It  is  extremely  important that this format is followed,
       and that there is a backslash before the single dash which
       follows	the  command  name.   This  syntax is used by the
       mmaakkeewwhhaattiiss(8) program to create a database of  short  com-
       mand  descriptions  for	the wwhhaattiiss(1) and aapprrooppooss(1) com-
       mands.

OOTTHHEERR MMAACCRROOSS
       Other macros include the following:

       ..DDTT    Default tabs

       ..HHPP    Begin hanging indent

       ..IIPP    Begin paragraph with hanging tag.	This is the same
	      as  ..TTPP,	except the tag is given on the same line,
	      not on the following line.

       ..LLPP    Same as ..PPPP

       ..PPDD    Set interparagraph distance to argument

       ..PPPP    Begin a new paragraph

       ..RREE    End relative indent (indented paragraph)

       ..RRSS    Start relative indent (indented paragraph)

       ..SSSS    Subheading (like ..SSHH, but used for a subsection)

       ..TTPP    Begin paragraph with hanging tag.	The tag is given
	      on the next line.	This command is similar to ..IIPP


FFIILLEESS
       _/_u_s_r_/_l_o_c_a_l_/_l_i_b_/_g_r_o_f_f_/_t_m_a_c_/_t_m_a_c_._a_n
       _/_u_s_r_/_m_a_n_/_w_h_a_t_i_s




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MAN(7)		Linux Programmer's Manual		MAN(7)


SSEEEE AALLSSOO
       ggrrooffff(1), mmaann(1), wwhhaattiiss(1), aapprrooppooss(1), mmaakkeewwhhaattiiss(8)























































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