mdoc(7)

Linux

Name

mdoc – quick reference guide for the -mdoc macro package

Synopsis

groff –m doc files …

Description

The -mdoc package is a set of content-based and domain-based macros used to format the BSD man pages. The macro names and their meanings are listed below for quick reference; for a detailed explanation on using the package, see groff_mdoc7 and the tutorial sampler mdoc.samples7.

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 -mdoc package from other troff formatting packages.

Page Structure Domain

Title Macros

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

. Month day, year: Document date.
.: Title, in uppercase.
. OPERATING_SYSTEM [version/release]: Operating system (BSD )

Page Layout Macros

Section headers, paragraph breaks, lists and displays.

.

Section Headers.

Valid headers, in the order of presentation:

NAME: Name section, should include the `.groff ‘ or `.Fn and ‘ the `. – macros. ‘
SYNOPSIS: Usage.
DESCRIPTION: General description, should include options and parameters.
RETURN 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.
SEE ALSO: Cross references and citations.
CONFORMING 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.

Li .Ss Subsection Headers. Li .Pp Paragraph Break. Vertical space (one line). Li .D1 (D-one) Display-one Indent and display one text line. Li .Dl (D-ell) Display-one literal. Indent and display one line of literal text. Li .Bd Begin-display block. Display options:

-ragged

Unjustified (ragged edges).

-filled

Justified.

-literal

Literal text or code.

-file name

Read in named file and display.

-offset string

Offset display. Acceptable string 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.
xx n: Where xx is a number from 4 n to 99 n
Aa Where: Aa is a callable macro name.
string: The width of string is used.

Li .Ed End-display (matches .Bd). Li .Bl Begin-list. Create lists or columns. Options:

List-types

-bullet Ta Bullet Item List
-item Ta Unlabeled List
-enum Ta Enumerated List
-tag Ta Tag Labeled List
-diag Ta Diagnostic List
-hang Ta Hanging Labeled List
-ohang Ta Overhanging Labeled List
-inset Ta Inset or Run-on Labeled List

List-parameters

-offset: (All lists.) See `. ‘ begin-display above.
-width: ( –tag and –hang lists only.) See `. ‘
-compact: (All lists.) Suppresses blank lines.

Li .El End-list. Li .It List item.

Manual And General Text Domain Macros

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

.[-s file ]: Produces [-s file ]

In this example, the option enclosure macro `.[is] ‘ parsed, and calls the callable content macro `- ‘ which operates on the argument `s’ and then calls the callable content macro `file … ‘ which operates on the argument `file’ Some macros may be callable, but are not parsed and vice versa. These macros are indicated in the parsed and callable columns below.

Unless stated, manual domain macros share a common syntax:

.argument [ . , ; : ( ) [ ] argument …]

Note Opening and closing punctuation characters are recognized as such only 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,

.file1 , file2 , file3 ) .: Produces file1 , file2 , file3 )

Manual Domain Macros

Name Parsed Callable Description
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Address. (This macro may be deprecated.)
An Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Author name.
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Command-line argument.
Ta Ta Ta Configuration declaration (section four only).
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Command-line argument modifier.
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Defined variable (source code).
Er Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Error number (source code).
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Environment variable.
Fa Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Function argument.
Fd Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Function declaration.
Fn Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Function call (also .Fo and .Fc).
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Interactive command.
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Literal text.
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Command name.
[Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Option (also .[and .Oc). ]
Ot Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Old style function type (Fortran only).
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Pathname or filename.
St Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Standards (-p1003.2, -p1003.1 or -ansiC)
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Variable name.
Vt Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Variable type (Fortran only).
TaYesTaYesTaManualPageCrossReference.

General Text Domain Macros

Name Parsed Callable Description
%A Ta Yes Ta Ta Reference author.
%B Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Reference book title.
%C Ta Ta Ta Reference place of publishing (city).
%D Ta Ta Ta Reference date.
%J Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Reference journal title.
%N Ta Ta Ta Reference issue number.
%O Ta Ta Ta Reference optional information.
%P Ta Ta Ta Reference page number(s).
%R Ta Ta Ta Reference report Name.
%T Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Reference article title.
%V Ta Ta Ta Reference volume.
Ac Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Angle close quote.
Ao Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Angle open quote.
Ap Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Apostrophe.
Aq Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Angle quote.
AT&T System Ta Ta Ta AT&T UNIX
Bc Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Bracket close quote.
Bf Ta Ta Ta Begin font mode.
Bo Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Bracket open quote.
Bq Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Bracket quote.
BSD Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta BSD
Db Ta Ta Ta Debug (default is "off")
Dc Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Double close quote.
Do Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Double open quote.
“Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Double quote. ”
Ec Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Enclose string close quote.
Ef Ta Ta Ta End font mode.
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Emphasis (traditional English).
Eo Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Enclose string open quote.
Fx Ta Ta Ta FreeBSD operating system
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Normal text (no-op).
Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta space.
Pc Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Parenthesis close quote.
Ta Yes Ta Ta Prefix string.
Po Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Parenthesis open quote.
(Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Parentheses quote. )
Qc Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Straight Double close quote.
`Ta Yes ‘: Ta Yes Ta Quoted literal.
Qo Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Straight Double open quote.
Qq Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Straight Double quote.

Li Rs Ta No Ta No Ta "Reference start." Li Rv Ta No Ta No Ta "Return values (sections two and three only)." Li Sc Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta "Single close quote." Li So Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta "Single open quote." Li Sq Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta "Single quote." Li Sm Ta No Ta No Ta "Space mode (default is \*qon\*q)" Li Sx Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta "Section Cross Reference." Li Sy Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta "Symbolic (traditional English)." Li Tn Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta "Trade or type name (small Caps)." Li Ux Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta Ux Li Xc Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta "Extend argument list close." Li Xo Ta Yes Ta Yes Ta "Extend argument list open."

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

Note: the extended argument list macros ( `. ‘ `. ‘ and the function enclosure macros ( `.Fo , ‘ `.Fc ) ‘ are irregular. The extended list macros are used when the number of macro arguments would exceed the troff 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.

Files

doc.tmac: Manual and general text domain macros.
tmac/doc-common: Common structural macros and definitions.
tmac/doc-nroff: Site dependent nroff style file.
tmac/doc-ditroff: Site dependent troff style file.
tmac/doc-syms: Special defines (such as the standards macro).

Colophon

This page is part of release 4.15 of the Linux man-pages project. A description of the project, information about reporting bugs, and the latest version of this page, can be found at https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.