doc/man/README.md

   1 LTTng-UST man pages
   2 ===================
   3
   4 This directory contains the sources of the LTTng-UST man pages.
   5
   6 LTTng-UST man pages are written in
   7 [AsciiDoc](http://www.methods.co.nz/asciidoc/), and then converted to
   8 DocBook (XML) using the `asciidoc` command, and finally to troff using
   9 the appropriate DocBook XSL stylesheet (using the `xmlto` command).
  10
  11
  12 Custom XSL stylesheets
  13 ----------------------
  14
  15 There are a few custom XSL stylesheets applied for customizing the
  16 generated man pages in the `xsl` directory.
  17
  18
  19 Macros
  20 ------
  21
  22 AsciiDoc is configured with `asciidoc.conf` which contains a few
  23 macro definitions used everywhere in the man page sources.
  24
  25
  26 ### `man`
  27
  28 The `man` macro is used to specify a reference to another man page.
  29 Using the provided `asciidoc.conf` configuration file, the man page
  30 name is rendered in bold and the section is normal.
  31
  32 Usage example: `man:lttng-enable-channel(1)`, `man:dlopen(3)`
  33
  34
  35 ### `option`
  36
  37 The option macro is used to write a command-line option which is
  38 **defined in the same man page**.
  39
  40 Usage example: `option:--output`, `option:--verbose`
  41
  42
  43 ### `nloption`
  44
  45 Command-line option generating no link. This is used when writing
  46 about an option which is **not defined in the same man page**.
  47
  48 Usage example: `nloption:-finstrument-functions`
  49
  50
  51 ### `not`
  52
  53 The `:not:` macro is used to emphasize on _not_.
  54
  55
  56 Includes
  57 --------
  58
  59   * `common-authors.txt`: common authors section of the LTTng-UST
  60     project. Only use this for man pages which describe
  61     a command/library/function written by the main authors of LTTng-UST.
  62   * `common-copyright.txt`: common copyrights section of the LTTng-UST
  63     project. Only use this for man pages which describe
  64     a command/library/function having the common LTTng-UST license.
  65   * `common-footer.txt`: common footer for all man pages. This goes
  66     before the copyrights section.
  67   * `log-levels.txt`: definition list of LTTng-UST log levels.
  68   * `tracef-tracelog-limitations.txt`: limitations that apply to both
  69     the `lttng_ust_tracef(3)` and `lttng_ust_tracelog(3)` man pages.
  70
  71
  72 Convention
  73 ----------
  74
  75 Please follow those rules when updating the current man pages or writing
  76 new ones:
  77
  78   * Always use macros when possible (man page references, command-line
  79     options, _not_, etc.).
  80   * Use callouts with the `term` role for command-line examples.
  81   * Use a verse, possibly with the `term` role, in the synopsis section.
  82   * Always refer to _long_ options in the text.
  83   * Use the `option:--option='PARAM'` format (with `=`) when providing a
  84     parameter to long options.
  85   * Prefer writing _user space_ rather than _userspace_, _user-space_,
  86     or _user land_.
  87   * Write _file system_, not _filesystem_.
  88   * Prefer writing _use case_ rather than _use-case_ or _usecase_.
  89   * Write _log level_, not _loglevel_.
  90   * Write complete LTTng project names: _LTTng-modules_, _LTTng-UST_,
  91     and _LTTng-tools_, not _modules_, _UST_ and _tools_.
  92   * Prefer simple emphasis to strong emphasis for emphasizing text.
  93   * Try to stay behind the 72th column mark if possible, and behind the
  94     80th column otherwise.
  95   * Do not end directory paths with a forward slash (good:
  96     `include/trace/events`, bad: `include/trace/events/`).
  97   * Minimize the use of the future tense (_will_).
  98   * Use an active voice, and prefer using the second person (_you_) when
  99     referring to the user.
 100   * Avoid using Latin abbreviations (_e.g._, _i.e._, _etc._).