8.10 Automated Man Pages

Using the option definitions for an AutoOpt client program, the `agman1.tpl' template will produce an nroff document suitable for use as a `man(1)' page document for a command line command. The description section of the document is either the `prog-man-descrip' text, if present, or the `detail' text.

Each option in the option definitions file is fully documented in its usage. This includes all the information documented above for each option (see section 8.4.2 Option Attributes), plus the `doc' attribute is appended. Since the `doc' text is presumed to be designed for texinfo documentation, sed is used to convert some constructs from texi to nroff-for-man-pages. Specifically,

convert @code, @var and @samp into \fB...\fP phrases convert @file into \fI...\fP phrases Remove the '@' prefix from curly braces Indent example regions Delete the example commands Replace `end example' command with ".br" Replace the `@*' command with ".br"

This document is produced by invoking the following command:

AutoGen -L ${prefix}/share/autogen -T agman1.tpl options.def

Where `${prefix}' is the AutoGen installation prefix and `options.def' is the name of your product's option definition file. I do not use this very much, so any feedback or improvements would be greatly appreciated.