Bug#1102337: Proc::ProcessTable.3pm: Some remarks and a patch with editorial changes for this man page
Bjarni Ingi Gislason
bjarniig at simnet.is
Tue Apr 8 02:44:58 BST 2025
Package: libproc-processtable-perl
Version: 0.636-1+b3
Severity: minor
Tags: patch
* What led up to the situation?
Checking for defects with a new version
test-[g|n]roff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z < "man page"
[Use
grep -n -e ' $' -e '\\~$' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <file>
to find (most) trailing spaces.]
["test-groff" is a script in the repository for "groff"; is not shipped]
(local copy and "troff" slightly changed by me).
[The fate of "test-nroff" was decided in groff bug #55941.]
* What was the outcome of this action?
troff:<stdin>:70: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:121: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:123: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:124: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:125: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:126: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:127: warning: trailing space in the line
* What outcome did you expect instead?
No output (no warnings).
-.-
General remarks and further material, if a diff-file exist, are in the
attachments.
-- System Information:
Debian Release: trixie/sid
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 6.12.21-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=is_IS.iso88591, LC_CTYPE=is_IS.iso88591 (charmap=ISO-8859-1), LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: sysvinit (via /sbin/init)
Versions of packages libproc-processtable-perl depends on:
ii libc6 2.41-6
ii perl 5.40.1-2
ii perl-base [perlapi-5.40.0] 5.40.1-2
libproc-processtable-perl recommends no packages.
libproc-processtable-perl suggests no packages.
-- no debconf information
-------------- next part --------------
Input file is Proc::ProcessTable.3pm
Output from "mandoc -T lint Proc::ProcessTable.3pm": (shortened list)
-.-.
Output from
test-nroff -mandoc -t -ww -z Proc::ProcessTable.3pm: (shortened list)
7 line(s) with a trailing space
Find trailing space with:
grep -n -e ' $' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <man page>
-.-.
Show if Pod::Man generated this.
Who is actually creating this man page? Debian or upstream?
Is the generating software out of date?
2:.\" Automatically generated by Pod::Man 5.0102 (Pod::Simple 3.45)
-.-.
Remove space characters (whitespace) at the end of lines.
Use "git apply ... --whitespace=fix" to fix extra space issues, or use
global configuration "core.whitespace".
Number of lines affected is
7
-.-.
-.-.
Wrong distance (not two spaces) between sentences in the input file.
Separate the sentences and subordinate clauses; each begins on a new
line. See man-pages(7) ("Conventions for source file layout") and
"info groff" ("Input Conventions").
The best procedure is to always start a new sentence on a new line,
at least, if you are typing on a computer.
Remember coding: Only one command ("sentence") on each (logical) line.
E-mail: Easier to quote exactly the relevant lines.
Generally: Easier to edit the sentence.
Patches: Less unaffected text.
Search for two adjacent words is easier, when they belong to the same line,
and the same phrase.
The amount of space between sentences in the output can then be
controlled with the ".ss" request.
Mark a final abbreviation point as such by suffixing it with "\&".
Some sentences (etc.) do not begin on a new line.
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
Lines with only one (or two) space(s) between sentences could be split,
so latter sentences begin on a new line.
Use
#!/usr/bin/sh
sed -e '/^\./n' \
-e 's/\([[:alpha:]]\)\. */\1.\n/g' $1
to split lines after a sentence period.
Check result with the difference between the formatted outputs.
See also the attachment "general.bugs"
81:Creates a new ProcessTable object. The constructor can take the following
94:file if it doesn't exist. This feature requires the Storable module.
96:byte order tag. The file name can be accessed (and changed) via
105:Proc::ProcessTable::Process objects. Attributes of a process object
147:operating systems. Please see the file PORTING for information on how
151:J. Bargsten, D. Urist
-.-.
Split lines longer than 80 characters into two or more lines.
Appropriate break points are the end of a sentence and a subordinate
clause; after punctuation marks.
Add "\:" to split the string for the output, "\<newline>" in the source.
Line 58, length 90
.TH Proc::ProcessTable 3pm 2024-10-15 "perl v5.40.0" "User Contributed Perl Documentation"
-.-.
Add a zero (0) in front of a decimal fraction that begins with a period
(.)
7:.if t .sp .5v
-.-.
Put a parenthetical sentence, phrase on a separate line,
if not part of a code.
See man-pages(7), item "semantic newline".
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:96:byte order tag. The file name can be accessed (and changed) via
-.-.
Use a character "\(->" instead of plain "->" or "\->".
70:\& my $p = Proc::ProcessTable\->new( \*(Aqcache_ttys\*(Aq => 1 );
71:\& my @fields = $p\->fields;
72:\& my $ref = $p\->table;
109:\&\f(CW$process\fR\->uid
120:\& my $t = Proc::ProcessTable\->new;
122:\& foreach my $p ( @{$t\->table} ){
124:\& $p\->pid,
125:\& $p\->ttydev,
126:\& $p\->state,
127:\& scalar(localtime($p\->start)),
128:\& $p\->cmndline);
135:\& my $t = Proc::ProcessTable\->new;
137:\& foreach my $p (@{$t\->table}) {
139:\& foreach my $f ($t\->fields){
140:\& print $f, ": ", $p\->{$f}, "\en";
-.-.
Only one space character is after a possible end of sentence
(after a punctuation, that can end a sentence).
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:81:Creates a new ProcessTable object. The constructor can take the following
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:94:file if it doesn't exist. This feature requires the Storable module.
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:96:byte order tag. The file name can be accessed (and changed) via
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:105:Proc::ProcessTable::Process objects. Attributes of a process object
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:147:operating systems. Please see the file PORTING for information on how
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:151:J. Bargsten, D. Urist
-.-.
Put a subordinate sentence (after a comma) on a new line.
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:86:thus preventing the module from traversing the device tree, which on some
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:87:systems, can be quite large and/or contain invalid device paths (for example,
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:89:this is specified with cache_ttys, a warning is generated and the cache_ttys
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:93:caches a mapping of tty names to device numbers, and to create the
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:95:By default, the cache file name consists of a prefix \fI/tmp/TTYDEVS_\fR and a
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:106:are returned by accessors named for the attribute; for example, to get
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:111:The priority and pgrp methods also allow values to be set, since these
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:121:\& printf($FORMAT, "PID", "TTY", "STAT", "START", "COMMAND");
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:140:\& print $f, ": ", $p\->{$f}, "\en";
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:151:J. Bargsten, D. Urist
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:154:Proc::ProcessTable::Process, \fBperl\fR\|(1).
-.-.
Remove quotes when there is a printable
but no space character between them
and the quotes are not for emphasis (markup),
for example as an argument to a macro.
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:66:.IX Header "SYNOPSIS"
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:75:.IX Header "DESCRIPTION"
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:78:.IX Header "METHODS"
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:111:.IX Header "EXAMPLES"
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:142:.IX Header "CAVEATS"
Proc::ProcessTable.3pm:147:.IX Header "AUTHOR"
-.-.
Use ".na" (no adjustment) instead of ".ad l" (and ".ad" to begin the
same adjustment again as before).
61:.if n .ad l
-.-.
Add lines to use the CR font for groff instead of CW.
.if t \{\
. ie \\n(.g .ft CR
. el .ft CW
.\}
11:.ft CW
-.-.
Section headings (.SH and .SS) do not need quoting their arguments.
152:.SH "SEE ALSO"
-.-.
.\" Define a fallback for font CW with
.if t \{\
. ie \n(.g .ds fC \f(CR
. el .ds fC \f(CW
.\}
.
.if n \{\
. ds fC \fR
.\}
Change \f(CW to \*(fC
97:\&\f(CW$Proc::ProcessTable::TTYDEVSFILE\fR.
109:\&\f(CW$process\fR\->uid
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z ":
troff:<stdin>:70: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:121: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:123: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:124: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:125: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:126: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:127: warning: trailing space in the line
-.-.
Generally:
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
-------------- next part --------------
--- Proc::ProcessTable.3pm 2025-04-08 01:24:05.530562484 +0000
+++ Proc::ProcessTable.3pm.new 2025-04-08 01:33:52.393282275 +0000
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Proc::ProcessTable \- Perl extension to
.Vb 1
\& use Proc::ProcessTable;
\&
-\& my $p = Proc::ProcessTable\->new( \*(Aqcache_ttys\*(Aq => 1 );
+\& my $p = Proc::ProcessTable\->new( \*(Aqcache_ttys\*(Aq => 1 );
\& my @fields = $p\->fields;
\& my $ref = $p\->table;
.Ve
@@ -118,13 +118,13 @@ are supported directly by internal perl
\&
\& my $FORMAT = "%\-6s %\-10s %\-8s %\-24s %s\en";
\& my $t = Proc::ProcessTable\->new;
-\& printf($FORMAT, "PID", "TTY", "STAT", "START", "COMMAND");
+\& printf($FORMAT, "PID", "TTY", "STAT", "START", "COMMAND");
\& foreach my $p ( @{$t\->table} ){
-\& printf($FORMAT,
-\& $p\->pid,
-\& $p\->ttydev,
-\& $p\->state,
-\& scalar(localtime($p\->start)),
+\& printf($FORMAT,
+\& $p\->pid,
+\& $p\->ttydev,
+\& $p\->state,
+\& scalar(localtime($p\->start)),
\& $p\->cmndline);
\& }
\&
-------------- next part --------------
Any program (person), that produces man pages, should check the output
for defects by using (both groff and nroff)
[gn]roff -mandoc -t -ww -b -z -K utf8 <man page>
To find trailing space use
grep -n -e ' $' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <man page>
The same goes for man pages that are used as an input.
For a style guide use
mandoc -T lint
-.-
Any "autogenerator" should check its products with the above mentioned
'groff', 'mandoc', and additionally with 'nroff ...'.
It should also check its input files for too long (> 80) lines.
This is just a simple quality control measure.
The "autogenerator" may have to be corrected to get a better man page,
the source file may, and any additional file may.
Common defects:
Not removing trailing spaces (in in- and output).
The reason for these trailing spaces should be found and eliminated.
"git" has a "tool" to point out whitespace,
see for example "git-apply(1)" and git-config(1)")
Not beginning each input sentence on a new line.
Line length and patch size should thus be reduced.
The script "reportbug" uses 'quoted-printable' encoding when a line is
longer than 1024 characters in an 'ascii' file.
See man-pages(7), item "semantic newline".
-.-
The difference between the formatted output of the original and patched file
can be seen with:
nroff -mandoc <file1> > <out1>
nroff -mandoc <file2> > <out2>
diff -d -u <out1> <out2>
and for groff, using
\"printf '%s\n%s\n' '.kern 0' '.ss 12 0' | groff -mandoc -Z - \"
instead of 'nroff -mandoc'
Add the option '-t', if the file contains a table.
Read the output from 'diff -d -u ...' with 'less -R' or similar.
-.-.
If 'man' (man-db) is used to check the manual for warnings,
the following must be set:
The option "-warnings=w"
The environmental variable:
export MAN_KEEP_STDERR=yes (or any non-empty value)
or
(produce only warnings):
export MANROFFOPT="-ww -b -z"
export MAN_KEEP_STDERR=yes (or any non-empty value)
-.-
More information about the pkg-perl-maintainers
mailing list