Bug#1129241: Locale::Messages::Debug.3pm: Some remarks and a patch with editorial changes for this man page
Bjarni Ingi Gislason
bjarniig at simnet.is
Fri Feb 27 23:36:11 GMT 2026
Package: libintl-perl
Version: 1.37-1
Severity: minor
Tags: patch
Dear Maintainer,
>From "/usr/share/doc/debian/bug-reporting.txt.gz":
Don't file bugs upstream
If you file a bug in Debian, don't send a copy to the upstream software
maintainers yourself, as it is possible that the bug exists only in
Debian. If necessary, the maintainer of the package will forward the
bug upstream.
-.-
I do not send reports upstream if I have to get an account there.
The Debian maintainers have one already.
If I get a negative (or no) response from upstream, I send henceforth
bugs to Debian.
-.-
* 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=0 -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?
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=0 -ww -z ":
troff:<stdin>:73: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:86: 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: forky/sid
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 6.18.12+deb14-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 libintl-perl depends on:
ii perl 5.40.1-7
Versions of packages libintl-perl recommends:
pn libintl-xs-perl <none>
libintl-perl suggests no packages.
-- no debconf information
-------------- next part --------------
Input file is Locale::Messages::Debug.3pm
Output from "mandoc -T lint Locale::Messages::Debug.3pm": (shortened list)
2 STYLE: whitespace at end of input line
Find most trailing spaces with:
grep -n -e ' $' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <man page>
-.-.
Output from
test-nroff -mandoc -t -Kutf8 -ww -z Locale::Messages::Debug.3pm: (shortened list)
2 line(s) with a trailing space
Find most trailing spaces with:
grep -n -e ' $' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <man page>
-.-.
Input file is Locale::Messages::Debug.3pm
Show if Pod::Man generated this.
2:.\" Automatically generated by Pod::Man 5.0102 (Pod::Simple 3.45)
Latest version in Debian testing:
This is perl 5, version 40, subversion 1 (v5.40.1) built for x86_64-linux-gnu-thread-multi
(with 48 registered patches, see perl -V for more detail)
-.-.
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
2
-.-.
Change '-' (\-) to '\(en' (en-dash) for a (numeric) range.
GNU gnulib has recently (2023-06-18) updated its
"build_aux/update-copyright" to recognize "\(en" in man pages.
Locale::Messages::Debug.3pm:99:Copyright (C) 2002\-2026 Guido Flohr <http://www.guido-flohr.net/>
-.-.
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"
108:Hey! \fBThe above document had some coding errors, which are explained below:\fR
-.-.
Split lines longer than 80 characters (fill completely
an A4 sized page line on a terminal)
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 95
.TH Locale::Messages::Debug 3pm 2026-02-08 "perl v5.40.1" "User Contributed Perl Documentation"
Line 104, length 98
\&\fBLocale::Messages\fR\|(3pm), \fBLocale::TextDomain\fR\|(3pm), \fBLocale::gettext_pp\fR\|(3pm),
Line 105, length 123
\&\fBEncode\fR\|(3pm), \fBperllocale\fR\|(3pm), \fBPOSIX\fR\|(3pm), \fBperl\fR\|(1), \fBgettext\fR\|(1), \fBgettext\fR\|(3)
Longest line is number 105 with 123 characters
-.-.
Add a zero (0) in front of a decimal fraction that begins with a period
(.)
7:.if t .sp .5v
-.-.
.\" Define a fallback for the CW font
.
.if \n(.g \{\
. ie t .ftr CW CR
. el .ftr CW R
.\}
-.-
Use "\-" instead of "-" in web addresses.
99:Copyright (C) 2002\-2026 Guido Flohr <http://www.guido-flohr.net/>
-.-.
Change comment lines of type '.\" ====' (and an empty '.\"' line) to
a single period, as they contain no information and waste work each time
they are processed.
3:.\"
5:.\" ========================================================================
28:.\"
32:.\"
37:.\"
55:.\" ========================================================================
56:.\"
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=0 -ww -z ":
troff:<stdin>:73: warning: trailing space in the line
troff:<stdin>:86: warning: trailing space in the line
-.-
Generally:
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
-.-
Tables:
Use the preprocessor 'tbl' to make tables.
Put data, that are wider than the header in the (centered) last column,
in a "T{...\nT}" block(, when the table gets wider than the output line).
Table headers, that are wider than any data in the corresponding column,
do not need to be centered, so left adjustment (l, L) is sufficient.
-------------- next part --------------
--- Locale::Messages::Debug.3pm 2026-02-27 23:12:03.096021174 +0000
+++ Locale::Messages::Debug.3pm.new 2026-02-27 23:30:36.972325077 +0000
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
.\" -*- mode: troff; coding: utf-8 -*-
.\" Automatically generated by Pod::Man 5.0102 (Pod::Simple 3.45)
-.\"
+.
.\" Standard preamble:
-.\" ========================================================================
+.
.de Sp \" Vertical space (when we can't use .PP)
-.if t .sp .5v
+.if t .sp 0.5v
.if n .sp
..
+.\" Define a fallback for the CW font
+.
+.if \n(.g \{\
+. ie t .ftr CW CR
+. el .ftr CW R
+.\}
+.
.de Vb \" Begin verbatim text
.ft CW
.nf
@@ -25,16 +32,16 @@
. ds C`
. ds C'
'br\}
-.\"
+.
.\" Escape single quotes in literal strings from groff's Unicode transform.
.ie \n(.g .ds Aq \(aq
.el .ds Aq '
-.\"
+.
.\" If the F register is >0, we'll generate index entries on stderr for
.\" titles (.TH), headers (.SH), subsections (.SS), items (.Ip), and index
.\" entries marked with X<> in POD. Of course, you'll have to process the
.\" output yourself in some meaningful fashion.
-.\"
+.
.\" Avoid warning from groff about undefined register 'F'.
.de IX
..
@@ -52,8 +59,8 @@
. \}
.\}
.rr rF
-.\" ========================================================================
-.\"
+.
+.
.IX Title "Locale::Messages::Debug 3pm"
.TH Locale::Messages::Debug 3pm 2026-02-08 "perl v5.40.1" "User Contributed Perl Documentation"
.\" For nroff, turn off justification. Always turn off hyphenation; it makes
@@ -70,7 +77,7 @@ Locale::Messages::Debug \- Debug libint\
.SH DESCRIPTION
.IX Header "DESCRIPTION"
Message translation with libintl-perl relies on a correct setup and to a
-certain extent on features of the operating system. There are many things
+certain extent on features of the operating system. There are many things
that can go wrong. This module aims to help you, when problems occur. It
is not meant to be used in production code!
.PP
@@ -83,7 +90,7 @@ imported explicitely.
.IX Item "debug_gettext MSGID"
Tries to retrieve a translation for \fBMSGID\fR.
.Sp
-The function returns a list of hints in string form or the same list as
+The function returns a list of hints in string form or the same list as
one new-line separated string in scalar context;
.Sp
Example:
@@ -96,7 +103,7 @@ Example:
.Ve
.SH AUTHOR
.IX Header "AUTHOR"
-Copyright (C) 2002\-2026 Guido Flohr <http://www.guido-flohr.net/>
+Copyright (C) 2002\(en2026 Guido Flohr <http://www.guido\-flohr.net/>
(<mailto:guido.flohr at cantanea.com>), all rights reserved. See the source
code for details!code for details!
.SH "SEE ALSO"
@@ -105,7 +112,7 @@ code for details!code for details!
\&\fBEncode\fR\|(3pm), \fBperllocale\fR\|(3pm), \fBPOSIX\fR\|(3pm), \fBperl\fR\|(1), \fBgettext\fR\|(1), \fBgettext\fR\|(3)
.SH "POD ERRORS"
.IX Header "POD ERRORS"
-Hey! \fBThe above document had some coding errors, which are explained below:\fR
+Hey! \fBThe above document had some coding errors, which are explained below:\fR
.IP "Around line 187:" 4
.IX Item "Around line 187:"
You forgot a '=back' before '=head1'
-------------- 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
-.-
For general input conventions consult the man page "nroff(7)" (item
"Input conventions") or the Texinfo manual about the same item.
-.-
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 when that has been fixed.
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)
-.-
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