[DRE-maint] Bug#1100668: irb3.1.1: Some remarks and a patch with editorial changes for this man page
Bjarni Ingi Gislason
bjarniig at simnet.is
Sun Mar 16 22:48:26 GMT 2025
Package: ruby3.1
Version: 3.1.2-8.5
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 "groff -e ' $' -e '\\~$' <file>" to find obvious 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=10 -ww -z ":
troff:<stdin>:39: warning: integer value saturated
troff:<stdin>:39: warning: integer value saturated
troff:<stdin>:39: warning: integer value saturated
troff:<stdin>:42: warning: [page 1, 3.1i]: cannot break line
[...]
troff:<stdin>:46: warning: [page 1, 4.0i]: line has non-positive width 0m
[...]
troff:<stdin>:82: warning: [page 2, 9.2i]: line has non-positive width 0m
[...]
troff:<stdin>:150: warning: [page 4, 7.8i]: line has non-positive width 0m
[...]
* 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 6.12.17-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 ruby3.1 depends on:
ii libc6 2.41-4
ii libcrypt1 1:4.4.38-1
ii libgmp10 2:6.3.0+dfsg-3
ii libruby3.1t64 3.1.2-8.5
ii rubygems-integration 1.19
ii zlib1g 1:1.3.dfsg+really1.3.1-1+b1
Versions of packages ruby3.1 recommends:
ii fonts-lato 2.015-1
ii libjs-jquery 3.6.1+dfsg+~3.5.14-1
ruby3.1 suggests no packages.
-- no debconf information
-------------- next part --------------
Input file is irb3.1.1
Output from "mandoc -T lint irb3.1.1": (shortened list)
1 AUTHORS section without An macro
1 input text line longer than 80 bytes: Specifies the defaul...
2 missing -width in -tag list, using 6n: Bl -tag
1 moving content out of list: Pp
2 moving paragraph macro out of list: Pp
2 new sentence, new line
1 no blank before trailing delimiter: Li to UTF-8.
1 operating system explicitly specified: Os UNIX (NetBSD)
1 skipping no-space macro
1 skipping paragraph macro: Pp after Sh
7 skipping paragraph macro: Pp at the end of Sh
1 skipping paragraph macro: Pp before It
9 skipping paragraph macro: Pp before Pp
1 unknown manual section: Dt ... \&1
1 unusual Xr punctuation: . after ruby(1)
-.-
Output from "test-nroff -mandoc -t -ww -z irb3.1.1": (shortened list)
238 cannot break line
3 integer value saturated
3 line has non-positive width 0m
-.-.
Change two HYPHEN-MINUSES (code 0x2D) to an em-dash (\(em),
if one is intended.
" \(em " creates a too big gap in the text (in "troff").
An en-dash is usually surrounded by a space,
while an em-dash is used without spaces.
"man" (1 byte characters in input) transforms an en-dash (\(en) to one
HYPHEN-MINUS,
and an em-dash to two HYPHEN-MINUSES without considering the space
around it.
If "--" are two single "-"
(begin of an option or end of options)
then use "\-\-".
irb3.1.1:156:Suppresses --multiline and --singleline.
-.-.
Change -- in x--y to \(em (em-dash), or, if an
option, to \-\-
156:Suppresses --multiline and --singleline.
-.-.
Change a HYPHEN-MINUS (code 0x2D) to a minus(-dash) (\-),
if it
is in front of a name for an option,
is a symbol for standard input,
is a single character used to indicate an option,
or is in the NAME section (man-pages(7)).
N.B. - (0x2D), processed as a UTF-8 file, is changed to a hyphen
(0x2010, groff \[u2010] or \[hy]) in the output.
47:Same as `ruby -E' .
54:Same as `ruby -I' .
60:Same as `ruby -U' .
65:Same as `ruby -d' .
75:Same as `ruby -w' .
79:Same as `ruby -W' .
82:.It Fl -help
86:Same as `ruby -r'.
156:Suppresses --multiline and --singleline.
-.-
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"
48:Specifies the default value(s) for external encodings and internal encoding. Values should be separated with colon (:).
151:Switch prompt mode. Pre-defined prompt modes are
-.-.
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 48, length 119
Specifies the default value(s) for external encodings and internal encoding. Values should be separated with colon (:).
Longest line is: 119 characters.
-.-.
Put a parenthetical sentence, phrase on a separate line,
if not part of a code.
See man-pages(7), item "semantic newline".
irb3.1.1:36:is the REPL(read-eval-print loop) environment for Ruby programs.
irb3.1.1:90:Uses `inspect' for output (default except for bc mode)
-.-.
Only one space character after a possible end of sentence
(after a punctuation, that can end a sentence).
irb3.1.1:48:Specifies the default value(s) for external encodings and internal encoding. Values should be separated with colon (:).
irb3.1.1:151:Switch prompt mode. Pre-defined prompt modes are
-.-.
Put a subordinate sentence (after a comma) on a new line.
irb3.1.1:50:You can omit the one for internal encodings, then the value
irb3.1.1:152:`default', `simple', `xmp' and `inf-ruby'.
-.-.
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.
irb3.1.1:39:.Bl -tag -width "1234567890123" -compact
irb3.1.1:51:.Pf ( Li "Encoding.default_internal" ) will be nil.
irb3.1.1:62:.Pf ( Li "Encoding.default_internal" ) to UTF-8.
-.-.
Put a (long) web address on a new line to reduce the posibility of
splitting the address between two output lines.
Or inhibit hyphenation with "\%" in front of the name.
224:.Pq Lk https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/ .
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z ":
troff:<stdin>:39: warning: integer value saturated
troff:<stdin>:39: warning: integer value saturated
troff:<stdin>:39: warning: integer value saturated
troff:<stdin>:42: warning: [page 1, 3.1i]: cannot break line
[...]
troff:<stdin>:46: warning: [page 1, 4.0i]: line has non-positive width 0m
[...]
troff:<stdin>:82: warning: [page 2, 9.2i]: line has non-positive width 0m
[...]
troff:<stdin>:150: warning: [page 4, 7.8i]: line has non-positive width 0m
[...]
-.-.
Generally:
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
-------------- next part --------------
--- irb3.1.1 2025-03-16 22:23:46.554025986 +0000
+++ irb3.1.1.new 2025-03-16 22:31:27.506307290 +0000
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@
is the REPL(read-eval-print loop) environment for Ruby programs.
.Pp
.Sh OPTIONS
-.Bl -tag -width "1234567890123" -compact
+.nr ta \w'1234567890123'
+.Bl -tag -width \n(tau -compact
.Pp
.It Fl -version
Prints the version of
-------------- 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>
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-ruby-extras-maintainers
mailing list