[DRE-maint] Bug#1101422: rdoc3.1.1: Some remarks and a patch with editorial changes for this man page
Bjarni Ingi Gislason
bjarniig at simnet.is
Thu Mar 27 09:28:10 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 "grep -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?
an.tmac:<stdin>:2: style: .TH missing fourth argument; consider package/project name and version (e.g., "groff 1.23.0")
troff:<stdin>:207: warning: name '%s',' not defined
* 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 6.12.19-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 2.41-6
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 rdoc3.1.1
Output from "mandoc -T lint rdoc3.1.1": (shortened list)
32 fill mode already enabled, skipping: fi
3 skipping paragraph macro: PP after SH
1 skipping unknown macro: '%s', the name of the current file will be substituted; if the URL doesn't
-.-.
Output from "test-nroff -mandoc -t -ww -z rdoc3.1.1": (shortened list)
1 name '%s',' not defined
-.-.
Show if generated from rd2.
Who is actually generating this man page? Debian or upstream?
Is the generating software out of date?
1:.\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE! it was generated by rd2
Latest version: docutils (Docutils 0.21.2, Python 3.13.2, on linux)
-.-.
Reduce space between words.
rdoc3.1.1:8:rdoc3.1 [options] [names...]
rdoc3.1.1:27:\-\-accessor, \-A accessorname[,..]
rdoc3.1.1:40:\-\-charset, \-c charset
rdoc3.1.1:57:\-\-exclude, \-x pattern
rdoc3.1.1:63:\-\-extension, \-E new = old
rdoc3.1.1:77:\-\-fmt, \-f formatname
rdoc3.1.1:92:\-\-image\-format, \-I gif|png|jpg|jpeg
rdoc3.1.1:98:\-\-include, \-i dir[,dir...]
rdoc3.1.1:114:\-\-main, \-m name
rdoc3.1.1:130:\-\-op, \-o dir
rdoc3.1.1:135:\-\-opname, \-n name
rdoc3.1.1:180:\-\-style, \-s stylesheet\-url
rdoc3.1.1:185:\-\-tab\-width, \-w n
rdoc3.1.1:190:\-\-template, \-T template\-name
rdoc3.1.1:195:\-\-title, \-t text
rdoc3.1.1:201:display RDoc's version.
rdoc3.1.1:205:\-\-webcvs, \-W url
-.-.
Three full stops (periods) are used for an ellipsis
27:\-\-accessor, \-A accessorname[,..]
-.-.
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"
12:output is produced. This allows cross references between all files to be
13:resolved. If a name is a directory, it is traversed. If no names are
29:like 'attr_reader' and friends. Option may be repeated. Each accessorname
52:later to use the \-\-diagram option correctly. Dot is available from
58:do not process files or directories matching pattern. Files given
64:treat files ending with .new as if they ended with .old. Using '\-E cgi=rb'
71:reside. Classes shared between more than one file are shown with list of
93:sets output image format for diagrams. Can be png, gif, jpeg, jpg. If this
94:option is omitted, png is used. Requires \-\-diagram.
100::include: requests. Can be used more than once.
136:set the name of the output. Has no effect for HTML.
142:other files, show all stuff for that module/class in each files page. By
169:needed. This option is intended to be used during Ruby installations.
175:instance method name. When displayed, the '#' is removed unless this
206:specify a URL for linking to a web frontend to CVS. If the URL contains a
-.-.
Put a parenthetical sentence, phrase on a separate line,
if not part of a code.
See man-pages(7), item "semantic newline".
rdoc3.1.1:14:specified, all Ruby files in the current directory (and subdirectories) are
rdoc3.1.1:36:include all methods (not just public) in the output.
rdoc3.1.1:78:set the output formatter (see below).
rdoc3.1.1:99:set (or add to) the list of directories to be searched when satisfying
rdoc3.1.1:186:set the width of tab characters (default 8).
-.-.
Only one space character after a possible end of sentence
(after a punctuation, that can end a sentence).
rdoc3.1.1:12:output is produced. This allows cross references between all files to be
rdoc3.1.1:13:resolved. If a name is a directory, it is traversed. If no names are
rdoc3.1.1:29:like 'attr_reader' and friends. Option may be repeated. Each accessorname
rdoc3.1.1:52:later to use the \-\-diagram option correctly. Dot is available from
rdoc3.1.1:58:do not process files or directories matching pattern. Files given
rdoc3.1.1:64:treat files ending with .new as if they ended with .old. Using '\-E cgi=rb'
rdoc3.1.1:71:reside. Classes shared between more than one file are shown with list of
rdoc3.1.1:93:sets output image format for diagrams. Can be png, gif, jpeg, jpg. If this
rdoc3.1.1:94:option is omitted, png is used. Requires \-\-diagram.
rdoc3.1.1:100::include: requests. Can be used more than once.
rdoc3.1.1:136:set the name of the output. Has no effect for HTML.
rdoc3.1.1:142:other files, show all stuff for that module/class in each files page. By
rdoc3.1.1:169:needed. This option is intended to be used during Ruby installations.
rdoc3.1.1:175:instance method name. When displayed, the '#' is removed unless this
rdoc3.1.1:206:specify a URL for linking to a web frontend to CVS. If the URL contains a
-.-.
Put a subordinate sentence (after a comma) on a new line.
[List of affected lines removed.]
-.-.
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.
53:<URL:http://www.research.att.com/sw/tools/graphviz/>.
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=10 -ww -z ":
an.tmac:<stdin>:2: style: .TH missing fourth argument; consider package/project name and version (e.g., "groff 1.23.0")
troff:<stdin>:207: warning: name '%s',' not defined
-.-.
Generally:
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
-------------- next part --------------
--- rdoc3.1.1 2025-03-27 09:12:55.163078625 +0000
+++ rdoc3.1.1.new 2025-03-27 09:18:25.808871704 +0000
@@ -204,6 +204,6 @@ display RDoc's version.
.B
\-\-webcvs, \-W url
specify a URL for linking to a web frontend to CVS. If the URL contains a
-'%s', the name of the current file will be substituted; if the URL doesn't
+\&'%s', the name of the current file will be substituted; if the URL doesn't
contain a '%s', the filename will be appended to it.
-------------- 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)
-.-
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