style.mdoc(5) - Manual pages

NAME

style.mdoc — FreeBSD mdoc(7) file style guide

DESCRIPTION

This file specifies the preferred style for manual pages in the FreeBSD source tree.

Code Examples

Use literal formatting for examples and literal shell commands, e.g.:
```
Then run
.Dq Li make install clean .
```
which renders as:

Then run “make install clean”.

The incorrect way would be to use macros like Nm to stylize the command invocation:
```
Then run
.Dq Nm make Cm install Cm clean .
```
which renders as:

Then run “make install clean”.

EXAMPLES Section

Format the EXAMPLES section in the following way:

.Bl -tag -width 0n
.It Sy Example 1\&: No Doing Something
.Pp
The following command does something.
.Bd -literal -offset 2n
.Li # Ic make -VLEGAL
.Ed
.It Sy Example 2\&: No Doing Something Different
.Pp
The following command does something different.
.Bd -literal -offset 2n
.Li # Ic bectl list
.Ed
.Pp
It is good to know this command.
.El

which renders as:

Example 1: Doing Something

The following command does something.

# make -VLEGAL

Example 2: Doing Something Different

The following command does something different.

# bectl list

It is good to know this command.

Synopsis Formatting

Do not put whitespace between alternative parameters separated with a pipe (“|”), e.g.:
```
.Cm compression Cm on Ns | Ns Cm off
.Cm install Fl -all Ns | Ns Ar portname Ar ...
```
which in the SYNOPSIS section is rendered as:
```
compression on|off
install --all|portname ...
```
Use Cm to stylize characters that are command modifiers (e.g., “,”, “@” or “=”). For example:
```
.Sm off
.Fl -meet Cm = Ar who Oo Cm , Ar who " " Ar "..." Oc Cm @ Ar where
.Sm on
```
which renders as:

--meet=who[,who...]@where

instead of:
```
.Sm off
.Fl -meet No = Ar who Oo , Ar who " " Ar "..." Oc @ Ar where
.Sm on
```
which would render as:

--meet=who[,who...]@where

It is important to realize that in the correct example, “,”, “@” and “=” are stylized with Cm. At the same time, the square brackets (“[]”) are not stylized as they do not belong to the syntax of the --meet flag.

Quoting

Use the Dq (“”) macro for quoting. Use the Sq (‘’) macro for quoting inside quotes. The use of the Qq ("") macro is usually not necessary.

Variables

Use Va instead of Dv for sysctl(8) variables like kdb.enter.panic.
Use the angle brackets Aq (“<>”) macro for arguments (Ar) when they are mixed with similarly stylized macros like Pa or Va, e.g.:
```
.Va critical_filesystems_ Ns Aq Ar type
```
which renders as:

critical_filesystems_⟨type⟩

instead of:
```
.Va critical_filesystems_ Ns Ar type
```
that would be rendered as:

critical_filesystems_type

HISTORY

This manual page first appeared in FreeBSD 13.0.

AUTHORS

Mateusz Piotrowski <0mp@FreeBSD.org>

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