Bring this up to best practices.

[nmh] / docs / README.manpages

diff --git a/docs/README.manpages b/docs/README.manpages
index 8c6516a57dcf8b61373faef6cb6582d887fc9ffd..33693df31a7a173447d0043b1d89fafefff3dc21 100644 (file)
--- a/docs/README.manpages
+++ b/docs/README.manpages
@@ -2,13 +2,15 @@ NMH MANPAGE STYLE GUIDE
 
 nmh manpages should be in this general form:
 
-.TH COMP %manext1% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
+.TH COMP %manext1% "DATE" "%nmhversion%"
 .\"
 .\" %nmhwarning%
 .\"
 .SH NAME
 comp \- compose a message
 .SH SYNOPSIS
+.HP 5
+.na
 .B comp 
 .RI [ +folder ]
 .RI [ msgs ]
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ comp \- compose a message
 .RB [ \-use " | " \-nouse ]
 .RB [ \-version ]
 .RB [ \-help ]
+.ad
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 .B Comp
 is used to create a new message to be mailed.  It copies something.
@@ -53,6 +56,19 @@ None
 None
 
 ---------------------------------------
+The DATE in the .TH macro should reflect the most recent non-trivial
+update to the content of the manpage; formatting changes don't count.
+Spell out the date (no abbreviations or shortcuts):
+
+  January 2, 1904
+
+not the unparseable
+
+  01/02/04
+
+Don't abbreviate the month.
+
+
 In the FILES section, prefer the default .TP indent. The pathnames are
 variable and long, so any indentation value that works for you won't
 work for someone else.
@@ -96,8 +112,7 @@ Program names
                .B comp
                .BR comp ,
 
-       If this is a manpage reference (outside of the SEE ALSO
-       section, which just uses regular text), use:
+       If this is a manpage reference, use:
 
                .IR mh-draft (5)
 
@@ -184,3 +199,17 @@ Pointer manpages
                .so man1/folder.1
 
        Also, add this manpage to the appropriate section in Makefile.in
+       
+
+CONTEXT
+    Don't include a CONTEXT section when contexts are out of context.
+
+
+AUTHOR and HISTORY sections
+
+    These have no place in a manpage.  If you want everlasting glory,
+    try the release notes.
+
+BUGS
+
+    The BUGS section goes last.