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:
 
 
 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
 .\"
 .\" %nmhwarning%
 .\"
 .SH NAME
 comp \- compose a message
 .SH SYNOPSIS

+.HP 5
+.na

 .B comp 
 .RI [ +folder ]
 .RI [ msgs ]
 .B comp 
 .RI [ +folder ]
 .RI [ msgs ]


@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ comp \- compose a message
 .RB [ \-use " | " \-nouse ]
 .RB [ \-version ]
 .RB [ \-help ]
 .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.
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 .B Comp
 is used to create a new message to be mailed.  It copies something.


@@ -53,6 +56,19 @@ None
 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.
 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 ,
 
                .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)
 
 
                .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
                .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.