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1# curl man page generator
2
3This is the curl man page generator. It generates a single nroff man page
4output from the set of sources files in this directory.
5
6There is one source file for each supported command line option. The output
7gets `page-header` prepended and `page-footer` appended. The format is
8described below.
9
10## Option files
11
12Each command line option is described in a file named `<long name>.d`, where
13option name is written without any prefixing dashes. Like the file name for
14the -v, --verbose option is named `verbose.d`.
15
16Each file has a set of meta-data and a body of text.
17
18### Meta-data
19
20    Short: (single letter, without dash)
21    Long: (long form name, without dashes)
22    Arg: (the argument the option takes)
23    Magic: (description of "magic" options)
24    Tags: (space separated list)
25    Protocols: (space separated list for which protocols this option works)
26    Added: (version number in which this was added)
27    Mutexed: (space separated list of options this overrides, no dashes)
28    Requires: (space separated list of features this requires, no dashes)
29    See-also: (space separated list of related options, no dashes)
30    Help: (short text for the --help output for this option)
31    --- (end of meta-data)
32
33### Body
34
35The body of the description. Only refer to options with their long form option
36version, like `--verbose`. The output generator will replace such with the
37correct markup that shows both short and long version.
38
39Text written within `*asterisks*` will get shown using italics. Text within
40two `**asterisks**` will get shown using bold.
41
42## Header and footer
43
44`page-header` is the file that will be output before the generated options
45output for the master man page.
46
47`page-footer` is appended after all the individual options.
48
49## Generate
50
51`./gen.pl mainpage`
52
53This command outputs a single huge nroff file, meant to become `curl.1`. The
54full curl man page.
55
56`./gen.pl listhelp`
57
58Generates a full `curl --help` output for all known command line options.
59