path: root/man/xman.man

.\" t
.\"
.TH XMAN 1 __xorgversion__
.SH NAME
xman \- Manual page display program for the X Window System
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B xman
[
.I \-options
\&.\|.\|. ]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.I Xman
is a manual page browser.  The default size of the initial \fIxman\fP
window is small so that you can leave it running throughout your entire login
session.  In the initial window there are three options:
\fIHelp\fP will pop up a window with on-line help, \fIQuit\fP will
exit, and \fIManual Page\fP will pop up a window with a manual page
browser in it.
Typing Control-S will pop up a window prompting for a specific manual
page to display.
You may display more than one manual page browser window at a time
from a single execution of \fIxman\fP.
.PP
For further information on using \fIxman\fP, please read the on-line
help information.  Most of this manual will discuss
customization of \fIxman\fP.
.SH "OPTIONS"
.PP
Xman supports all standard Toolkit command line arguments (see
\fIX\fP(__miscmansuffix__)).  The following additional arguments are supported.
.sp
.IP "\fB\-helpfile\fP \fIfilename\fP"
Specifies a helpfile to use other than the default.
.IP \fB\-bothshown\fP
Allows both the manual page and manual directory to be on the screen at
the same time.
.IP \fB\-notopbox\fP
Starts without the Top Menu with the three buttons in it.
.IP "\fB\-geometry\fP \fIWxH+X+Y\fP"
Sets the size and location of the Top Menu with the three buttons in it.
.IP "\fB\-pagesize\fP \fIWxH+X+Y\fP"
Sets the size and location of all the Manual Pages.
.IP "\fB\-help\fP"
Print a usage message and exit.
.IP "\fB\-version\fP"
Print the program version and exit.
.SH "CUSTOMIZING XMAN"
.PP
.I Xman
allows customization of both the directories to be searched for manual pages,
and the name that each directory will map to in the \fISections\fP
menu.  Xman determines which directories it will
search by reading the \fIMANPATH\fP environment variable.  If no
\fIMANPATH\fP is found then the directory is /usr/man is searched on
POSIX systems.  This environment
is expected to be a colon-separated list of directories for xman to search.
.sp
.nf
setenv MANPATH /mit/kit/man:/usr/man
.fi
.PP
By default,
.I xman
will search each of the following directories (in each of the directories
specified in the users MANPATH) for manual pages.  If manual pages exist
in that directory then they are added to list of manual pages for
the corresponding menu item.
A menu item is only displayed for those sections that actually contain
manual pages.

.TS 
l l.
Directory	Section Name
-	-
man1	(1) User Commands
man2	(2) System Calls
man3	(3) Subroutines
man4	(4) Devices
man5	(5) File Formats
man6	(6) Games
man7	(7) Miscellaneous
man8	(8) Sys. Administration
manl	(l) Local
mann	(n) New
mano	(o) Old
.TE

For instance, a user has three directories in her manual path and each
contain a directory called \fIman3\fP.  All these manual pages will appear
alphabetically sorted when the user selects the menu item called
\fI(__libmansuffix__) Subroutines\fP.  If there is no directory called
\fImano\fP in any of the directories in her MANPATH, or there are no manual
pages in any of the directories called \fImano\fP then no menu item will be
displayed for the section called \fI(o) Old\fP.
.SH "BSD AND LINUX SYSTEMS"
.PP
In newer BSD and Linux systems, \fIXman\fP will search for a file named
\fI/etc/man.conf\fP which will contain the list of directories containing
manual pages. See \fIman.conf\fP(__filemansuffix__) for a complete description of the file
format.
.SH "THE MANDESC FILE"
.PP
By using the \fImandesc\fP file a user or system manager is able to
more closely control which manual pages will appear in each of the sections
represented by menu items in the \fISections\fP menu.  This
functionality is only available on a section by section basis, and individual
manual pages may not be handled in this manner.
(Although generous use of
symbolic links \(em see \fIln\fP(__appmansuffix__) \(em will allow
almost any configuration you can imagine.)
.PP
The format of the mandesc file is a character followed by a label.  The
character determines which of the sections will be added under this label.
For instance suppose that you would like to create an extra menu item that
contains all programmer subroutines.  This label should contain all manual
pages in both sections two and three.  The \fImandesc\fP file
would look like this:
.nf

2Programmer Subroutines
3Programmer Subroutines

.fi
This will add a menu item to the \fISections\fP menu that would
bring up a listing of all manual pages in sections two and three of
the Programmers Manual.  Since the label names are \fIexactly\fP the
same they will be added to the same section. Note, however, that the
original sections still exist.
.PP
If you want to completely ignore the default sections in a manual directory
then add the line:
.nf

no default sections

.fi
anywhere in your mandesc file.  This keeps xman from searching
the default manual sections \fIIn that directory only\fP.  As an example,
suppose you want to do the same thing as above, but you don't think that
it is useful to have the \fISystem Calls\fP or \fISubroutines\fP sections
any longer.  You would need to duplicate the default entries, as well as
adding your new one.
.nf

no default sections
1(1) User Commands
2Programmer Subroutines
3Programmer Subroutines
4(4) Devices
5(5) File Formats
6(6) Games
7(7) Miscellaneous
8(8) Sys. Administration
l(l) Local
n(n) New
o(o) Old

.fi
Xman will read any section that is of the form \fIman<character>\fP, where
<character> is an upper or lower case letter (they are treated distinctly) or
a numeral (0-9).  Be warned, however, that man(__appmansuffix__) and
catman(__adminmansuffix__) will not search directories that are non-standard.
.SH WIDGETS
In order to specify resources, it is useful to know the hierarchy of
the widgets which compose \fIxman\fR.  In the notation below,
indentation indicates hierarchical structure.  The widget class name
is given first, followed by the widget instance name.
.sp
.nf
.ft CW
Xman xman       \fI(This widget is never used)\fP
        TopLevelShell  topBox
                Form  form
                        Label  topLabel
                        Command  helpButton
                        Command  quitButton
                        Command  manpageButton
                TransientShell  search
                        DialogWidgetClass  dialog
                                Label  label
                                Text  value
                                Command  manualPage
                                Command  apropos
                                Command  cancel
                TransientShell  pleaseStandBy
                        Label  label
        TopLevelShell  manualBrowser
                Paned  Manpage_Vpane
                        Paned  horizPane
                                MenuButton  options
                                MenuButton  sections
                                Label  manualBrowser
                        Viewport  directory
                                List  directory
                                List  directory
                                .
                                . (one for each section,
                                .  created on the fly)
                                .
                        ScrollByLine  manualPage
                SimpleMenu  optionMenu
                        SmeBSB  displayDirectory
                        SmeBSB  displayManualPage
                        SmeBSB  help
                        SmeBSB  search
                        SmeBSB  showBothScreens
                        SmeBSB  removeThisManpage
                        SmeBSB  openNewManpage
                        SmeBSB  showVersion
                        SmeBSB  quit
                SimpleMenu  sectionMenu
                        SmeBSB  <name of section>
                                .
                                . (one for each section)
                                .
                TransientShell  search
                        DialogWidgetClass  dialog
                                Label  label
                                Text  value
                                Command  manualPage
                                Command  apropos
                                Command  cancel
                TransientShell  pleaseStandBy
                        Label  label
                TransientShell  likeToSave
                        Dialog  dialog
                                Label  label
                                Text  value
                                Command  yes
                                Command  no
        TopLevelShell  help
                Paned  Manpage_Vpane
                        Paned  horizPane
                                MenuButton  options
                                MenuButton  sections
                                Label  manualBrowser
                        ScrollByLine  manualPage
                SimpleMenu  optionMenu
                        SmeBSB  displayDirectory
                        SmeBSB  displayManualPage
                        SmeBSB  help
                        SmeBSB  search
                        SmeBSB  showBothScreens
                        SmeBSB  removeThisManpage
                        SmeBSB  openNewManpage
                        SmeBSB  showVersion
                        SmeBSB  quit

.ft
.fi
.SH "APPLICATION RESOURCES"
\fIxman\fP has the following application-specific resources which allow
customizations unique to \fIxman\fP.
.PP
.TP 18
\fBmanualFontNormal\fP (Class \fBFont\fP)
The font to use for normal text in the manual pages.
.TP 18
\fBmanualFontBold\fP (Class \fBFont\fP)
The font to use for bold text in the manual pages.
.TP 18
\fBmanualFontItalic\fP (Class \fBFont\fP)
The font to use for italic text in the manual pages.
.TP 18
\fBdirectoryFontNormal\fP (Class \fBFont\fP)
The font to use for the directory text.
.TP 18
\fBbothShown\fP (Class \fBBoolean\fP)
Either `true' or `false,' specifies whether or not you want both the
directory and the manual page shown at start up.
.TP 18
\fBdirectoryHeight\fP (Class \fBDirectoryHeight\fP)
The height in pixels of the directory, when the directory and the manual page
are shown simultaneously.
.TP 18
\fBtopCursor\fP (Class \fBCursor\fP)
The cursor to use in the top box.
.TP 18
\fBhelpCursor\fP (Class \fBCursor\fP)
The cursor to use in the help window.
.TP 18
\fBmanpageCursor\fP (Class \fBCursor\fP)
The cursor to use in the manual page window.
.TP 18
\fBsearchEntryCursor\fP (Class \fBCursor\fP)
The cursor to use in the search entry text widget.
.TP 18
\fBpointerColor\fP (Class \fBForeground\fP)
This is the color of all the cursors (pointers) specified above.  The
name was chosen to be compatible with xterm.
.TP 18
\fBhelpFile\fP  (Class \fBFile\fP)
Use this rather than the system default helpfile.
.TP 18
\fBtopBox\fP (Class \fBBoolean\fP)
Either `true' or `false,' determines whether the top box (containing
the help, quit and manual page buttons) or a manual page is put on the screen
at start-up.  The default is true.
.TP 18
\fBverticalList\fP (Class \fBBoolean\fP)
Either `true' or `false,' determines whether the directory listing is
vertically or horizontally organized.  The default is horizontal (false).
.SH "GLOBAL ACTIONS"
\fIXman\fP defines all user interaction through global actions.  This allows
the user to modify the translation table of any widget, and bind any event
to the new user action.  The list of actions supported by \fIxman\fP are:
.TP 1.5i
.B GotoPage(\fIpage\fB)
When used in a manual page display window this will allow the user to
move between a directory and manual page display.  The \fIpage\fP argument can
be either \fBDirectory\fP or \fBManualPage\fP.
.TP 1.5i
.B Quit()
This action may be used anywhere, and will exit xman.
.TP 1.5i
.B Search(\fItype\fB, \fIaction\fB)
Only useful when used in a search popup, this action will cause the search
widget to perform the named search type on the string in the search popup's
value widget. This action will also pop down the search widget. The
\fItype\fP argument can be either \fBApropos\fP, \fBManpage\fP or
\fBCancel\fP.  If an \fIaction\fP of \fBOpen\fP is specified then xman
will open a new manual page to display the results of the search, otherwise
xman will attempt to display the results in the parent of the search popup.
.TP 1.5i
.B PopupHelp()
This action may be used anywhere, and will popup the help widget.
.TP 1.5i
.B PopupSearch()
This action may be used anywhere except in a help window.  It will cause
the search popup to become active and visible on the screen, allowing
the user search for a manual page.
.TP 1.5i
.B CreateNewManpage()
This action may be used anywhere, and will create a new manual page
display window.
.TP 1.5i
.B RemoveThisManpage()
This action may be used in any manual page or help display window.  When
called it will remove the window, and clean up all resources
associated with it.
.TP 1.5i
.B SaveFormattedPage(\fIaction\fP)
This action can only be used in the \fBlikeToSave\fP popup widget, and
tells xman whether to \fBSave\fP or \fBCancel\fP a save of the
manual page that has just been formatted.
.TP 1.5i
.B ShowVersion()
This action may be called from any manual page or help display window, and
will cause the informational display line to show the current version
of xman.
.SH FILES
.IP "\fI<manpath directory>\fP/man<\fIcharacter\fP>" 2.5i
.IP "\fI<manpath directory>\fP/cat<\fIcharacter\fP>"
.IP "\fI<manpath directory>\fP/mandesc"
.IP __apploaddir__/Xman
specifies required resources.
.IP /tmp
.I Xman
creates temporary files in /tmp for all unformatted man pages and all apropos
searches.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.IR X (__miscmansuffix__),
.IR man (__appmansuffix__),
.IR apropos (__appmansuffix__),
.IR catman (8),
.I "Athena Widget Set"
.SH ENVIRONMENT
.TP 1.5i
.B DISPLAY
the default host and display to use.
.TP 1.5i
.B MANPATH
the search path for manual pages.  Directories are separated by
colons (e.g. /usr/man:/mit/kit/man:/foo/bar/man).
.TP 1.5i
.B XENVIRONMENT
to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources
stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.
.TP 1.5i
.B XAPPLRESDIR
A string that will have ``Xman'' appended to it.  This string will be
the full path name of a user app-defaults file to be merged into the
resource database after the system app-defaults file, and before
the resources that are attached to the display.
.SH AUTHORS
Chris Peterson, MIT X Consortium from the V10 version written by Barry
Shein formerly of Boston University.
Bug fixes and Linux support by Carlos A M dos Santos, for The XFree86 Project.