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diff --git a/Documentation/doc-guide/sphinx.rst b/Documentation/doc-guide/sphinx.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..96fe7ccb2c67 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/doc-guide/sphinx.rst @@ -0,0 +1,219 @@ +Introduction +============ + +The Linux kernel uses `Sphinx`_ to generate pretty documentation from +`reStructuredText`_ files under ``Documentation``. To build the documentation in +HTML or PDF formats, use ``make htmldocs`` or ``make pdfdocs``. The generated +documentation is placed in ``Documentation/output``. + +.. _Sphinx: http://www.sphinx-doc.org/ +.. _reStructuredText: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html + +The reStructuredText files may contain directives to include structured +documentation comments, or kernel-doc comments, from source files. Usually these +are used to describe the functions and types and design of the code. The +kernel-doc comments have some special structure and formatting, but beyond that +they are also treated as reStructuredText. + +There is also the deprecated DocBook toolchain to generate documentation from +DocBook XML template files under ``Documentation/DocBook``. The DocBook files +are to be converted to reStructuredText, and the toolchain is slated to be +removed. + +Finally, there are thousands of plain text documentation files scattered around +``Documentation``. Some of these will likely be converted to reStructuredText +over time, but the bulk of them will remain in plain text. + +Sphinx Build +============ + +The usual way to generate the documentation is to run ``make htmldocs`` or +``make pdfdocs``. There are also other formats available, see the documentation +section of ``make help``. The generated documentation is placed in +format-specific subdirectories under ``Documentation/output``. + +To generate documentation, Sphinx (``sphinx-build``) must obviously be +installed. For prettier HTML output, the Read the Docs Sphinx theme +(``sphinx_rtd_theme``) is used if available. For PDF output, ``rst2pdf`` is also +needed. All of these are widely available and packaged in distributions. + +To pass extra options to Sphinx, you can use the ``SPHINXOPTS`` make +variable. For example, use ``make SPHINXOPTS=-v htmldocs`` to get more verbose +output. + +To remove the generated documentation, run ``make cleandocs``. + +Writing Documentation +===================== + +Adding new documentation can be as simple as: + +1. Add a new ``.rst`` file somewhere under ``Documentation``. +2. Refer to it from the Sphinx main `TOC tree`_ in ``Documentation/index.rst``. + +.. _TOC tree: http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/stable/markup/toctree.html + +This is usually good enough for simple documentation (like the one you're +reading right now), but for larger documents it may be advisable to create a +subdirectory (or use an existing one). For example, the graphics subsystem +documentation is under ``Documentation/gpu``, split to several ``.rst`` files, +and has a separate ``index.rst`` (with a ``toctree`` of its own) referenced from +the main index. + +See the documentation for `Sphinx`_ and `reStructuredText`_ on what you can do +with them. In particular, the Sphinx `reStructuredText Primer`_ is a good place +to get started with reStructuredText. There are also some `Sphinx specific +markup constructs`_. + +.. _reStructuredText Primer: http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/stable/rest.html +.. _Sphinx specific markup constructs: http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/stable/markup/index.html + +Specific guidelines for the kernel documentation +------------------------------------------------ + +Here are some specific guidelines for the kernel documentation: + +* Please don't go overboard with reStructuredText markup. Keep it simple. + +* Please stick to this order of heading adornments: + + 1. ``=`` with overline for document title:: + + ============== + Document title + ============== + + 2. ``=`` for chapters:: + + Chapters + ======== + + 3. ``-`` for sections:: + + Section + ------- + + 4. ``~`` for subsections:: + + Subsection + ~~~~~~~~~~ + + Although RST doesn't mandate a specific order ("Rather than imposing a fixed + number and order of section title adornment styles, the order enforced will be + the order as encountered."), having the higher levels the same overall makes + it easier to follow the documents. + + +the C domain +------------ + +The `Sphinx C Domain`_ (name c) is suited for documentation of C API. E.g. a +function prototype: + +.. code-block:: rst + + .. c:function:: int ioctl( int fd, int request ) + +The C domain of the kernel-doc has some additional features. E.g. you can +*rename* the reference name of a function with a common name like ``open`` or +``ioctl``: + +.. code-block:: rst + + .. c:function:: int ioctl( int fd, int request ) + :name: VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS + +The func-name (e.g. ioctl) remains in the output but the ref-name changed from +``ioctl`` to ``VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS``. The index entry for this function is also +changed to ``VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS`` and the function can now referenced by: + +.. code-block:: rst + + :c:func:`VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS` + + +list tables +----------- + +We recommend the use of *list table* formats. The *list table* formats are +double-stage lists. Compared to the ASCII-art they might not be as +comfortable for +readers of the text files. Their advantage is that they are easy to +create or modify and that the diff of a modification is much more meaningful, +because it is limited to the modified content. + +The ``flat-table`` is a double-stage list similar to the ``list-table`` with +some additional features: + +* column-span: with the role ``cspan`` a cell can be extended through + additional columns + +* row-span: with the role ``rspan`` a cell can be extended through + additional rows + +* auto span rightmost cell of a table row over the missing cells on the right + side of that table-row. With Option ``:fill-cells:`` this behavior can + changed from *auto span* to *auto fill*, which automatically inserts (empty) + cells instead of spanning the last cell. + +options: + +* ``:header-rows:`` [int] count of header rows +* ``:stub-columns:`` [int] count of stub columns +* ``:widths:`` [[int] [int] ... ] widths of columns +* ``:fill-cells:`` instead of auto-spanning missing cells, insert missing cells + +roles: + +* ``:cspan:`` [int] additional columns (*morecols*) +* ``:rspan:`` [int] additional rows (*morerows*) + +The example below shows how to use this markup. The first level of the staged +list is the *table-row*. In the *table-row* there is only one markup allowed, +the list of the cells in this *table-row*. Exceptions are *comments* ( ``..`` ) +and *targets* (e.g. a ref to ``:ref:`last row <last row>``` / :ref:`last row +<last row>`). + +.. code-block:: rst + + .. flat-table:: table title + :widths: 2 1 1 3 + + * - head col 1 + - head col 2 + - head col 3 + - head col 4 + + * - column 1 + - field 1.1 + - field 1.2 with autospan + + * - column 2 + - field 2.1 + - :rspan:`1` :cspan:`1` field 2.2 - 3.3 + + * .. _`last row`: + + - column 3 + +Rendered as: + + .. flat-table:: table title + :widths: 2 1 1 3 + + * - head col 1 + - head col 2 + - head col 3 + - head col 4 + + * - column 1 + - field 1.1 + - field 1.2 with autospan + + * - column 2 + - field 2.1 + - :rspan:`1` :cspan:`1` field 2.2 - 3.3 + + * .. _`last row`: + + - column 3 |