doctools_intro(n)             Documentation tools            doctools_intro(n)



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NAME
       doctools_intro - doctools introduction

DESCRIPTION
       doctools (short for documentation tools) stands for a set of related,
       yet different, entities which are working together for the easy
       creation and transformation of documentation. These are

       [1]    A tcl based language for the semantic markup of text. Markup is
              represented by Tcl commands interspersed with the actual text.

       [2]    A package providing the ability to read and transform texts
              written in that markup language. It is important to note that
              the actual transformation of the input text is delegated to
              plugins.

       [3]    An API describing the interface between the package above and a
              plugin.

       Which of the more detailed documents are relevant to the reader of this
       introduction depends on their role in the documentation process.

       [1]    A writer of documentation has to understand the markup language
              itself. A beginner to doctools should read the more informally
              written doctools language introduction first. Having digested
              this the formal doctools language syntax specification should
              become understandable. A writer experienced with doctools may
              only need the doctools language command reference from time to
              time to refresh her memory.

              While a document is written the dtplite application can be used
              to validate it, and after completion it also performs the
              conversion into the chosen system of visual markup, be it *roff,
              HTML, plain text, wiki, etc.

       [2]    A processor of documentation written in the doctools markup
              language has to know which tools are available for use.

              The main tool is the aforementioned dtplite application provided
              by Tcllib. A more powerful one (in terms of options and ability
              to configure it) is the dtp application, provided by Tclapps.
              At the bottom level, common to both applications, however sits
              the package doctools, providing the basic facilities to read and
              process files containing text in the doctools format.

       [3]    At last, but not least, plugin writers have to understand the
              interaction between the doctools package and its plugins, as
              described in the doctools plugin API reference.

RELATED FORMATS
       doctools does not stand alone, it has two companion formats. These are
       called docidx and doctoc, and they are for the markup of keyword
       indices, and tables of contents, respectively.  They are described in
       their own sets of documents, starting at the docidx introduction and
       the doctoc introduction, respectively.

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK
       This document, will undoubtedly contain bugs and other problems.
       Please report such in the category doctools of the Tcllib SF Trackers
       [http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=12883].  Please also report
       any ideas for enhancements you may have.

SEE ALSO
       docidx_intro, doctoc_intro, doctools, doctools_lang_cmdref,
       doctools_lang_faq, doctools_lang_intro, doctools_lang_syntax,
       doctools_plugin_apiref

KEYWORDS
       markup, semantic markup

CATEGORY
       Documentation tools

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (c) 2007 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>




doctools                              1.0                    doctools_intro(n)
