1 .\" Id: apropos.1,v 1.22 2013/10/01 20:56:18 schwarze Exp
3 .\" Copyright (c) 2011, 2012 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>
5 .\" Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
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9 .\" THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES
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23 .Nd search manual page databases
37 utilities query manual page databases generated by
41 for each file in each database.
47 databases in the default paths stipulated by
50 maps terms to case-sensitive manual names and descriptions.
51 Multiple terms are OR'd.
53 maps terms only to case-sensitive manual names.
55 Its arguments are as follows:
58 Specify an alternative configuration
64 Use the colon-separated path instead of the default list of paths
68 Invalid paths, or paths without manual databases, are ignored.
70 Prepend the colon-separated paths to the list of paths searched
74 Invalid paths, or paths without manual databases, are ignored.
76 Search only for a particular architecture.
78 Search only for a manual section.
81 for a listing of manual sections.
87 to consist of an opaque keyword.
91 into type and keyword pairs.
93 .Li [key[,key]*(=~)]?val ,
103 for a list of available keys.
106 evaluates a full string, while
112 Results are sorted by manual title, with output formatted as
113 .Qq title(sec) \- description
116 is the manual's title (note multiple manual names may exist for one
119 is the manual section, and
121 is the manual's short description.
122 If an architecture is specified for the manual, it is displayed as
123 .Qq title(cat/arch) \- description .
126 queries evaluate over a subset of
130 In addition to the macro keys listed below, the special key
132 may be used to match any available macro key.
134 Names and description:
135 .Bl -column "xLix" description -offset indent -compact
136 .It Li \&Nm Ta manual name
137 .It Li \&Nd Ta one-line manual description
140 Sections and cross references:
141 .Bl -column "xLix" description -offset indent -compact
142 .It Li \&Sh Ta section header (excluding standard sections)
143 .It Li \&Ss Ta subsection header
144 .It Li \&Xr Ta cross reference to another manual page
145 .It Li \&Rs Ta bibliographic reference
148 Semantic markup for command line utilities:
149 .Bl -column "xLix" description -offset indent -compact
150 .It Li \&Fl Ta command line options (flags)
151 .It Li \&Cm Ta command modifier
152 .It Li \&Ar Ta command argument
153 .It Li \&Ic Ta internal or interactive command
154 .It Li \&Ev Ta environmental variable
155 .It Li \&Pa Ta file system path
158 Semantic markup for function libraries:
159 .Bl -column "xLix" description -offset indent -compact
160 .It Li \&Lb Ta function library name
161 .It Li \&In Ta include file
162 .It Li \&Ft Ta function return type
163 .It Li \&Fn Ta function name
164 .It Li \&Fa Ta function argument type and name
165 .It Li \&Vt Ta variable type
166 .It Li \&Va Ta variable name
167 .It Li \&Dv Ta defined variable or preprocessor constant
168 .It Li \&Er Ta error constant
169 .It Li \&Ev Ta environmental variable
172 Various semantic markup:
173 .Bl -column "xLix" description -offset indent -compact
174 .It Li \&An Ta author name
175 .It Li \&Lk Ta hyperlink
176 .It Li \&Mt Ta Do mailto Dc hyperlink
177 .It Li \&Cd Ta kernel configuration declaration
178 .It Li \&Ms Ta mathematical symbol
179 .It Li \&Tn Ta tradename
183 .Bl -column "xLix" description -offset indent -compact
184 .It Li \&Em Ta italic font or underline
185 .It Li \&Sy Ta boldface font
186 .It Li \&Li Ta typewriter font
190 .Bl -column "xLix" description -offset indent -compact
191 .It Li \&St Ta reference to a standards document
192 .It Li \&At Ta At No version reference
193 .It Li \&Bx Ta Bx No version reference
194 .It Li \&Bsx Ta Bsx No version reference
195 .It Li \&Nx Ta Nx No version reference
196 .It Li \&Fx Ta Fx No version reference
197 .It Li \&Ox Ta Ox No version reference
198 .It Li \&Dx Ta Dx No version reference
203 Colon-separated paths modifying the default list of paths searched for
205 Invalid paths, or paths without manual databases, are ignored.
212 it is appended to the default list;
215 it is prepended to the default list; else if it contains
217 the default list is inserted between the colons.
218 If none of these conditions are met, it overrides the default list.
221 .Bl -tag -width "/etc/man.conf" -compact
241 .Dl $ apropos any~mdoc*
251 .Dl $ apropos ~*mdoc* ~*roff*
255 as a variable name in the library category:
257 .Dl $ apropos \-s 3 Va=optarg
264 utility was written by
265 .An Kristaps Dzonsons Aq Mt kristaps@bsd.lv .