From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=5.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id d7b6554a for ; Mon, 16 Sep 2019 21:55:05 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 0FE159BFD2; Tue, 17 Sep 2019 07:55:04 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A6D3194794; Tue, 17 Sep 2019 07:54:53 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id A729294794; Tue, 17 Sep 2019 07:54:51 +1000 (AEST) Received: from darkstar.fourwinds.com (fourwinds.com [63.64.179.162]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 96EAA9478F for ; Tue, 17 Sep 2019 07:54:50 +1000 (AEST) Received: from darkstar.fourwinds.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by darkstar.fourwinds.com (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTP id x8GLsnGq011721 for ; Mon, 16 Sep 2019 14:54:49 -0700 Received: from darkstar.fourwinds.com (jon@localhost) by darkstar.fourwinds.com (8.15.2/8.15.2/Submit) with ESMTP id x8GLsnOs011718 for ; Mon, 16 Sep 2019 14:54:49 -0700 Message-Id: <201909162154.x8GLsnOs011718@darkstar.fourwinds.com> From: Jon Steinhart To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society In-reply-to: <20190916214832.GW2046@mcvoy.com> References: <20190913221345.GA16129@minnie.tuhs.org> <20190914020240.GO2046@mcvoy.com> <20190914024433.GA19193@minnie.tuhs.org> <2e84c4d0-5239-b223-856d-00aacf8d3028@andrewnesbit.org> <201909150654.x8F6sChG021185@freefriends.org> <201909160552.x8G5qBYK025195@freefriends.org> <20190916214832.GW2046@mcvoy.com> Comments: In-reply-to Larry McVoy message dated "Mon, 16 Sep 2019 14:48:32 -0700." MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-ID: <11716.1568670889.1@darkstar.fourwinds.com> Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2019 14:54:49 -0700 X-JON-SPAM: local delivery Subject: Re: [TUHS] earliest Unix roff X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" Larry McVoy writes: > > I think, someone correct me if I'm wrong, the info stuff was designed > to handle larger, more complex stuff, with a table of contents, etc. > Something like perl could fit in one info doc but the perl man page is > not a thing, it's just a series of pointers to more man pages. Can't answer you directly on this one, but I prefer the old system of having man pages and separate documents for longer things. I still have old notebooks full of papers on lex, yacc, and so on. One of the problems with using info for something like perl is that it doesn't have a useful organization. There's a difference to me between a reference manual and a user's guide. Most of the stuff referenced by the main perl page is user's guide stuff to me, it's not a reference. Probably someone knows more than me about all this. I have always been under the impression that one read the user's guide to learn about complicated stuff. The manual pages were there so that you could find the right options when you forgot. Putting every detail about a complex program into a manual page doesn't feel right to me. Jon