Bug#1120390: XvGetVideo.3: Some remarks and a patch with editorial changes for this man page
Package: libxv-dev
Version: 2:1.0.13-1
Severity: minor
Tags: patch
>From "/usr/share/doc/debian/bug-reporting.txt.gz":
Don't file bugs upstream
If you file a bug in Debian, don't send a copy to the upstream software
maintainers yourself, as it is possible that the bug exists only in
Debian. If necessary, the maintainer of the package will forward the
bug upstream.
-.-
I do not send reports upstream if I have to get an account there.
The Debian maintainers have one already.
If I get a negative (or no) response from upstream, I send henceforth
bugs to Debian.
-.-
* What led up to the situation?
Checking for defects with a new version
test-[g|n]roff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=0 -ww -z < "man page"
[Use
grep -n -e ' $' -e '\\~$' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <file>
to find (most) trailing spaces.]
["test-groff" is a script in the repository for "groff"; is not shipped]
(local copy and "troff" slightly changed by me).
[The fate of "test-nroff" was decided in groff bug #55941.]
* What was the outcome of this action?
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=0 -ww -z ":
troff:<stdin>:50: warning: name 'PN' not defined
* What outcome did you expect instead?
No output (no warnings).
-.-
General remarks and further material, if a diff-file exist, are in the
attachments.
-- System Information:
Debian Release: forky/sid
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 6.16.12+deb14+1-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=is_IS.iso88591, LC_CTYPE=is_IS.iso88591 (charmap=ISO-8859-1), LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: sysvinit (via /sbin/init)
Versions of packages libxv-dev depends on:
ii libx11-dev 2:1.8.12-1
ii libxext-dev 2:1.3.4-1+b3
ii libxv1 2:1.0.13-1
ii x11proto-dev 2024.1-1
libxv-dev recommends no packages.
libxv-dev suggests no packages.
-- no debconf information
Input file is XvGetVideo.3
Output from "mandoc -T lint XvGetVideo.3": (shortened list)
1 ERROR: skipping unknown macro: .PN XvGetVideo
Find most trailing spaces with:
grep -n -e ' $' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <man page>
-.-.
Output from
test-nroff -mandoc -t -ww -z XvGetVideo.3: (shortened list)
1 name 'PN' not defined
Find most trailing spaces with:
grep -n -e ' $' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <man page>
-.-.
Reduce space between words.
XvGetVideo.3:1:.TH XvGetVideo 3 "libXv 1.0.13" "X Version 11" "libXv Functions"
-.-.
Split lines longer than 80 characters (fill completly
an A4 sized page line on a terminal)
into two or more lines.
Appropriate break points are the end of a sentence and a subordinate
clause; after punctuation marks.
Add "\:" to split the string for the output, "\<newline>" in the source.
Line 9, length 84
.BI "int XvGetVideo(Display *" dpy ", XvPortID " port ", Drawable " d ", GC " gc ","
Line 10, length 86
.BI " int " vx ", int " vy ", unsigned int " vw ", unsigned int " vh ","
Line 11, length 87
.BI " int " dx ", int " dy ", unsigned int " dw ", unsigned int " dh ");"
Longest line is number 11 with 87 characters
-.-.
Put a parenthetical sentence, phrase on a separate line,
if not part of a code.
See man-pages(7), item "semantic newline".
XvGetVideo.3:66:requested video region size (or the closest size supported) and
-.-.
Output from "test-groff -mandoc -t -K utf8 -rF0 -rHY=0 -rCHECKSTYLE=0 -ww -z ":
troff:<stdin>:50: warning: name 'PN' not defined
-.-
Generally:
Split (sometimes) lines after a punctuation mark; before a conjunction.
-.-
Additionally
Add a definition for the macro "PN".
--- XvGetVideo.3 2025-11-08 17:18:21.912640363 +0000
+++ XvGetVideo.3.new 2025-11-08 17:24:25.868756013 +0000
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH XvGetVideo 3 "libXv 1.0.13" "X Version 11" "libXv Functions"
+.TH XvGetVideo 3 "libXv 1.0.13" "X Version 11" "libXv Functions"
.SH NAME
XvGetVideo \- capture video from a drawable
.\"
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ coordinates of the upper-left corner of
.I dh
define the width and height, in pixels, of the drawable region.
.SH DESCRIPTION
+.\" Definition is from the groff file "tmac/man.ultrix"
+.de PN
+\&\f[CR]\\$1\fP\\$2
+..
.PN XvGetVideo
outputs video from a drawable. The position
and size of the destination rectangle is specified by
Any program (person), that produces man pages, should check the output
for defects by using (both groff and nroff)
[gn]roff -mandoc -t -ww -b -z -K utf8 <man page>
To find trailing space use
grep -n -e ' $' -e ' \\f.$' -e ' \\"' <man page>
The same goes for man pages that are used as an input.
-.-
For a style guide use
mandoc -T lint
-.-
For general input conventions consult the man page "nroff(7)" (item
"Input conventions") or the Texinfo manual about the same item.
-.-
Any "autogenerator" should check its products with the above mentioned
'groff', 'mandoc', and additionally with 'nroff ...'.
It should also check its input files for too long (> 80) lines.
This is just a simple quality control measure.
The "autogenerator" may have to be corrected to get a better man page,
the source file may, and any additional file may.
Common defects:
Not removing trailing spaces (in in- and output).
The reason for these trailing spaces should be found and eliminated.
"git" has a "tool" to point out whitespace,
see for example "git-apply(1)" and git-config(1)")
Not beginning each input sentence on a new line.
Line length and patch size should thus be reduced.
The script "reportbug" uses 'quoted-printable' encoding when a line is
longer than 1024 characters in an 'ascii' file.
See man-pages(7), item "semantic newline".
-.-
The difference between the formatted output of the original
and patched file can be seen with:
nroff -mandoc <file1> > <out1>
nroff -mandoc <file2> > <out2>
diff -d -u <out1> <out2>
and for groff, using
\"printf '%s\n%s\n' '.kern 0' '.ss 12 0' | groff -mandoc -Z - \"
instead of 'nroff -mandoc'
Add the option '-t', if the file contains a table.
Read the output from 'diff -d -u ...' with 'less -R' or similar.
-.-.
If 'man' (man-db) is used to check the manual for warnings,
the following must be set:
The option "-warnings=w"
The environmental variable:
export MAN_KEEP_STDERR=yes (or any non-empty value)
or
(produce only warnings):
export MANROFFOPT="-ww -b -z"
export MAN_KEEP_STDERR=yes (or any non-empty value)
-.-
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