Ubuntu Manpage: yodl - main Yodl converter

NAME

       yodl - main Yodl converter

SYNOPSIS

       yodl [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION

       Yodl  is  a  package that implements a pre-document language and tools to process it.  The
       idea of Yodl is that you write up a document in a pre-language, then use the  tools  (e.g.
       yodl2html(1))  to  convert it to some final document language.  Current converters are for
       HTML, man, LaTeX, text and  an  experimental  xml  converter.   Main  document  types  are
       "article",  "report",  "book"  "manpage"  and  "letter".   The  Yodl  document language is
       designed to be easy to use and extensible.

OPTIONS

o `-D, --define=NAME[=VALUE]’: Defines name as a symbol. This option is acts like
`DEFINESYMBOL(NAME)()’. If `=VALUE’ is added, `NAME’ is initialized to `VALUE’
(identically to `DEFINESYMBOL(NAME)(VALUE)’).

o `-d, --definemacro=NAME=EXPANSION’: Defines `NAME’ as macro expanding to
`EXPANSION’

o `-h, --help’: usage information is written to the standard error stream, describing
all of Yodl’s options.

o `-i, --index[=file]’: `file’ is the name of the index file. By default
`<outputbase>.idx’ is used. No default when output is written to stdout. The index
file is processed by Yodl’s post-processor, `yodlpost’.

o `-I, --include=DIR’: This defines the system-wide include directory where YODL
searches for its input files. E.g. a statement to include a given file, like:
INCLUDEFILE(latex)
Yodl now searches for the file `latex’ in the current directory, and when that
fails, in the system-wide include directory. The system-wide include directory is
typically the place where the maintainer of a system stores macro-files for Yodl.
This searching process applies to files that are included inside a document but
also applies to filenames on the command line when invoking the YODL program.

The name of the included file (`latex’ in the above example) is the bare name, YODL
supplies a default extension (`.yo’), if necessary.

The `-I’ option overrules Yodl’s built-in name for the system-wide include
directory. The built-in name is defined when compiling Yodl, and is, e.g.,
`/usr/share/yodl’. Furthermore, the definition may contain $HOME, which is replaced
by the user’s home directory if the `home’ or `HOME’ environment variable is
defined. It may also contain $STD_INCLUDE, which is replaced by the compilation
defined standard include path. The standard includepath may be overruled by either
(in that order) the command line switch `-I’ or the `YODL_INCLUDE_PATH’ environment
variable. By default, the current directory is added to the standard include path.
Hewver, when `-I’ or `YODL_INCLUDE_PATH’ is used, the current directory must be
mentioned explicitly. The individual directories need not be terminated by a
/-character. In distributed `.deb’ archives, the standard directory is defined as
`/usr/share/yodl’ (prefixed by the current working directory).

o `-k, --keep-ws’: Since YODL version 2.00 blanks at the begin and end of lines are
ignored, even without a trailing \, when the `white space level’ is non-zero.
Earlier versions kept these blanks. The legacy handling of white space at end of
lines can by obtained using the `-k’ flag. Note that white space are always kept
when using verbatim copying, and when the white-space level is zero.

o `-m, --messages=SET’: Set the so-called `message level’ to a combination of the SET
`acdeinw’. The letters of this set have the following meanings:

o `a’: alert. When an alert-error occurs, Yodl terminates. Here Yodl requests
something of the system (like a `get_cwd()’), but the system fails.

o `c’: critical. When a critical error occurs, Yodl terminates. The message itself
can be suppressed, but exiting can’t. A critical condition is, e.g., the omission
of an open parenthesis at a location where a parenthesized argument should appear,
or a non-existing file in an `INCLUDEFILE’ specification (as this file should be
parsed). A non-existing file with a `NOEXPANDINCLUDE’ specification is a plain
(non-critical) error.

o `d’: debug. Probably too much info, like getting information about each character
that was read by Yodl.

o `e’: error. An error (like doubly defined symbols). Once an error has been
encountered the remainder of the input is still parsed (up to a maximum number of
errors), but no output is generated.

o `i’: info. Not as detailed as `debug’, but still very much info, like information
about media switches.

o `n’: notice. Information about, e.g., calls to the builtin function calls.

o `w’: warning. Something you should know about, but probably not affecting Yodl’s
proper functioning Non-configurable is the handling of an emergency message. These
messages can’t be suppressed, but shouldn’t happen, as they point to some internal
error. It would be appreciated to receive information about these messages if they
ever occur.

o `-n, --max-nested-files=NR’: This option causes Yodl to abort when the number of
nested input files exceeds `NR’, which is 20 by default. Exceeding this number
usually means a circular definition somewhere in the document. This is the case
when, a file `a.yo’ includes `b.yo’, while `b.yo’ includes `a.yo’ etc.. It does not
prevent recursive macro- or subst-replacements. For that the `-r’
(`--max-replacements’) option is available.

o `-o, --output=FILE’: This option causes Yodl to write its output to `FILE’. By
default, the output goes to the standard output stream. E.g., you can use YODL to
read a file `input’ and to write to `output’ with the following two commands:

yodl input > output
yodl -ooutput input

The difference being that in the latter case an index file is generated, but not in
the former case. Notice that writing an index file can be forced when the `--index’
option is specified.

o `-p, --preload=CMD’: This option `pre-loads’ the string `cmd’. It acts as though
`cmd’ was the first command in the first input file that is processed by YODL.

More than one `--preload=CMD’ options may be present on the command line. Each of
the commands is then processed in turn, before reading any file.

o `-r, --max-replacements=NR’: This option causes Yodl to abort when the number of
macro calls or subst-replacements exceeds `NR * 10,000’. By default, `NR’ equals
1. Setting `--max-replacements=0’ implies that no macro- or subst-replacement
checks are performed.

o `-t, --trace’: This option enables tracing: while parsing, Yodl writes its output
to the standard error stream. As is the case with the `-k’ option, this option is
defined for debugging purposes only.

o `-V, --version’. This option shows YODL’s actual version.

o `-v, --verbose’: This option increases Yodl’s `verbosity level’ and may occur more
than once. By default yodl shows alerting, critical, emergency and error messages.
Each `--verbose’ option adds a next message level. In order, warning, notice, info
and debug messages are added to this set. It is also possible to suppress messages.
The `VERBOSITY’ builtin can be used for that.

o `-W, --warranty’. This option shows a warranty disclaimer and a copyright notice.

o `-w, --warn’: The presence of this option caused Yodl to warn when, e.g., symbols
are redefined.

FILES

       The  yodl program requires no files, but `normal’ usage of the Yodl package requires macro
       files, by default installed in `tmp/wip/macros’. The files in this directory are  included
       by the converters yodl2txt(1) etc..

BUGS

AUTHOR

       Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl),