NAME

       PDL::Doc::Perldl - commands for accessing PDL doc database from 'perldl' shell

DESCRIPTION

       This module provides a set of functions to access the PDL documentation database, for use
       from the perldl or pdl2 shells as well as the pdldoc command-line program.

       Autoload files are also matched, via a search of the PDLLIB autoloader tree.  That
       behavior can be switched off with the variable $PERLDL::STRICT_DOCS (true: don't search
       autoload tree; false: search the autoload tree.)

       In the interest of brevity, functions that print module names (at the moment just
       "apropos" and "usage") use some shorthand notation for module names.  Currently-
       implemented shorthands are

       •  P:: (short for PDL::)

       •  P::G:: (short for PDL::Graphics::)

       To turn this feature off, set the variable $PERLDL::long_mod_names to a true value.  The
       feature is assumed to be on for the purposes of this documentation.

SYNOPSIS

        use PDL::Doc::Perldl; # Load all documentation functions

FUNCTIONS

   apropos
       Regex search PDL documentation database

        apropos 'text'

        pdl> apropos 'pic'
        PDL::IO::Pic    P::IO::Pic  Module: image I/O for PDL
        grabpic3d       P::G::TriD  Grab a 3D image from the screen.
        rim             P::IO::Pic  Read images in most formats, with improved RGB handling.
        rpic            P::IO::Pic  Read images in many formats with automatic format detection.
        rpiccan         P::IO::Pic  Test which image formats can be read/written
        wim             P::IO::Pic  Write a pdl to an image file with selected type (or using filename extensions)
        wmpeg           P::IO::Pic  Write an image sequence (a (3,x,y,n) byte pdl) as an animation.
        wpic            P::IO::Pic  Write images in many formats with automatic format selection.
        wpiccan         P::IO::Pic  Test which image formats can be read/written

       To find all the manuals that come with PDL, try

         apropos 'manual:'

       and to get quick info about PDL modules say

         apropos 'module:'

       You get more detailed info about a PDL function/module/manual with the "help" function

   PDL::Doc::Perldl::search_docs
       Internal routine to search docs database and autoload files

   PDL::Doc::Perldl::finddoc
       Internal interface to the PDL documentation searcher

   find_autodoc
       Internal routine that finds and returns documentation in the PDL::AutoLoader path, if it
       exists.

       You feed in a topic and it searches for the file "${topic}.pdl".  If that exists, then the
       filename gets returned in a match structure appropriate for the rest of finddoc.

   usage
       Prints usage information for a PDL function

        Usage: usage 'func'

          pdl> usage 'inner'

          inner           P::Primitive  Inner product over one dimension

          Signature: inner(a(n); b(n); [o]c())

   sig
       prints signature of PDL function

        sig 'func'

       The signature is the normal dimensionality of the function's arguments.  Calling with
       different dimensions doesn't break -- it causes broadcasting.  See PDL::PP and
       PDL::Broadcasting for details.

         pdl> sig 'outer'
           Signature: outer(a(n); b(m); [o]c(n,m))

   whatis
       Describe a perl and/or PDL variable or expression.  Useful for determining the type of an
       expression, identifying the keys in a hash or a data structure, or examining WTF an
       unknown object is.

        Usage: whatis $var
               whatis <expression>

   help
       print documentation about a PDL function or module or show a PDL manual

       In the case of multiple matches, the first command found is printed out, and the remaining
       commands listed, along with the names of their modules.

        Usage: help 'func'

        pdl> help 'PDL::Tutorials' # show the guide to PDL tutorials
        pdl> help 'PDL::Slices'    # show the docs in the PDL::Slices module
        pdl> help 'slice'          # show docs on the 'slice' function

   badinfo
       provides information on the bad-value support of a function

       And has a horrible name.

        badinfo 'func'

         pdl> badinfo 'inner'
         Bad value support for inner (in module PDL::Primitive)
             If "a() * b()" contains only bad data, "c()" is set bad. Otherwise "c()"
             will have its bad flag cleared, as it will not contain any bad values.