Provided by: sdf_2.001+1-8_all bug

NAME

       sdf - SDF Conversion Utility

PURPOSE

       sdf converts SDF files to other document formats.

USAGE

        usage  : sdf [+alias] [-h[help]] [-o[out_ext]]
                [-l[log_ext]] [-O[out_dir]] [-2 format]
                [-D variable,..] [-n split_level]
                [-f flag,..] [-I include_path,..]
                [-p[prefilter]] [-a parameters] [-P[plang]]
                [-N[line_numbers]] [-g[get_report]]
                [-r report] [-L locale] [-k look]
                [-s style] [-S page_size] [-c config]
                [-u uses,..] [-H head_level] [-K head_look]
                [-d driver] [-y post_filter]
                [-z post_process,..] [-t target]
                [-v[verbose]] [-T trace_levels,..]
                [-w width] [-Y library_path,..]
                sdf_file ...
       purpose: convert an sdf file to another format
       version: 2.001    (SDF 2.001)

       The options are:

        Option       Description
        -h           display help on options
        -o           output file extension
        -l           log file extension
        -O           output to input file's (or explicit) directory
        -2           the output format you want
        -D           define variables
        -n           heading level to autosplit into topics
        -f           define flags (i.e. DOC_* variables)
        -I           search path for include files, templates, etc.
        -p           pre-filter input file from each argument
        -a           parameters for the pre-filter
        -P           pre-filter as a programming language
        -N           number lines in pretty-printed source code
        -g           pre-filter using sdfget with the report specified
        -r           report to run on the SDF to transform it before formatting
        -L           locale
        -k           look library
        -s           style of document
        -S           page size for paper documents
        -c           configuration library
        -u           modules to use
        -H           initial heading level
        -K           heading look (H, A or P)
        -d           format driver - default is expand
        -y           filter to post-filter the output with
        -z           list of post processing actions to do
        -t           logical target format
        -v           verbose mode
        -T           debugging trace levels
        -w           width for text-based outputs
        -Y           search path for libraries

       The aliases are:

        Alias        Description
        mc           generate a MIMS chapter
        ms           generate a MIMS spec
        mt           generate a MIMS topic
        sdf2doc_fm   generate Frame binary format via FrameMaker
        sdf2dvi_sgml generate DVI format via SGML
        sdf2fvo_fm   generate FrameViewer format via FrameMaker
        sdf2hlp_mif  generate Windows Help input files via MIF
        sdf2html_    generate a HTML document
        sdf2html_dir generate an SDF directory in HTML
        sdf2html_fm  generate a HTML document via FrameMaker
        sdf2html_topicsgenerate HTML topics
        sdf2htx_     generate MIMS HTX format
        sdf2info_sgmlgenerate GNU info format via SGML
        sdf2latex_   generate LaTeX
        sdf2latex_podgenerate LaTeX format via POD
        sdf2latex_sgmlgenerate LaTeX format via SGML
        sdf2lyx_sgml generate a LyX file via SGML
        sdf2man_pod  generate Man page format via POD
        sdf2mf6_     generate MIMS F6 help format
        sdf2mif_     generate Frame MIF format
        sdf2pdf_html generate PDF via HTML
        sdf2pdf_mif  generate PostScript and PDF via FrameMaker
        sdf2pod_     generate POD format
        sdf2ps_fm    generate PostScript via FrameMaker
        sdf2ps_fmbookgenerate PostScript via a FrameMaker book
        sdf2ps_html  generate PostScript via HTML
        sdf2ps_pod   generate PostScript via POD
        sdf2ps_sgml  generate PostScript via SGML
        sdf2rtf_fm   generate RTF format via FrameMaker
        sdf2rtf_mif  generate RTF format via MIF
        sdf2rtf_sgml generate RTF format via SGML format
        sdf2sdf_expandgenerate expanded SDF
        sdf2sdf_raw  generate raw SDF
        sdf2sgml_    generate SGML format
        sdf2txt_     generate plain text format
        sdf2txt_fm   generate plain text format via FrameMaker
        sdf2txt_pod  generate plain text format via POD

DESCRIPTION

       The -h option provides help. If it is specified without a parameter, a brief description
       of each option is displayed. To display the attributes for an option, specify the option
       letter as a parameter.

       By default, generated output goes to standard output. To direct output to a file per input
       file, use the -o option to specify an extension for output files. If the -o option is
       specified without a parameter, an extension of out is assumed.

       Likewise, error messages go to standard error by default. Use the -l option to create a
       log file per input file. If the -l option is specified without a parameter, an extension
       of log is assumed.

       By default, generated output and log files are created in the current directory. Use the
       -O option to specify an explicit output directory.  If the -O option is specified without
       a parameter, the input file's directory is used.

       The -2 option is a convenient way of specifying the alias (collection of options) which
       generates the output you want. e.g.

            sdf -2html abc

       is equivalent to:

            sdf +sdf2html abc

       The -D option is used to define variables. These are typically used for controlling
       conditional text and substituting text which changes.  The format used is:

        -Dvariable1=value1,variable2=value2

       A flag is a shorthand way of specifying variables in the DOC family.  i.e. -ftoc=3 is
       equivalent to -DDOC_TOC=3. The format of the -f option is:

        -fflag1=value1,flag2=value2

       If a variable or flag is specified without a value, 1 is assumed.

       To generate HTML topics, the command is:

            sdf -2topics abc

       By default, this will create sub-topics for each heading already in a separate file. It
       will also autosplit level 1 headings into sub-topics. The -n option can be used to control
       which level headings are split at:

       •   1 autosplits on level 1 headings (the default)

       •   2 autosplits on level 2 headings

       •   3 autosplits on level 3 headings

       •   0 disables autosplitting.

       Include files are searched for in the current directory, then in the directories given by
       the -I option, then in the default library directory.

       By default, sdf is configured to prefilter files with certain extensions. For example:

        sdf mytable.tbl

       is equivalent to executing sdf on a file which only contains:

        !include "mytable.pl"; table

       The -p option can be used to explicitly prefilter files or to override the default
       prefilter used. If a parameter is not provided, the prefilter is assumed to be table.

       The -a option can be used to specify parameters for the prefilter. For example:

        sdf -aformat='15,75,10' mytable.tbl

       The -P option prefilters the input files as programming languages. The parameter is the
       language to use. If none is provided, the extension is assumed to be the language name.
       For example:

        sdf -P myapp.c

       is equivalent to executing sdf on a file which only contains:

        !include "myapp.c"; example; wide; lang='c'

       The -N option adds line numbers at the frequency given. The default frequency is 1. i.e.
       every line.

       The -g option prefilters the input files by executing sdfget using the default report
       (default.sdg). To change the report used, specify the report name as the parameter. If the
       report name doesn't include an extension, sdg is assumed.

       Note: sdfget searches for reports in the current directory, then in the stdlib directory
       within SDF's library directory.

       The -r option runs the nominated SDR report on each input before formatting. In other
       words, SDR reports provide a mechanism for:

       •   analysing the SDF just before it would be formatted, and

       •   replacing that SDF with the output of the report (also SDF) so that the final output
           is a nicely formatted report.

       For example, the sdf_dir report generates a directory (tree) of the components (files)
       included in an SDF document. Reports are stored in sdr files and are searched for using
       the usual rules.

       The -L option can be used to specify a locale. The default locale name is specified in
       sdf.ini. Locale naming follows POSIX conventions (i.e. language_country), so the locale
       name for American english is en_us. The information for each locale is stored in the
       locale directory, so you'll need to have to look in there to see what locales are
       available. (As the default locale can be set in sdf.ini, this isn't as ugly as it first
       sounds.)

       Note: At the moment, a locale file simply contains a list of language specific strings.
       Ultimately, it should be extended to support localisation of date and time formats.

       The -k option is used to specify a look. The default look library is specified in sdf.ini.

       The -s option can be used to specify a document style. Typical values are:

       •   document - a technical document

       •   memo - a memo

       •   fax - a facsimile

       •   minutes - minutes of a meeting.

       The -S option is used to specify the page size. Values supported include:

        Name             Width            Height            Comment
        global           21.0cm           11.0in            will fit on either A4 or letter
        A3               29.7cm           42.0cm
        A4               21.0cm           29.7cm
        A5               14.8cm           21.0cm
        B4               25.7cm           36.4cm
        B5               17.6cm           25.0cm
        letter           8.5in            11.0in
        legal            8.5in            14.0in
        tabloid          11.0in           17.0in

       Additional page sizes can be configured in sdf.ini. To specify a rotated version of a
       named page size, append an R. For example, A4R implies a width of 29.7cm and a height of
       21cm. A custom page size can also be specified using the format:

            {{width}}x{{height}}

       where width and height are the respective sizes in points.

       The -c option is used to specify a configuration library.

       A list of modules to use can be specified via the -u option.

       The initial heading level to start on can be specified via the -H option. This is useful
       if you want to preview how a topic will be displayed without regenerating the complete
       document. If a topic begins with a level 1 heading (e.g. H1) and you wish to format it as
       a document (i.e. the level 1 text becomes the DOC_NAME for build_title), use the -H option
       with a value of 0.

       The look of headings can also be adjusted. By default, H-style headings are numbered,
       A-style headings are lettered and P-style headings are plain. To force a particular style
       for all headings, the -K option can be used. Sensible parameter values are H, A and P
       although other values may work depending on what paragraph styles are configured at your
       site.

       The -d option is used to specify the format driver. Values supported include:

       •   expand - format as expanded text (the default)

       •   mif - Maker Interchange Format

       •   pod - Plain Old Documentation (as used by Perl).

       Additional drivers can be configured in sdf.ini.

       The -y option can to used to specify a post-filter.

       The -z option can be used to specify a list of post-processing actions you want to execute
       on each output file after it is generated. The actions supported include:

       •   ps - generate PostScript

       •   doc - generate a Frame (binary) file

       •   fvo - generate a Frame View-Only file

       •   txt - generate a text file

       •   rtf - generate an RTF file

       •   clean - delete the output file (must be last).

       Additional actions can be configured in sdf.ini. By convention, the generated files are
       given the same names as the action keywords.

       The -t option is used to specify the logical target format. If none is specified, the
       default is the first post processing action, if any.  Otherwise, the default is the format
       driver name.

       The -v option enables verbose mode. This is useful for debugging problems related to post
       processing. In particular, post processing actions containing the pattern clean are
       skipped in verbose mode.  You can also switch off the post processing messages by using a
       verbose value of -1. Values higher than 1 switch on additional trace messages as follows:

       •   2 - show how names of files and libraries are resolved

           3 - show the directories searched for libraries

           4 - show the directories searched for modules

           5 - show the directories searched for normal files.

       The -T option can be used to switch on debug tracing. The parameter is a comma-separated
       list of name-value pairs where each name is a tracing group and each value is the level of
       tracing for that group. To get the trace output provided by the -v option, one can use the
       user group like this:

         sdf -Tuser=2 ...

       This is slightly different from the -v option in that intermediate files are not
       implicitly kept. Additional tracing groups will be added over time (probably one per
       output driver).

       The -w option is used to specify the width for text-based outputs.

       The -z, -D, -f and -I options are list options. i.e. multiple values can be separated by
       commas and/or the options can be supplied multiple times.

EXAMPLES

       Convert mydoc.sdf to a technical document in mif format, output is mydoc.mif:

        sdf -2mif mydoc.sdf

       Convert mydoc.sdf to online documentation in FrameViewer format, output is mydoc.fvo:

        sdf -2fvo mydoc.sdf

       Convert mydoc.sdf to online documentation in HTML, output is mydoc.html:

        sdf -2html mydoc.sdf

       The following command will build the reference documentation for a SDF module in HTML:

        sdf -2html abc.sdm

LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

       Many of the default post processing (-z) actions only works on Unix as FrameMaker for
       Windows does not support batch conversion.

       Topics mode has several limitations:

       •   only documents in the current directory can be converted

       •   all sub-topics must also be in the current directory.