NAME

       Pod::Index - Index and search PODs using X<> entries.

SYNOPSIS

           ### to create an index:
           use Pod::Index::Builder;

           my $p = Pod::Index::Builder->new;
           for my $file (@ARGV) {
               $p->parse_from_file($file);
           }

           $p->print_index("index.txt");

           ### to search for a keyword in the index:
           use Pod::Index::Search;

           my $q = Pod::Index::Search->new(
               filename => 'index.txt',
           );

           my @results = $q->search('getprotobyname');

           for my $r (@results) {
               printf "%s\t%s\n", $r->podname, $r->line;
               print $r->pod;
           }

DESCRIPTION

       The Pod-Index distribution includes various modules for indexing and searching POD that is
       appropriately marked with X<> POD codes.

       "Pod::Index", as a module, does nothing. Everything is done by Pod::Index::Builder,
       Pod::Index::Search, and other helper modules.

       This document discusses some of the general issues with POD indexing; specifically, the
       recommended conventions for the use of X<> codes.

BACKGROUND

       The little-known (or at least little-used) X<> formatting code is described in perlpod:

         "X<topic name>" -- an index entry
           This is ignored by most formatters, but some may use it for build-
           ing indexes.  It always renders as empty-string.  Example: "X<abso-
           lutizing relative URLs>"

CONVENTIONS FOR THE USE OF X<> CODES

   Placement of the X<> entries
       First, a definition. By "scope", I mean the part of the document that is deemed relevant
       to an index entry, and that may be extracted and shown in isolation by a processing or
       display tool. For example, perldoc -f considers the scope of a function to end at the
       beginning of the next =item, or at the end of the enclosing =over.

       The X<> entries should be added at the end of a command or textblock paragraph (verbatim
       paragraphs are excluded). The scope of the index entry starts at the beginning of the
       paragraph to which it was attached; the end of the scope depends on the command type:

       1) if the X<> is at the end of a textblock, the scope is that paragraph and zero or more
       verbatim paragraphs immediately following it.

       2) if the X<> is at the end of a command paragraph, it depends on the type of command:

       =head1, head2, etc.
           The scope ends right before the next heading with equal or higher level. That is, a
           =head1 ends at the next =head1, and a =head2 ends at the next =head2 or =head1.

       =item
           The scope ends right before the next =item, or the =back that terminates the
           containing list. Note: "empty" items are not counted for terminating scopes, to allow
           for cases where multiple =items head a block of text. For example,

               =item function
               X<function>
               X<otherfunction>

               =item otherfunction

               C<function> and C<otherfunction> do the same thing,
               even if they    have different names...

               =item lemonade

           Here the scope of the X<function> and X<otherfunction> entries starts with "=item
           function", and ends right before "=item lemonade".

       3) other command paragraphs, such as =back, =over, =begin, =end, and =for should not be
       used for attaching X<> entries.

   Content of the X<> entry.
       •   It should contain plain text without further formatting codes (with the possible
           exception of E<>).

       •   It should be in lowercase, unless caps are required due to case-sensitivity or
           correctness.

       •   Non-word characters are allowed, so one can list things like operators and special
           variables.

       •   Use of synonyms is encouraged, to make things easier to find.

       •   To be consistent, words should be normalized to the singular whenever possible. For
           example, use X<operator> instead of X<operators>.

       •   The use of a comma in an index entry has a special meaning: it separates levels of
           hierarchy (or namespaces), as a way of classifying entries in more specific ways. For
           example, "X<operator, logical>", or "X<operator, logical, xor>". This information may
           be used by processing programs to arrange the entries, or for listing results when a
           user searches for a namespace that contains several entries.

       •   There's no limitation as to the number of times that a given entry can appear in a
           document or collection of documents. That is, it is not an error to have X<whatever>
           appear twice in the same file.

VERSION

       0.14

SEE ALSO

       Pod::Index::Builder, Pod::Index::Search, Pod::Index::Entry, perlpod

AUTHOR

       Ivan Tubert-Brohman <itub@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (c) 2005 Ivan Tubert-Brohman. All rights reserved. This program is free
       software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.