Provided by: m4_1.4.19-4build1_amd64
NAME
m4 - macro processor
SYNOPSIS
m4 [OPTION]... [FILE]...
DESCRIPTION
Process macros in FILEs. If no FILE or if FILE is `-', standard input is read. Mandatory or optional arguments to long options are mandatory or optional for short options too. Operation modes: --help display this help and exit --version output version information and exit -E, --fatal-warnings once: warnings become errors, twice: stop execution at first error -i, --interactive unbuffer output, ignore interrupts -P, --prefix-builtins force a `m4_' prefix to all builtins -Q, --quiet, --silent suppress some warnings for builtins --warn-macro-sequence[=REGEXP] warn if macro definition matches REGEXP, default \$\({[^}]*}\|[0-9][0-9]+\) -W, --word-regexp=REGEXP use REGEXP for macro name syntax Preprocessor features: -D, --define=NAME[=VALUE] define NAME as having VALUE, or empty -I, --include=DIRECTORY append DIRECTORY to include path -s, --synclines generate `#line NUM "FILE"' lines -U, --undefine=NAME undefine NAME Limits control: -g, --gnu override -G to re-enable GNU extensions -G, --traditional suppress all GNU extensions -H, --hashsize=PRIME set symbol lookup hash table size [509] -L, --nesting-limit=NUMBER change nesting limit, 0 for unlimited [0] Frozen state files: -F, --freeze-state=FILE produce a frozen state on FILE at end -R, --reload-state=FILE reload a frozen state from FILE at start Debugging: -d, --debug[=FLAGS] set debug level (no FLAGS implies `aeq') --debugfile[=FILE] redirect debug and trace output to FILE (default stderr, discard if empty string) -l, --arglength=NUM restrict macro tracing size -t, --trace=NAME trace NAME when it is defined FLAGS is any of: a show actual arguments c show before collect, after collect and after call e show expansion f say current input file name i show changes in input files l say current input line number p show results of path searches q quote values as necessary, with a or e flag t trace for all macro calls, not only traceon'ed x add a unique macro call id, useful with c flag V shorthand for all of the above flags If defined, the environment variable `M4PATH' is a colon-separated list of directories included after any specified by `-I'. Exit status is 0 for success, 1 for failure, 63 for frozen file version mismatch, or whatever value was passed to the m4exit macro.
AUTHOR
Written by Rene' Seindal.
REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to: bug-m4@gnu.org GNU M4 home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/m4/> General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
SEE ALSO
The full documentation for m4 is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and m4 programs are properly installed at your site, the command info m4 should give you access to the complete manual.