How to use the command xml2man (with examples)

The xml2man command is used to compile an MPGL (HeaderDoc Markup Language) file into a viewable man page or a specific output file. MPGL is a markup language used for documenting code.

Use case 1: Compile an MPGL file to a viewable man page

Code:

xml2man path/to/command_file.mxml

Motivation: Compiling an MPGL file into a viewable man page allows for easy access and documentation of the command or service it describes. This can be particularly useful when sharing documentation with other developers or when documenting a command for distribution.

Explanation:

• xml2man: The command used to compile MPGL files to man pages.
• path/to/command_file.mxml: The path to the MPGL file that will be compiled.

Example output:

• The command_file.mxml MPGL file will be compiled into a viewable man page and will be saved in a default location, typically in the same directory as the original MPGL file.

Use case 2: Compile an MPGL file to a specific output file

Code:

xml2man path/to/service_file.mxml path/to/service_file.7

Motivation: Sometimes it is necessary to specify a specific output file format. In this case, we want to compile the MPGL file into a man page with a specific file name and extension (e.g., service_file.7). This can be useful when integrating the man page with other documentation systems or when generating specific output formats.

Explanation:

• xml2man: The command used to compile MPGL files to man pages.
• path/to/service_file.mxml: The path to the MPGL file that will be compiled.
• path/to/service_file.7: The path and filename of the specific output file. The .7 extension is commonly used for man pages.

Example output:

• The service_file.mxml MPGL file will be compiled into a man page with the filename service_file.7. The compiled man page will be saved in the specified location.

Use case 3: Compile an MPGL file to a specific output file, overwriting if it already exists

Code:

xml2man -f path/to/function_file.mxml path/to/function_file.3

Motivation: In some cases, it is necessary to overwrite an existing file with the compiled output. The “-f” option allows the user to specify this behavior. Overwriting existing files can be useful when updating documentation or when recompiling man pages with the latest changes.

Explanation:

• xml2man: The command used to compile MPGL files to man pages.
• -f: The “-f” option enables the overwrite feature.
• path/to/function_file.mxml: The path to the MPGL file that will be compiled.
• path/to/function_file.3: The path and filename of the specific output file. The .3 extension is commonly used for man pages.

Example output:

• If the function_file.3 man page already exists, it will be overwritten with the compiled man page generated from the function_file.mxml MPGL file. If the file does not exist, a new file will be created with the specified name and extension.

Conclusion:

The xml2man command is a powerful tool for compiling MPGL files into viewable man pages. It provides flexibility in terms of output file formats and offers options for overwriting existing files. By utilizing these different use cases, developers can easily generate and customize documentation for their commands or services.