Notes on Clarifying Man Pages
6 days ago
- #usability
- #documentation
- #man-pages
- Man pages are often hard to navigate, prompting the need for better cheat sheets within them.
- The rsync man page features an 'OPTIONS SUMMARY' section with concise descriptions of each option.
- The strace man page organizes options by category, improving usability.
- Perl man pages include cheat sheets, like 'man perlcheat', which are highly appreciated.
- Examples in man pages are very popular, with some man pages placing them at the beginning for quick reference.
- Adding a table of contents and hyperlinks in HTML versions of man pages can enhance navigation.
- The curl man page provides examples for every option and a table of contents in its HTML version.
- The 'man ascii' page is praised for its table format, making information easy to scan.
- GNU coreutils prefer 'info' manuals over man pages, which are maintained separately and offer more detailed documentation.
- Tools like tldr.sh and Dash Mac docs browser provide alternative ways to access man page information with added features.