Unix man pages: AI-friendly documentation since 1971
17 hours ago
- #AI
- #Documentation
- #Unix
- Unix man pages originated in the early 1970s with the Unix Programmer’s Manual, providing structured documentation for commands and functions.
- Man pages follow a strict format including sections like Name, Synopsis, Description, Files, See Also, Bugs, and Owners.
- Man pages remain relevant today in Unix descendants like Linux, FreeBSD, and macOS, often required for software packages.
- The 'man' command provides access to man pages, with features like searching, formatting, and cross-referencing.
- With the rise of the internet and search engines, developers shifted from man pages to web searches for documentation.
- Modern documentation formats like OpenAPI and AsyncAPI provide structured data for IDEs, improving developer experience.
- AI models like Claude Code find structured documentation (e.g., man pages) easier to process than unstructured guides due to predictable hierarchies and clear sections.
- The debate continues on whether to prioritize AI-friendly structured documentation or visually appealing web-based documentation.
- The Unix man page format, despite being 50 years old, remains a valuable standard for both humans and AI.