doctools_intro(n)						Documentation tools						 doctools_intro(n)

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NAME

       doctools_intro - doctools introduction

DESCRIPTION

       doctools  (short for documentation tools) stands for a set of related, yet different, entities which are working together for the easy cre-
       ation and transformation of documentation. These are

       [1]    A tcl based language for the semantic markup of text. Markup is represented by Tcl commands interspersed with the actual text.

       [2]    A package providing the ability to read and transform texts written in that markup language. It is important to note that the actual
	      transformation of the input text is delegated to plugins.

       [3]    An API describing the interface between the package above and a plugin.

       Which of the more detailed documents are relevant to the reader of this introduction depends on their role in the documentation process.

       [1]    A writer of documentation has to understand the markup language itself. A beginner to doctools should read the more informally writ-
	      ten doctools language introduction first. Having digested this the formal  doctools  language  syntax  specification  should  become
	      understandable.  A  writer  experienced  with  doctools  may  only need the doctools language command reference from time to time to
	      refresh her memory.

	      While a document is written the dtplite application can be used to validate it, and after completion it also performs the conversion
	      into the chosen system of visual markup, be it *roff, HTML, plain text, wiki, etc.

       [2]    A processor of documentation written in the doctools markup language has to know which tools are available for use.

	      The  main tool is the aforementioned dtplite application provided by Tcllib. A more powerful one (in terms of options and ability to
	      configure it) is the dtp application, provided by Tclapps.  At the bottom level, common to both applications, however sits the pack-
	      age doctools, providing the basic facilities to read and process files containing text in the doctools format.

       [3]    At last, but not least, plugin writers have to understand the interaction between the doctools package and its plugins, as described
	      in the doctools plugin API reference.

RELATED FORMATS

       doctools does not stand alone, it has two companion formats. These are called docidx and doctoc, and they are for  the  markup  of  keyword
       indices,  and tables of contents, respectively.	They are described in their own sets of documents, starting at the docidx introduction and
       the doctoc introduction, respectively.

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK
       This document, will undoubtedly contain bugs and other problems.  Please report such in the category doctools of  the  Tcllib  SF  Trackers
       [http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=12883].  Please also report any ideas for enhancements you may have.

SEE ALSO

       docidx_intro,  doctoc_intro,  doctools,	doctools_lang_cmdref, doctools_lang_faq, doctools_lang_intro, doctools_lang_syntax, doctools_plug-
       in_apiref

KEYWORDS

       markup, semantic markup

CATEGORY

       Documentation tools

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (c) 2007 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>

doctools								1.0							 doctools_intro(n)