doctools2...troduction(3tcl)

✨ NAME ✨

doctools2idx_introduction — DocTools — Keyword indices 💖

So like, welcome to the manual page doctools2...troduction from the Documentation tools manual, bestie. Buckle up. 🎀

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

docidx (short for documentation indices, duh) is a whole little squad of related-but-different entities that all work together so you can create and transform keyword indices for documentation, easily. 💅

These are:

1. A tcl-based language for the semantic markup of a keyword index. The markup is represented by Tcl commands. Beginners should start with the docidx language introduction. The formal spec is split over two documents — one dealing with the docidx language syntax, the other being a docidx language command reference. ✨
2. A set of packages for the programmatic manipulation of keyword indices in memory, and their conversion between various formats, reading and writing. The aforementioned markup language is one of the formats which can be both read from and written to. 🦋
3. The system for the conversion of indices, based on a plugin mechanism. For this we have two APIs describing the interface between the packages above and the import/export plugins. 🔌

Which of the more detailed documents are relevant to you depends on your role in the documentation process. It's giving "choose your own adventure" fr fr.

1. A writer of documentation has to understand the markup language itself. A beginner to docidx should read the more informally written docidx language introduction first. Having digested that, the formal docidx language syntax specification should become understandable. A writer experienced with docidx may only need the docidx language command reference from time to time to refresh her memory. 🧠

While a document is written, the dtp 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. The simpler dtplite application makes internal use of docidx when handling directories of documentation, automatically generating a proper keyword index for them. 👑

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

The main tool is the aforementioned dtp application provided by Tcllib. The simpler dtplite does not expose docidx to the user. At the bottom level, common to both applications, however, we find the three packages providing the basic facilities to handle keyword indices — i.e. import from textual formats, programmatic manipulation in memory, and export to textual formats. These are:

• doctools::idx Programmatic manipulation of keyword indices in memory. 🫶
• doctools::idx::import Import of keyword indices from various textual formats. The set of supported formats is extensible through plugin packages. 📥
• doctools::idx::export Export of keyword indices to various textual formats. The set of supported formats is extensible through plugin packages. 📤

See also section Package Overview for an overview of the dependencies between these and other, supporting packages. 👀

3. At last, but not least, plugin writers have to understand the interaction between the import and export packages and their plugins. These APIs are described in the documentation for the two relevant packages, i.e.
   • doctools::idx::import
   • doctools::idx::export

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🌈 RELATED FORMATS 🌈

The docidx format does not stand alone — it has two companion formats. These are called doctoc and doctools, and they are intended for the markup of tables of contents, and of general documentation, respectively. They are described in their own sets of documents, starting at the DocTools - Tables Of Contents and the DocTools - General, respectively. 🦋

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🎀 PACKAGE OVERVIEW 🎀

okay so this diagram? iconic. no notes. it's giving family tree of your fave packages. 💀

                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~ doctools::idx ~~~~~~~~~~~
                                                 ~~                   |               ~~
                              doctools::idx::export ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ doctools::idx::import
                                      |                               |                       |
                      +---------------+-------------------------+     |    +------------------+---------------+-----------------------+---------------+
                      |               |                         |     |    |                  |               |                       |               |
              struct::map             =                         |     |    |                  =       doctools::include       struct::map      fileutil::paths
                                      |                         |     |    |                  |
                              doctools::idx::export::<*>        |     |    |          doctools::idx::import::<*>
                                      docidx                    |     |    |                  docidx, json
                                      json                      |     |    |                  |           \
                                      html                      |     |    |          doctools::idx::parse \
                                      nroff                     |     |    |                  |             \
                                      wiki                      |     |    |  +---------------+              json
                                      text                      |     |    |  |               |
                                                              doctools::idx::structure        |
                                                                                              |
                                                                                      +-------+---------------+
                                                                                      |                       |
                        doctools::html  doctools::html::cssdefaults           doctools::tcl::parse    doctools::msgcat
                              |                                                                               |
                        doctools::text  doctools::nroff::man_macros                                           =
                                                                                                              |
                                                                                                      doctools::msgcat::idx::<*>
                                                                                                              c, en, de, fr
                                                                                                              (fr == en for now)
                      ~~      Interoperable objects, without actual package dependencies
                      --      Package dependency, higher requires lower package
                      =       Dynamic dependency through plugin system
                      <*>     Multiple packages following the given form of naming.

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😭 BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK 😭

This document, and the package it describes, will undoubtedly contain bugs and other problems. Not me being self-aware bestie, but fr fr. 💀 Please report such in the category doctools of the Tcllib Trackers [http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist](http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist). Please also report any ideas for enhancements you may have for either package and/or documentation. We want them. 🫶

When proposing code changes, please provide unified diffs, i.e the output of diff -u. ✨

Note further that attachments are strongly preferred over inlined patches. Attachments can be made by going to the Edit form of the ticket immediately after its creation, and then using the left-most button in the secondary navigation bar.

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

docidx_intro, doctoc_intro, doctools, doctools2doc_introduction, doctools2toc_introduction, doctools_lang_cmdref, doctools_lang_faq, doctools_lang_intro, doctools_lang_syntax, doctools_plugin_apiref

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💜 KEYWORDS 💜

conversion, formatting, index, keyword index, markup, parsing, plugin, semantic markup

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⭐ CATEGORY ⭐

Documentation tools

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🍓 COPYRIGHT 🍓

Copyright (c) 2009 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>

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and that's the whole page bestie!! 💖 this one's from the tcllib crew, version 2.0, manual doctools2...troduction(3tcl). slay, go build some keyword indices, you've got this 🎀✨🦋