DocBook 5: The Definitive Guide

Name

refentry — A reference page (originally a UNIX man-style reference page)

Synopsis

refentry ::= (Indexing inlines*, info? ^{db.titleforbidden.info}, refmeta?, refnamediv+, refsynopsisdiv?, (refsection+ | refsect1+))

Attribute synopsis

Common attributes and common linking attributes.

Additional attributes:

• label

• status

Additional constraints

• If this element is the root element, it must have a version attribute.

Description

A refentry is a reference page. In UNIX parlance this has historically been called a “man page” (short for manual page).

A refentry is an appropriate wrapper for any small unit of reference documentation describing a single topic. Canonical examples are programming language functions and user commands (one refentry per function or command).^[5]

On some projects, the structure of reference pages may be rigorously defined right down to the number, order, and title of individual sections (some or all of which may be required).

Processing expectations

Formatted as a displayed block. It is not uncommon for refentrys to introduce a forced page break in print media.

Formatting reference pages may require a fairly sophisticated processing system. Much of the meta-information about a reference page (its name, type, purpose, title, and classification) is stored in wrappers near the beginning of the refentry.

Common presentational features, such as titles and running heads, may require data from several of these wrappers plus some generated text. Other formatting often requires that these ...