What is RD?

RD is Ruby's POD, embeddable documentation format in script file.

RD is influenced mainly from plain2, a program to translate from plain text to some mark-up language. So, RD looks like plain text, and its simpleness and neatness make it easy to read and write.

How does the interpreter work for RD?

Ruby's interpreter, ruby, simply ignores text between a line beginning with "=begin" and one beginning with "=end". So, RD is not only embeddable. You can write anything between =begin and =end. RD is one of them, but RD will be a standard one.^*1

Concepts and Syntax

Element, Block and Inline

We will use the term "Element" for features of RD which add information of document structure to text. In addition, we use a term "Block" for Elements for large and global structures, and a term "Inline" for ones for small and local decorations.

Paragraph, headline or list is a kind of Block. RD uses indentation and special characters to describe Blocks. You can also write complicated structure to nested Blocks. And this style of Block looks naturally like plain text format. See Block for details.

Emphasis, code or reference is a kind of Inline. Parentheses and special characters, like ((? ... ?)), are used for Inline. Almost all Inline may be nested inside each other. See Inline for more details.

Block

Basic Syntax

Block has line oriented syntax. i.e. each character on the same line belongs to the same Block. And the indentation of the line represents nesting level and type of Block. The first character of the line represents the type of Block.

Concepts and Terms

Baseline

Baseline is standard depth of indent. Relative depth between indent of one line and Baseline affects its Block-type.

Head Char

Head Char is the first character of line, except whitespace.

STRINGLINE

STRINGLINE is line which consists of strings. STRINGLINE doesn't have "*", "(num)", ":", "=" nor "+" as Head Char. But if the line is indented, "=" and "+" can be Head Char.

WHITELINE

WHITELINE is a line which consists of whitespace, "\s", "\t" and "\n".

Comment

A line which is matched with /^#/ is regarded as a comment.

How Baseline is defined and how it works

At the top level, Baseline is at left end, i.e., indent is 0. In List, Baseline is defined by first Block of ListItem. For example,

Example: "|" means Baseline
  |Regard this line as one of TextBlock's in top level.
  |<- So this Baseline is at the left-most position.
    *|it is in List. (1)
     |<- this Baseline is defined by the marked with a (1).
    *    |Different Item of List can have different Baseline inside.
         |<- So this Baseline differs from one of this list's first item.

|Regard this line as one of TextBlock's in top level. |<- So this Baseline is at the left-most position.

• |it is in List. (1) |<- this Baseline is defined by the marked with a (1).
• |Different Items in Lists can have different Baselines inside. |<- So this Baseline differs from the one of this list's first item.

If one Block is nested in another Block, the Baseline of the inside Blocks is deeper than the Baseline of outside Blocks.

The relative position between Baseline and indent affects the type of Block. If a STRINGLINE has same indent with Baseline, it belongs to TextBlock, otherwise, i.e. it has deeper indent than Baseline, it belongs to Verbatim.

Types of Block

Headline

Headline consists of a line which Head Char is "=" or "+". And Headline can't include more than one line. Headline can be on only top level.

Example:
|<- Regard this as top level Baseline.
= Headline 1.
=== Headline 1.1.1.
+ Headline 1.1.1.1.1.

Headline 1.

Headline 1.1.1.

Headline 1.1.1.1.1.

Headline Mark represents level of Headline. See following figure. first Mark is biggest one, and last Mark has two parts.

Fig: Headline Marks
=
==
===
====
+
++

Text which follows Mark is title of Headline. It is also used as Label of Reference.

Title of Headline can contain Inlines except for Reference and Footnote.

Include

Include is a line that line head "<<<" and included file name. You can input from other file text, both RD and target format, with Include.

When you include RD file, included file name have to have ".rd" or ".rb" as suffix, like "foo.rd", and write full name (not full path) of file after "<<<". For example,

<<< foo.rd

When you include target format file, include file name have to have suffix of target format standard one, for example ".html" in the case of outputting HTML, ".texi" in the case of outputting Texinfo, and write base name of file after "<<<". For example,

<<< foo

RD formatter include "foo.html" to output HTML, and include "foo.texi" to output Texinfo. If you want to use Include for target format, you should prepare plural type of included file.

TextBlock

TextBlock is composed of STRINGLINEs, but the STRINGLINEs must have same indent with Baseline. If its indent is deeper than Baseline, the STRINGLINE belongs to Verbatim.

TextBlock can include Inline inside.

Example:
|
This is TextBlock. 
Second line of same TextBlock.
  This line is not TextBlock, but Verbatim.
* And this line is List. (But this line is exactly TextBlock in ListItem.)

And this example is formatted such like:

This is TextBlock. Second line of same TextBlock.

This line is not TextBlock, but Verbatim.

• And this line is List. (But this line is exactly TextBlock in ListItem.)

Verbatim

You can use Verbatim to cite Ruby script. Verbatim is composed of STRINGLINEs, and they must be indented deeper than Baseline. Verbatim can also include a line whose Head Char is "*", "(1)" and ":", But it can't be first line of Verbatim, it is regarded as List. Verbatim can't include a line which is indented shallower than first line. Verbatim can include WHITELINE.

You can't use Inline in Verbatim.

Example:
 This is Verbatim.
   Even if a line is indented deeper than first line, it is also in same
   Verbatim.
 * A line seems like list is also included in Verbatim.
But if the line is indented shallower, it is not in same Verbatim.
It is in other Verbatim.

And this example is formatted such like:

This is Verbatim.
  Even if a line is indented deeper than first line, it is also in same
  Verbatim.
* A line seems like list is also included in Verbatim.

But if the line is indented shallower, it is not in same Verbatim.
It is in other Verbatim.

List

List is special Block. List is composed of ListItems, and ListItem is composed of Blocks. So List can include Blocks inside, even also List itself.^*2

ListItem can include WHITELINE, and TextBlock can't include WHITELINE, so when you want to write 2 TextBlock inside ListItem, put a WHITELINE between TextBlocks.

There is 3 type of List, "ItemList", "EnumList", "DescList" and "MethodList.

ItemList

ItemList is simple and not numbered List. ItemListItem begins by a line whose Head Char is "*", and first Block of ItemListItem must be TextBlock.

Example:
* first item of parent list
    * first item of sub list
    * second item of sub list
  text block ( line of first item of parent list)

And this example is formatted such like:

• first item of parent list

  • first item of sub list
  • second item of sub list

  text block ( line of first item of parent list)

EnumList

EnumList is numbered List. EnumListItem starts with a line whose Head Char is "(num)"(num is integer). EnumList is same as ItemList on other points.

Example:
(1) first line of parent list
      * first line of sub list(ItemList)
(2) second list of parent list
(10) number is ignored...

And this example is formatted such like:

1. first line of parent list
   • first line of sub list(ItemList)
2. second list of parent list
3. number is ignored...

DescList

DescList is List for descriptions. DescListItem has 2 part. One is Term part, the other is Description part. Term of DescListItem is also used as Label for Reference.

Term part is composed of a line whose Head Char is ":", and Term part is same as Headline, except that a line of Term part can be indented.

Description part is starts with next line of Term part. Baseline of Description part must be same or deeper than term of Term part of its pair. For example, following style is illegal.

Example:
:   |Term
  |Description.

Description part can include Blocks. List can be first Block of Description part. Term part can contain Inlines except for Reference and Footnote.

Example:
:Term
   first line of Description
   second line of Description
:Term2
   * also include List
   * ...

And this example is formatted such like:

Term

first line of definition. second line of definition

Term2

• also include list
• ...

MethodList

MethodList is the special type of DescList for explanation methods of your classes. MethodList is similar with DescList in almost all part, but it is labeled differently. RD formatters know it is some kind of program code, e.g. method or constants of class in Ruby or function prototype in C..., which is on Term part of MethodList. So, MethodList is labeled without the part which seems to be parameters of methods. See Label and Reference for more detail.

Each item of MethodList has Term part and Description part like DescList. And its Term part start with its Head Char, "---". Its Description part can contain TextBlock, Verbatim and List. But you shouldn't write MethodList in any kind of List. RD will come to deny it possibly in future.

Example:
--- Array#each {|i| ... } # => labeled as "Array#each"
      yield block for each item.
--- Array#index(val) # => labeled as "Array#index"
      return index of first item which equals with ((|val|)). if it hasn't
      same item, return (({nil})).

And this example is formatted such like:

Array#each {|i| ... }

yield block for each item.

Array#index(val)

return index of first item which equals with val. if it hasn't same item, return nil.

Some formatter assumes it is Ruby's methods, constants or etc. which is in Term part of MethodList. it can format term part of MethodList intelligently, but you have to write according as specific formula to make the best of its feature.

Standard Ruby class reference formula is suggested such like:

instance method

instance method method of class Class

Class#method(its params  ...) { parameter block }

class method (class singleton method)

class method method of class Class

Class.method(its params ...) { parameter block }

class constants

constant Const of class Class

Class::Const

functions (private methods on top level)

function func

function#func(its params ...) { parameter block }

Ruby use some symbol characters (e.g. [], []=, +, - or <<) for the names of methods. ruby, Ruby interpreter, parses them with different manner from normal methods, but write them as same as others in this formula.

Example:
  --- Array#[](key)
        return value which in at index ((|key|)).
  --- Array#[]=(key, value)
        put ((|value|)) into cell of index ((|key|)).
  --- Array#+(other)
        return concatenated (({Array})).

Inline

You can use Inline in TextBlock, Headline and Term part of DescList. Common style of parentheses is used for Inline. Inline can nest each other.

in following list of Inlines, preformatted text is on left hand side and postformatted text is on right hand side.

((*Em*)) => Em

Emphasis.

(({while gets...})) => while gets...

Code.

((|var|)) => var

Var.^*3

((%ruby -v%)) => ruby -v

Keyboard.

((:Term:))

=> Term

Term of Index.

((<Identity or URL>))

=> Identity or URL

Link, Reference. See Label and Reference for more detail.

((-Footnote-))

=> ^*4

Footnote.

(('verb')) => verb

Inline Verbatim.

Label and Reference

Reference needs Label. In RD, only title of Headline and Term of DescList and MethodList is regarded as Label. So, you must choose different titles for different Headlines. This problem has not resolved yet.

How to RD generates Label from Headline, DescList or MethodList

Title of Headline and Term part of DescList and MethodList are regarded as Label. But they can contain Inlines, so the situation isn't so simple.

First, MethodList is special in the part of Labeling. Term part of MethodList can't contain Inlines, and RD assumes it is method reference or such thing which is in Term part of MethodList. So it is Labeled under following rules.

1. It is regarded as Label which is before a character of "(" or "{".^*5

Following example will help you to understand how this rule works. the Label which is generated from the term part of MethodList is after mark of "# =>".

Example:
  --- Array.new([size[, val]]) # => Array.new
  --- Array#[]=(key, val) # => Array#[]=
  --- Array#each { ... } # => Array#each
  --- void rb_define_method(VALUE class, ...) # => void rb_define_method

Second, in the case of title of Headline or term part of DescList, there is not such a special rule. But you can use Inlines for text on them, so there are rules to strip Inline mark-ups from text.

1. Any Inline mark-ups makes any difference to Label. So, both

   = ((*Headline*))

   and

   = Headline

   are Labeled as "Headline".

2. But white spaces which is after open parenthesis and before close parenthesis of Inline are striped when RD generates Label from it. So, both

   = ((* Headline  *))

   and

   = ((*Headline*))

   are Labeled as "Headline".

Reference

You can refer Labeled element with Reference which is a kind of Inline marked up with ((<...>)).

Most simple use of Reference is to write Label inside parenthesis.

((<Label>))

This works as reference to Label of "Label" and text "Label" is used also for display such like: Label.^*6

When you want to refer a resource pointed with URL, write such like:

((<URL:http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/raa.html>))

RD formatter will format it as hyper-link to its URL if possible such like:<URL:http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/raa.html>.

When you want to use other text than Label for display, write such like:

((<Text for display|Label>))

"Text for display" is used for display and "Label" is used as Label to refer such like: Text for display

Text for display can contain some Inline, except for Footnotes and Reference.

In Reference, "|" and "/" are syntax keywords. So if you will write them inside Reference, you have to double-quote the part it's inside, such like:

((<"Bar | inside display text"|Label>))

Bar | inside display text

The situations are same whether you will write them inside Substitution part, Filename part and Label part.

Of course, you can use the text for the display for Reference to URL resource.

((<Ruby Application Archive|URL:http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/raa.html>))

Ruby Application Archive

When the text for the display is omitted, you can use Inline for Label.

((<((*Label*))>))

Label