STDLIB

Reference Manual

Version 3.16

Table of Contents

shell_docs

Module

shell_docs

Module Summary

Functions used to render EEP-48 style documentation for a shell.

Since

Module shell_docs was introduced in OTP 23.0.

Description

This module can be used to render function and type documentation to be printed in a shell. This is the module that is used to render the docs accessed through the shell through c:h/1,2,3. Example:

1> h(maps,new,0).

  -spec new() -> Map when Map :: #{}.

Since:
  OTP 17.0

  Returns a new empty map.

  Example:

    > maps:new().
    #{}

This module formats and renders EEP-48 documentation of the format application/erlang+html. For more information about this format see Documentation Storage in Erl_Docgen's User's Guide. It can also render any other format of "text" type, although those will be rendered as is.

Data Types

docs_v1() = #docs_v1{}

The record holding EEP-48 documentation for a module. You can use code:get_doc/1 to fetch this information from a module.

config() =
    #{encoding => unicode | latin1,
      columns => integer() >= 1,
      ansi => boolean()}

The configuration of how the documentation should be rendered.

encoding
Configure the encoding that should be used by the renderer for graphical details such as bullet-points. By default shell_docs uses the value returned by io:getopts().
ansi
Configure whether ansi escape codes should be used to render graphical details such as bold and underscore. By default shell_docs will try to determine if the receiving shell supports ansi escape codes. It is possible to override the automated check by setting the kernel configuration parameter shell_docs_ansi to a boolean() value.
columns
Configure how wide the target documentation should be rendered. By default shell_docs used the value returned by io:columns().

chunk_element_block_type() =
    p | 'div' | br | pre | ul | ol | li | dl | dt | dd | h1 | h2 |
    h3 | h4 | h5 | h6

chunk_element_inline_type() = a | code | em | strong | i | b
chunk_element_type() =
    chunk_element_inline_type() | chunk_element_block_type()

The HTML tags allowed in application/erlang+html.

render(Module, Docs) -> unicode:chardata()
OTP 23.0
render(Module, Docs, Config) -> unicode:chardata()
OTP 23.2
render(Module, Function, Docs) -> Res
OTP 23.0
render(Module, Function, Docs, Config) -> Res
OTP 23.2
render(Module, Function, Arity, Docs) -> Res
OTP 23.0
render(Module, Function, Arity, Docs, Config) -> Res
OTP 23.2

Types

Module = module()
Function = atom()
Arity = arity()
Docs = docs_v1()
Config = config()
Res = unicode:chardata() | {error, function_missing}

Render the documentation for a module or function.

render_type(Module, Docs) -> unicode:chardata()
OTP 23.0
render_type(Module, Docs, Config) -> unicode:chardata()
OTP 23.2
render_type(Module, Type, Docs) -> Res
OTP 23.0
render_type(Module, Type, Docs, Config) -> Res
OTP 23.2
render_type(Module, Type, Arity, Docs) -> Res
OTP 23.0
render_type(Module, Type, Arity, Docs, Config) -> Res
OTP 23.2

Types

Module = module()
Type = atom()
Arity = arity()
Docs = docs_v1()
Config = config()
Res = unicode:chardata() | {error, type_missing}

Render the documentation of a type in a module.

render_callback(Module, Docs) -> unicode:chardata()
OTP 23.0
render_callback(Module, Docs, Config) -> unicode:chardata()
OTP 23.2
render_callback(Module, Callback, Docs) -> Res
OTP 23.0
render_callback(Module, Callback, Docs, Config) -> Res
OTP 23.2
render_callback(Module, Callback, Arity, Docs) -> Res
OTP 23.0
render_callback(Module, Callback, Arity, Docs, Config) -> Res
OTP 23.2

Types

Module = module()
Callback = atom()
Arity = arity()
Docs = docs_v1()
Config = config()
Res = unicode:chardata() | {error, callback_missing}

Render the documentation of a callback in a module.

validate(Module) -> ok
OTP 23.0

Types

Module = module() | docs_v1()

This function can be used to do a basic validation of the doc content of application/erlang+html format.

normalize(Docs) -> NormalizedDocs
OTP 23.0

Types

Docs = NormalizedDocs = chunk_elements()

This function can be used to do whitespace normalization of application/erlang+html documentation.

supported_tags() -> [chunk_element_type()]
OTP 24.0

This function can be used to find out which tags are supported by application/erlang+html documentation.