@setfilename standards.info
@settitle GNU Coding Standards
@c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:
-@set lastupdate January 1, 2005
+@set lastupdate May 27, 2005
@c %**end of header
@dircategory GNU organization
The GNU coding standards, last updated @value{lastupdate}.
Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000,
-2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
Please don't use ``win'' as an abbreviation for Microsoft Windows in
GNU software or documentation. In hacker terminology, calling
-something a "win" is a form of praise. If you wish to praise
+something a ``win'' is a form of praise. If you wish to praise
Microsoft Windows when speaking on your own, by all means do so, but
-not in GNU software. Usually we write the word ``windows'' in full,
+not in GNU software. Usually we write the name ``Windows'' in full,
but when brevity is very important (as in file names and sometimes
symbol names), we abbreviate it to ``w''. For instance, the files and
functions in Emacs that deal with Windows start with @samp{w32}.
and @samp{--help}. CGI programs should accept these as command-line
options, and also if given as the @env{PATH_INFO}; for instance,
visiting @url{http://example.org/p.cgi/--help} in a browser should
-output the same information as inokving @samp{p.cgi --help} from the
+output the same information as invoking @samp{p.cgi --help} from the
command line.
@table @code
It is also important for function definitions to start the name of the
function in column zero. This helps people to search for function
definitions, and may also help certain tools recognize them. Thus,
-the proper format is this:
+using Standard C syntax, the format is this:
@example
static char *
-concat (s1, s2) /* Name starts in column zero here */
- char *s1, *s2;
-@{ /* Open brace in column zero here */
+concat (char *s1, char *s2)
+@{
@dots{}
@}
@end example
@example
static char *
-concat (char *s1, char *s2)
-@{
+concat (s1, s2) /* Name starts in column zero here */
+ char *s1, *s2;
+@{ /* Open brace in column zero here */
@dots{}
@}
@end example
the program. One combined Index should do for a short manual, but
sometimes for a complex package it is better to use multiple indices.
The Texinfo manual includes advice on preparing good index entries, see
-@ref{Index Entries, , Making Index Entries, texinfo, The GNU Texinfo
-Manual}, and see @ref{Indexing Commands, , Defining the Entries of an
-Index, texinfo, The GNU Texinfo manual}.
+@ref{Index Entries, , Making Index Entries, texinfo, GNU Texinfo}, and
+see @ref{Indexing Commands, , Defining the Entries of an
+Index, texinfo, GNU Texinfo}.
Don't use Unix man pages as a model for how to write GNU documentation;
most of them are terse, badly structured, and give inadequate