\cfg{man-identity}{halibut}{1}{2004-04-08}{Halibut}{Simon Tatham}
\cfg{man-mindepth}{1}

\A{manpage} Halibut \cw{man} page

\H{manpage-name} NAME

\cw{halibut} \u2013{\u2212{-}} multi-format documentation formatting tool

\H{manpage-synopsis} SYNOPSIS

\c halibut [options] file1.but [file2.but ...]
\e bbbbbbb  iiiiiii  iiiiiiiii  iiiiiiiii

\H{manpage-description} DESCRIPTION

\c{halibut} reads the given set of input files, assembles them into
a document, and outputs that document in one or more formats.

The available command-line options can configure what formats
Halibut should output in, and can also configure other things about
the way Halibut works.

\H{manpage-options} OPTIONS

The command-line options supported by \c{halibut} are:

\dt \cw{--text}[\cw{=}\e{filename}]

\dd Makes Halibut generate an output file in plain text format. If
the optional \e{filename} parameter is supplied, the output text
file will be given that name. Otherwise, the name of the output text
file will be as specified in the input files, or \c{output.txt} if
none is specified at all.

\dt \cw{--html}[\cw{=}\e{filename}]

\dd Makes Halibut generate one or more output files in HTML format.
If the optional \e{filename} parameter is supplied, there will be
precisely one HTML output file with that name, containing the whole
document. Otherwise, there may be one or more than one HTML file
produced as output; this, and the file names, will be as specified
in the input files, or given a set of default names starting with
\c{Contents.html} if none is specified at all.

\dt \cw{--chm}[\cw{=}\e{filename}]

\dd Makes Halibut generate an output file in Windows HTML Help
format. If the optional \e{filename} parameter is supplied, the output
help file will be given that name. Otherwise, the name of the output
help file will be as specified in the input files, or \c{output.chm}
if none is specified at all.

\dt \cw{--winhelp}[\cw{=}\e{filename}]

\dd Makes Halibut generate an output file in old-style Windows Help
format. If the optional \e{filename} parameter is supplied, the output
help file will be given that name. Otherwise, the name of the output
help file will be as specified in the input files, or \c{output.hlp}
if none is specified at all.

\lcont{
The output help file must have a name ending in \c{.hlp}; if it does
not, \c{.hlp} will be added. A secondary contents file will be created
alongside the main help file, with the same name except that it will
end in \c{.cnt} (for example \c{output.cnt}, if the main file is
\c{output.hlp}).
}

\dt \cw{--man}[\cw{=}\e{filename}]

\dd Makes Halibut generate an output file in Unix \cw{man} page
format. If the optional \e{filename} parameter is supplied, the
output \cw{man} page will be given that name. Otherwise, the name of
the output \cw{man} page will be as specified in the input files, or
\c{output.1} if none is specified at all.

\dt \cw{--info}[\cw{=}\e{filename}]

\dd Makes Halibut generate an \c{info} file. If the optional
\e{filename} parameter is supplied, the output \c{info} file will be
given that name. Otherwise, the name of the output \c{info} file
will be as specified in the input files, or \c{output.info} if none
is specified at all.

\lcont{
By default, unless configured otherwise using the
\cw{\\cfg\{info-max-file-size\}\{0\}} directive, the \c{info} output
will be split into multiple files. The main file will have the name
you specify; the subsidiary files will have suffixes \c{-1}, \c{-2}
etc.
}

\dt \cw{--pdf}[\cw{=}\e{filename}]

\dd Makes Halibut generate an output file in PDF format. If
the optional \e{filename} parameter is supplied, the PDF
output file will be given that name. Otherwise, the name of
the output PDF file will be as specified in the input files,
or \c{output.pdf} if none is specified at all.

\dt \cw{--ps}[\cw{=}\e{filename}]

\dd Makes Halibut generate an output file in PostScript format. If
the optional \e{filename} parameter is supplied, the PostScript
output file will be given that name. Otherwise, the name of
the output PostScript file will be as specified in the input files,
or \c{output.ps} if none is specified at all.

\dt \cw{-C}\e{word}\cw{:}\e{word}[\cw{:}\e{word}...]

\dd Adds a configuration directive to the input processed by
Halibut. Using this directive is exactly equivalent to appending an
extra input file to the command line which contains the directive
\cw{\\cfg\{}\e{word}\cw{\}\{}\e{word}\cw{\}\{}\e{word}...\cw{\}}.

\dt \cw{--input-charset}\cw{=}\e{charset}

\dd Changes the assumed character set for input files from the
default of ASCII.

\dt \cw{--list-charsets}

\dd Makes Halibut list character sets known to it.

\dt \cw{--list-fonts}

\dd Makes Halibut list fonts known to it, either intrinsically or
by being passed as input files.

\dt \cw{--precise}

\dd Makes Halibut report the column number as well as the line
number when it encounters an error in an input file.

\dt \cw{--help}

\dd Makes Halibut display a brief summary of its command-line
options.

\dt \cw{--version}

\dd Makes Halibut report its version number.

\dt \cw{--licence}

\dd Makes Halibut display its licence (MIT).

\H{manpage-more-information} MORE INFORMATION

For more information on Halibut, including full details of the input
file format, look in the full manual. If this is not installed
locally on your system, you can also find it at the Halibut web site:

\W{https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/halibut/}\cw{https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/halibut/}

\H{manpage-bugs} BUGS

This man page isn't terribly complete.

\versionid Halibut version 1.3
