tds: Documentation

 
 3.7 Documentation
 =================
 
 Most packages come with some form of documentation: user manuals,
 example files, programming guides, etc.  In addition, many independent
 files not part of any macro or other package have been created to
 describe various aspects of the TeX system.
 
    The TDS specifies that these additional documentation files shall be
 stored in a structure that parallels to some extent the `fonts' and
 `tex' directories, as follows:
 
      texmf/doc/CATEGORY/...
 
    `CATEGORY' identifies the general topic of documentation that
 resides below it; for example, a TeX format name (`latex'), program
 name (`bibtex', `tex'), language (`french', `german'), a file format
 (`info', `man'), or other system components (`web', `fonts').
 
    One possible arrangement is to organize `doc' by language, with all
 the other category types below that.  This helps users find
 documentation in the language(s) in which they are fluent.  Neither this
 nor any other particular arrangement is required, however.
 
    Within each `CATEGORY' tree for a TeX format, the directory `base'
 is reserved for base documentation distributed by the format's
 maintainers.
 
    The TDS reserves the following category names:
 
    * `general', for standalone documents not specific to any particular
      program (for example, Joachim Schrod's `Components of TeX').
 
    * `help', for meta-information, such as FAQ's, the TeX Catalogue,
      etc.
 
    * `info', for processed Texinfo documents.  (Info files, like
      anything else, may also be stored outside the TDS, at the
      installer's option.)
 
    * `local', for local additions. See Section ⇒Local additions.
 
 
    The `doc' directory is intended for implementation-independent and
 operating system-independent documentation files.
 Implementation-dependent files are best stored elsewhere, as provided
 for by the implementation and/or TeX administrator (for example, VMS
 help files under `texmf/vms/help').
 
    The documentation directories may contain TeX sources, DVI files,
 PostScript files, text files, example input files, or any other useful
 documentation format(s).
 
    See Section ⇒Documentation tree summary for a summary.