On 12-Dec-97 Todd Vierling spoke unto us all:
# 
# It doesn't break _our_ man(1) behavior--add such a section as '4z' to
# /etc/man.conf, put something in that man directory, and man it.  It will
# work fine.  My suggestion was to _add_ -s to explicitly specify a man
# section so there would be no confusion betwen page name and section name.
# (It certainly wouldn't be a required option by any means.)

I can't argue with an option.  Add all the extensible behavior you like.. just
don't break anything.. ;)

# : I like the A and H section ideas. A) it doesnt break current man behavior.
# 
# Should I go pull out SVR3 and tell you what the 1-letter codes "should" be?
# (Yes, UN*X has used single letters instead of numbers before; SVR3 used man
# catgories that were only letters.)  I still argue 7h to prevent a slip back
# into SVR3 style; I certainly wouldn't propose 1h or 8h because thse
# documents simply aren't commands (the basis for sections 1 and 8).

Do we really want to follow a convention that SVR4 didn't even take with them? 
I think looking to SVR3 for guidance is like looking at cavemen for advice on
tool use.  I suppose it really doesn't matter..  I just suggested H because
it's somewhat mnemonic.  If you have to tell users that help is under "j" they
are going to look at you funny.

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Tim Rightnour    -  root@garbled.futureone.com
http://www.zynetwc.com/~garbled/garbled.html