stdman
Formatted C++20 standard library man pages generated from cppreference for Unix systems.
What is stdman?
stdman is a tool that generates formatted Unix manual pages for the C++20 standard library by parsing HTML from cppreference. It solves the problem of accessing up-to-date C++ documentation directly from the terminal without relying on web browsers or poorly formatted existing man pages.
C++ developers working on Unix-based systems (Linux, OS X) who prefer terminal-based documentation and want accurate, well-formatted stdlib references.
Developers choose stdman because it provides high-quality, colorized man pages sourced directly from cppreference, offering a more readable and integrated alternative to web browsing or default libstdc++ pages.
Overview
Formatted C++20 stdlib man pages (cppreference)
Use Cases
Best For
- Quickly looking up C++ standard library functions in the terminal
- Developing C++20 applications on Linux or macOS
- Integrating stdlib documentation into CLI workflows
- Replacing outdated or poorly formatted libstdc++ man pages
- Accessing cppreference content offline via man
- Setting up a colorized documentation system for C++ development
Not Ideal For
- Windows-based development environments without Cygwin or proper Unix emulation
- Projects requiring documentation for non-C++ languages or third-party libraries
- Teams preferring graphical documentation browsers with search and bookmarking features
- Environments where minimal configuration and automatic updates are prioritized
Pros & Cons
Pros
Parses HTML directly from cppreference, ensuring documentation is up-to-date and aligned with the C++ standard, as highlighted in the integration feature.
Supports colorized display when configured with pagers like less or most, enhancing readability, as detailed in the troubleshooting section for setup.
Generates groff-formatted man pages, making C++ stdlib documentation accessible via the standard man command, fitting naturally into terminal workflows.
Allows installation to paths like /usr/local or /usr/share with configurable prefixes, offering control over system integration, as shown in the installation options.
Cons
Requires non-trivial configuration of environment variables and pagers for colorized output, as admitted in the README's troubleshooting for less and most.
May require adjusting MANPATH or risking replacement of existing libstdc++ pages, leading to conflicts and manual intervention, as noted in installation steps.
Building from source depends on specific tools like elinks and a C++11 compiler, adding complexity for users wanting to regenerate pages, as listed in dependencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
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