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13 Definition Commands ¶

The @deffn command and the other definition commands enable you to describe functions, variables, macros, commands, user options, special forms and other entities in a uniform format.

In the output, the name of the entity is shown with any arguments, along with the entity category —‘Function’, ‘Variable’, or whatever. Underneath, the body of the definition is indented. The name of the entity is also entered into the appropriate index.

All the definition commands follow a similar format. This chapter starts by describing @deffn before detailing all the other definition commands.

• The Template for a Definition
• Definition Command Continuation Lines
• Optional and Repeated Arguments
• Omitting the Space After a Definition Name
• @deffnx, et al.: Two or More ‘First’ Lines
• The Definition Commands
• Generic Definition Commands
• Conventions for Writing Definitions
• A Sample Function Definition