: Is there a definition for formatting plain text documents like they are on TLDP.org? Is there a formal specification for authoring plain text documents like they (mostly) are on http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/text/?

Is there a formal specification for authoring plain text documents like they (mostly) are on www.tldp.org/HOWTO/text/?
If so, what is it called? Where is it documented?

I'm looking for a guide/spec that would state the formatting rules like "break sections apart with the - character repeated the full length of the screen," etc. Basically I'm wondering if there's a manual I can read that outlines the rules for authoring documents like these in plain text, or if I should just do my best to mimic it.

Aside: I noticed that several of these text documents don't follow 100% exactly the same format, though they all look roughly alike. Are there different versions of this specification, or is this just personal preference by the authors?

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@Gretchen741

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@Chiappetta298

It seems that the documents you refer to are not written directly in plain text. According to the TLDP FAQ the "HOWTOs are written in SGML or XML, and translated to different output formats using SGML-Tools (Linuxdoc DTD) or the DocBook/DSSSL tools."

I'm supposing then that the plain text output layout is specified by the tools themselves.

Linuxdoc DTD seems to be old tech, but there is a page here: Creating documentation with LinuxDoc that could give you a way forward.

Similarly, this page: DocBook Project gives information on DocBook.

Good luck with your search - I hope you find what you need.

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@Pope4766717

Yes, there is the LDP Author's Guide, on LDP itself.

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: Is there a definition for formatting plain text documents like they are on TLDP.org? Is there a formal specification for authoring plain text documents like they (mostly) are on http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/text/?

More posts by @Gretchen741

: Where can I find good writers in a specific field for a particular English dialect? On which website can I find good authors in a specific field? For example I want to know good British authors

: One could provide two completely different possible explanations of the mystery at the end. That reminds me of the novel K-PAX by Gene Brewer (which has also been turned into a motion picture),

: How does one go about describing someone doing Naruto like hand symbols? Like how do I describe if someone is doing symbols with their hands like this? I want to describe specific hand formation

: How much indirection is too much? I'm writing a chapter with a lot of indirection, and I'm wondering if I'm doing too much of it. To be specific, it is the main character remembering an event

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