NAME

PDL::Doc::Perldl - commands for accessing PDL doc database from 'perldl' shell

DESCRIPTION

This module provides a simple set of functions to access the PDL documentation of database, for use from the perldl or pdl2 shells as well as the pdldoc command-line program.

Autoload files are also matched, via a search of the PDLLIB autoloader tree. That behavior can be switched off with the variable $PERLDL::STRICT_DOCS (true: don't search autoload tree; false: search the autoload tree.)

Currently, multiple matches are not handled very well.

SYNOPSIS

 use PDL::Doc::Perldl; # Load all documentation functions

BUGS

The description contains the misleading word "simple".

FUNCTIONS

apropos

Regex search PDL documentation database

 apropos 'text'

 pdl> apropos 'pic'
 rpic            Read images in many formats with automatic format detection.
 rpiccan         Test which image formats can be read/written
 wmpeg           Write an image sequence ((x,y,n) piddle) as an MPEG animation.
 wpic            Write images in many formats with automatic format selection.
 wpiccan         Test which image formats can be read/written

To find all the manuals that come with PDL, try

  apropos 'manual:'

and to get quick info about PDL modules say

  apropos 'module:'

You get more detailed info about a PDL function/module/manual with the "help" function

PDL::Doc::Perldl::search_docs

Internal routine to search docs database and autoload files

PDL::Doc::Perldl::finddoc

Internal interface to the PDL documentation searcher

find_autodoc

Internal helper routine that finds and returns documentation in the autoloader path, if it exists. You feed in a topic and it searches for the file "${topic}.pdl". If that exists, then the filename gets returned in a match structure appropriate for the rest of finddoc.

usage

Prints usage information for a PDL function

 Usage: usage 'func'

   pdl> usage 'inner'

   inner           inner prodcuct over one dimension
                   (Module PDL::Primitive)

   Signature: inner(a(n); b(n); [o]c(); )

sig

prints signature of PDL function

 sig 'func'

The signature is the normal dimensionality of the function's arguments. Calling with different dimensions doesn't break -- it causes threading. See PDL::PP for details.

  pdl> sig 'outer'
    Signature: outer(a(n); b(m); [o]c(n,m); )

whatis

Describe a perl and/or PDL variable or expression. Useful for determining the type of an expression, identifying the keys in a hash or a data structure, or examining WTF an unknown object is.

 Usage: whatis $var
        whatis <expression>

help

print documentation about a PDL function or module or show a PDL manual

In the case of multiple matches, the first command found is printed out, and the remaining commands listed, along with the names of their modules.

 Usage: help 'func'

 pdl> help 'PDL::Tutorials' # show the guide to PDL tutorials
 pdl> help 'PDL::Slices'    # show the docs in the PDL::Slices module
 pdl> help 'slice'          # show docs on the 'slice' function

badinfo

provides information on the bad-value support of a function

And has a horrible name.

 badinfo 'func'