\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
@c %**start of header
@setfilename hello.info
@include version.texi
@settitle GNU Hello @value{VERSION}

@c Define a new index for options.
@defcodeindex op
@c Combine everything into one index (arbitrarily chosen to be the
@c concept index).
@syncodeindex op cp
@c %**end of header

@copying
This manual is for GNU Hello (version @value{VERSION}, @value{UPDATED}),
which prints a friendly greeting (and serves as an example GNU package).

Copyright @copyright{} 1992--2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

@quotation
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
Texts.  A copy of the license is included in the section entitled
``GNU Free Documentation License''.
@end quotation
@end copying
@c If your manual is published on paper by the FSF, it should include
@c the standard FSF Front-Cover and Back-Cover Texts, as given in
@c maintain.texi.

@dircategory Basics
@direntry
* Hello: (hello).               Hello, GNU world.
@end direntry

@titlepage
@title GNU Hello
@subtitle for version @value{VERSION}, @value{UPDATED}
@author GNU Hello Developers (@email{bug-hello@@gnu.org})
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
@insertcopying
@end titlepage

@contents


@ifnottex
@node Top
@top GNU Hello

This manual is for GNU Hello (version @value{VERSION}, @value{UPDATED}),
which prints a friendly greeting (and serves as an example GNU package).
@end ifnottex

@menu
* Overview::		General purpose and information.
* Sample output::	Sample output from @command{hello}.
* Invoking hello::	How to run @command{hello}.
* Reporting bugs::	Sending bug reports and feature suggestions.
* GNU Free Documentation License:: Copying and sharing this documentation.
* Concept index::	Index of concepts.
@end menu


@node Overview
@chapter Overview

@cindex greetings
@cindex overview

The GNU @command{hello} program
(@url{https://www.gnu.org/software/hello/}) produces a familiar,
friendly greeting.  It allows nonprogrammers to use a classic computer
science tool which would otherwise be unavailable to them.  Because it
is protected by the GNU General Public License, users are free (in
perpetuity) to share and change it.

@cindex joke, not
Not to spoil the joke, but of course the practical purpose of GNU
Hello is to serve as a minimal example of a GNU package.  So, although
most manuals don't need to discuss the implementation of the programs
they document, that is part of the goal here.

@cindex GNU coding standards
@cindex GNU maintainer standards
@cindex standards, GNU coding
@cindex standards, GNU maintainer
First, GNU Hello follows the GNU coding standards
(@pxref{Top,,Preface,standards,GNU Coding Standards}) and GNU
maintainer standards (@pxref{Top,,Preface,maintain, Information for
GNU Maintainers}).  These are the basic documents which all GNU
packages should adhere to.

The Hello package also implements recommended development practices
not embodied in the standards, using other GNU packages and features:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@cindex Automake
@cindex Autoconf
It uses Automake (@pxref{Top,,Introduction,automake,GNU Automake}) and
hence also Autoconf (@pxref{Top,,Introduction,autoconf,GNU Autoconf})
for configuration.

@item
@cindex Gnulib
@cindex @command{srclist-update} script
@cindex @file{README-dev} source file
It uses Gnulib (@pxref{Top,,Introduction,gnulib,GNU Gnulib}) to enhance
portability and avoid duplication of common sources.  Both
@code{gnulib-tool} and @code{srclist-update} are used, for purposes of
example.  See the @file{README-dev} file in the distribution.

@item
@cindex Gettext
GNU Gettext (@pxref{Top,,Introduction,gettext,GNU Gettext}) is used
for internationalization support.  Hello's greeting has been translated
into many languages.

@item
@opindex --help
Internally, Hello uses the GNU @code{getopt_long} function
(@pxref{Getopt Long Options,,,libc,GNU C Library}) to parse options,
thus supporting GNU-style long options such as @option{--help}.

@item
@cindex Help2man
The Hello Man page is generated with GNU @code{help2man}
(@pxref{Top,,Overview,help2man,GNU @code{help2man}}) from the
@option{--help} output.  This relieves the maintainers from the burden
of updating separate man documentation, yet provides a reasonable
overview for man devotees.

@item
@cindex Texinfo
Finally, Texinfo (@pxref{Top,,Introduction,texinfo,Texinfo}) is the
documentation format for this manual.  It supports output in Info,
HTML, PDF, DVI, plain text, XML, and other formats.

@end itemize

GNU Hello is implemented in C@.  The GNU Gettext distribution contains
``hello world'' examples in many other programming languages; see the
Gettext home page at @url{https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/}.

@cindex @file{Makefile.am} targets
The top-level @file{Makefile.am} in Hello also contains a few special
targets for other projects to adapt as desired:

@table @code
@item diff
Make a diff from the previous release, assuming the current tarball is
in the current tarball.

@item po-check
Verify that all source files using @code{_()} are included for
translation in @file{po/POTFILES.in}, so translators will have all the
messages.

@item wwwdoc
Sample procedure for updating the manual on the GNU web site, in this
case @url{https://www.gnu.org/software/hello/manual/}.
@end table

@cindex authors
@cindex Haertel, Mike
@cindex MacKenzie, David
@cindex Brittenson, Jan
@cindex Hannum, Charles
@cindex McGrath, Roland
@cindex Friedman, Noah
@cindex Eichwalder, Karl
@cindex King, The
@cindex Berry, Karl
GNU Hello was written by Mike Haertel, David MacKenzie, Jan
Brittenson, Charles Hannum, Roland McGrath, Noah Friedman, Karl
Eichwalder, Karl Berry, and @w{The King}.


@node Sample output
@chapter Sample output

@cindex sample output
@cindex examples

Here are some examples of running GNU Hello.

This is the output of the command @samp{hello}:

@example
Hello, world!
@end example

This is the output of the command @samp{hello --traditional}:

@example
hello, world
@end example

This is the output of the command @samp{hello --greeting=hi}:

@example
hi
@end example


@node Invoking hello
@chapter Invoking @command{hello}

@cindex invoking
@cindex options
@cindex usage
@cindex help

The format for running the @command{hello} program is:

@example
hello @var{option} @dots{}
@end example

With no options, @command{hello} prints the greeting @samp{Hello,
world!}.

@command{hello} supports the following options:

@table @option
@item --greeting=@var{text}
@itemx -g @var{text}
@opindex --greeting
@opindex -g
Output @var{text} instead of the default greeting.

@item --help
@opindex --help
Print an informative help message on standard output and exit
successfully.

@cindex environment variables, help for
@c This comment prevents `make syntax-check' from diagnosing a doubled word "for\nFor"
For the @option{--help} output of GNU programs, it's strongly
encouraged to include a brief (one or two sentences) description of
what the program does, as well as the synopsis of how to run the
program.  Any environment variables which affect execution should also
be mentioned (Hello doesn't have any).

@item --traditional
@itemx -t
@opindex --traditional
@opindex -t
@cindex traditional
@cindex modern
Output the traditional greeting message @samp{hello, world}.

@item --version
@opindex --version
Print the version number and licensing information of Hello on
standard output and then exit successfully.

@end table

If more than one of the greeting options (@option{-g},
@option{-t}, and their long-named equivalents) is specified, whichever
comes last takes precedence.


@node Reporting bugs
@chapter Reporting bugs

@cindex bug reporting
@cindex problems
@cindex reporting bugs

To report bugs, suggest enhancements or otherwise discuss GNU Hello,
please send electronic mail to @email{bug-hello@@gnu.org}.

@cindex checklist for bug reports
For bug reports, please include enough information for the maintainers
to reproduce the problem.  Generally speaking, that means:

@itemize @bullet
@item The version numbers of Hello (which you can find by running
      @w{@samp{hello --version}}) and any other program(s) or
      manual(s) involved.
@item Hardware and operating system names and versions.
@item The contents of any input files necessary to reproduce the bug.
@item The expected behavior and/or output.
@item A description of the problem and samples of any erroneous output.
@item Options you gave to @command{configure} other than specifying
      installation directories.
@item Anything else that you think would be helpful.
@end itemize

When in doubt whether something is needed or not, include it.  It's
better to include too much than to leave out something important.

@cindex patches, contributing
Patches are welcome; if possible, please make them with @samp{@w{git
format-patch}} and include @file{ChangeLog} entries (@pxref{Change
Log,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).  Please follow the existing coding
style.


@node GNU Free Documentation License
@appendix GNU Free Documentation License

@include fdl.texi


@node Concept index
@unnumbered Concept index

@printindex cp

@bye
