(octave.info)The INDEX File

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37.4.2 The INDEX File
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The optional ‘INDEX’ file provides a categorical view of the functions
in the package.  This file has a very simple format

   • Lines beginning with ‘#’ are comments.

   • The first non-comment line should look like this

          toolbox >> Toolbox name

   • Lines beginning with an alphabetical character indicates a new
     category of functions.

   • Lines starting with a white space character indicate that the
     function names on the line belong to the last mentioned category.

The format can be summarized with the following example:

     # A comment
     toolbox >> Toolbox name
     Category Name 1
      function1 function2 function3
      function4
     Category Name 2
      function2 function5

   If you wish to refer to a function that users might expect to find in
your package but is not there, providing a work around or pointing out
that the function is available elsewhere, you can use:

     fn = workaround description

This workaround description will not appear when listing functions in
the package with ‘pkg describe’ but they will be published in the HTML
documentation online.  Workaround descriptions can use any HTML markup,
but keep in mind that it will be enclosed in a bold-italic environment.
For the special case of:

     fn = use <code>alternate expression</code>

the bold-italic is automatically suppressed.  You will need to use
‘<code>’ even in references:

     fn = use <a href="someothersite.html"><code>fn</code></a>

Sometimes functions are only partially compatible, in which case you can
list the non-compatible cases separately.  To refer to another function
in the package, use ‘<f>fn</f>’.  For example:

     eig (a, b) = use <f>qz</f>

Since sites may have many missing functions, you can define a macro
rather than typing the same link over and again.

     $id = expansion

defines the macro id.  You can use ‘$id’ anywhere in the description and
it will be expanded.  For example:

     $TSA = see <a href="link_to_spctools">SPC Tools</a>
     arcov = $TSA <code>armcv</code>

id is any string of letters, numbers and ‘_’.