*! version 0.3 20240606

help file for ad_sthlp

Title

ad_sthlp - Converts mdhlp-files to sthlp-files in the adodown workflow.

Syntax

ad_sthlp , adfolder(string) [commands(string) nopkgmeta]

options Description

adfolder(string) Location of the adodown-styled package

commands(string) List specific command to convert. Default is all in package

nopkgmeta Do not look for a .pkg file for package metadata

Read the adodown package's web-documentation where you find all helpfiles for the commands in this package, as well as articles with guides and best-practices related to the commands in this package.

Description

This command renders Stata helpfiles in the .sthlp format
written in the mdhlp-files written in markdown.
The sthlp-files are then intended to be included instead
of the mdhlp-files when distributing the command using
either ssc install or net install.

In the adodown workflow the mdhlp-files are expected to be stored in a folder mdhlp in the folder that adfolder(string) points to, and the sthlp-files are expected to be written to a folder sthlp in the same location. If the package folder was set up using ad_setup and the commands were added to the package folder using ad_command, then this is already the case.

See this article about valid syntax in the mdhlp files.

Options

adfolder(string) is used to indicate the location of where the adodown-styled package folder already exist.

commands(string) is used to list individual commands to convert from mdhlp to sthlp. One or several commands can be listed. The default when this option is not used is to convert all mdhlp files in the mdhlp folder to sthlp-files.

nopkgmeta tells the command to not look for a .pkg file for version number and version date.
The default is that the header of the .sthlp file is populated from the meta information in the .pkg file.
This option allows this command to be used for .mdhlp files not part of an adodown styled package.
If this option is used, the string NOPKGMETA is used as both version number and version date in the header.

Examples

Example 1

This example assumes that there is already a adodown-styled package folder at the location the local myfolder is pointing to, and that some commands have already been created. Any mdhlp-files in the mdhlp folder in the folder myfolder is pointing to will be rendered to Stata helpfile format and saved in the sthlp folder.

* point a local to the folder where the package is located
local myfolder "path/to/folder"

* Render the Stata helpfiles
ad_sthlp, adf("`myfolder'")

Example 2

This example includes the steps for how to create the adodown-styled package folder in the location the local myfolder is pointing to, creating some commands and then render the template mdhlp-files to Stata helpfiles.

* point a local to the folder where the package is located
local myfolder "path/to/folder"

* Package meta info
local pkg "my_package"
local aut "John Doe"
local des "This packages does amazing thing A, B and C."
local url "https://github.com/lsms-worldbank/adodown"
local con "jdoe@worldbank.org"

* Set up adodown-styled package folder
ad_setup, adfolder("`myfolder'") autoconfirm ///
name("`pkg'") author("`aut'") desc("`des'") ///
url("`url'") contact("`con'")

* Add command mycmd to the package folder
ad_command create mycmd1, adf("`myfolder'") pkg("`pkg'")
ad_command create mycmd2, adf("`myfolder'") pkg("`pkg'")

* Render the Stata helpfiles
ad_sthlp, adf("`myfolder'")

Feedback, bug reports and contributions

Read more about the commands in this package on the GitHub repository for the adodown package.

Please use the issues feature e to communicate any feedback, report bugs, or to make feature requests.

PRs with suggestions for improvements are also greatly appreciated.

Authors

LSMS Team, The World Bank lsms@worldbank.org