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+.. highlightlang:: rest
+
+Differences to the LaTeX markup
+===============================
+
+Though the markup language is different, most of the concepts and markup types
+of the old LaTeX docs have been kept -- environments as reST directives, inline
+commands as reST roles and so forth.
+
+However, there are some differences in the way these work, partly due to the
+differences in the markup languages, partly due to improvements in Sphinx.  This
+section lists these differences, in order to give those familiar with the old
+format a quick overview of what they might run into.
+
+Inline markup
+-------------
+
+These changes have been made to inline markup:
+
+* **Cross-reference roles**
+
+  Most of the following semantic roles existed previously as inline commands,
+  but didn't do anything except formatting the content as code.  Now, they
+  cross-reference to known targets (some names have also been shortened):
+
+  | *mod* (previously *refmodule* or *module*)
+  | *func* (previously *function*)
+  | *data* (new)
+  | *const*
+  | *class*
+  | *meth* (previously *method*)
+  | *attr* (previously *member*)
+  | *exc* (previously *exception*)
+  | *cdata*
+  | *cfunc* (previously *cfunction*)
+  | *cmacro* (previously *csimplemacro*)
+  | *ctype*
+
+  Also different is the handling of *func* and *meth*: while previously
+  parentheses were added to the callable name (like ``\func{str()}``), they are
+  now appended by the build system -- appending them in the source will result
+  in double parentheses.  This also means that ``:func:`str(object)``` will not
+  work as expected -- use ````str(object)```` instead!
+
+* **Inline commands implemented as directives**
+
+  These were inline commands in LaTeX, but are now directives in reST:
+
+  | *deprecated*
+  | *versionadded*
+  | *versionchanged*
+
+  These are used like so::
+
+     .. deprecated:: 2.5
+        Reason of deprecation.
+
+  Also, no period is appended to the text for *versionadded* and
+  *versionchanged*.
+
+  | *note*
+  | *warning*
+
+  These are used like so::
+
+     .. note::
+
+        Content of note.
+
+* **Otherwise changed commands**
+
+  The *samp* command previously formatted code and added quotation marks around
+  it.  The *samp* role, however, features a new highlighting system just like
+  *file* does:
+
+     ``:samp:`open({filename}, {mode})``` results in :samp:`open({filename}, {mode})`
+
+* **Dropped commands**
+
+  These were commands in LaTeX, but are not available as roles:
+
+  | *bfcode*
+  | *character* (use :samp:`\`\`'c'\`\``)
+  | *citetitle* (use ```Title <URL>`_``)
+  | *code* (use ````code````)
+  | *email* (just write the address in body text)
+  | *filenq*
+  | *filevar* (use the ``{...}`` highlighting feature of *file*)
+  | *programopt*, *longprogramopt* (use *option*)
+  | *ulink* (use ```Title <URL>`_``)
+  | *url* (just write the URL in body text)
+  | *var* (use ``*var*``)
+  | *infinity*, *plusminus* (use the Unicode character)
+  | *shortversion*, *version* (use the ``|version|`` and ``|release|`` substitutions)
+  | *emph*, *strong* (use the reST markup)
+
+* **Backslash escaping**
+
+  In reST, a backslash must be escaped in normal text, and in the content of
+  roles.  However, in code literals and literal blocks, it must not be escaped.
+  Example: ``:file:`C:\\Temp\\my.tmp``` vs. ````open("C:\Temp\my.tmp")````.
+
+
+Information units
+-----------------
+
+Information units (*...desc* environments) have been made reST directives.
+These changes to information units should be noted:
+
+* **New names**
+
+  "desc" has been removed from every name.  Additionally, these directives have
+  new names:
+
+  | *cfunction* (previously *cfuncdesc*)
+  | *cmacro* (previously *csimplemacrodesc*)
+  | *exception* (previously *excdesc*)
+  | *function* (previously *funcdesc*)
+  | *attribute* (previously *memberdesc*)
+
+  The *classdesc\** and *excclassdesc* environments have been dropped, the
+  *class* and *exception* directives support classes documented with and without
+  constructor arguments.
+
+* **Multiple objects**
+
+  The equivalent of the *...line* commands is::
+
+     .. function:: do_foo(bar)
+                   do_bar(baz)
+
+        Description of the functions.
+
+  IOW, just give one signatures per line, at the same indentation level.
+
+* **Arguments**
+
+  There is no *optional* command.  Just give function signatures like they
+  should appear in the output::
+
+     .. function:: open(filename[, mode[, buffering]])
+
+        Description.
+
+  Note: markup in the signature is not supported.
+
+* **Indexing**
+
+  The *...descni* environments have been dropped.  To mark an information unit
+  as unsuitable for index entry generation, use the *noindex* option like so::
+
+     .. function:: foo_*
+        :noindex:
+
+        Description.
+
+* **New information unit**
+
+  There is a new generic information unit called "describe" which can be used
+  to document things that are not covered by the other units::
+
+     .. describe:: a == b
+
+        The equals operator.
+
+
+Structure
+---------
+
+The LaTeX docs were split in several toplevel manuals.  Now, all files
+are part of the same documentation tree, as indicated by the *toctree*
+directives in the sources.  Every *toctree* directive embeds other files
+as subdocuments of the current file (this structure is not necessarily
+mirrored in the filesystem layout).  The toplevel file is
+:file:`contents.rst`.
+
+However, most of the old directory structure has been kept, with the
+directories renamed as follows:
+
+* :file:`api` -> :file:`c-api`
+* :file:`dist` -> :file:`distutils`, with the single TeX file split up
+* :file:`doc` -> :file:`documenting`
+* :file:`ext` -> :file:`extending`
+* :file:`inst` -> :file:`installing`
+* :file:`lib` -> :file:`library`
+* :file:`mac` -> merged into :file:`library`, with `mac/using.tex`
+  moved to `howto/pythonmac.rst`
+* :file:`ref` -> :file:`reference`
+* :file:`tut` -> :file:`tutorial`, with the single TeX file split up
+
+
+.. XXX more (index-generating, production lists, ...)