---
name: "strip_stx"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "stx2any"
version: "1.56-2.3"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/strip_stx"
---

# strip\_stx(1)

a simple literate programming tool

## NAME

strip\_stx - a simple literate programming tool

## SYNOPSIS

`strip_stx` \[ -c *commentchars* \] \[ -B *open*  *close* \] \[ *file*  *file* ... \]

## DESCRIPTION

`strip_stx` takes all structured text (Stx) markup away from the listed *files*, leaving only text in preformatted blocks.  If no files are listed, standard input is read instead.  The result is written to standard output.

This is intended as a simple literate programming tool: programmers may write their programs as documents, processing them with `stx2any` for documentation and publication but with `strip_stx` for compilation / running the code.

More information about Stx is on the manpage of `stx2any`.

## OPTIONS

- `-c `*commentchars*

  *comment out the non-code portions (text outside preformatted* *blocks) with the given commentchars at the beginning of every* *line.  If this option (or the next one) is not given, non-code* *portions are simply deleted.*

- `-B `*open*` `*close*

  *surround the non-code portions with (comment-)opening and* *closing markers open and close respectively.  This option* *can be used together with the* `-c` *option.*

- `--version`*,* `-V`

  *Just show version information and exit.*

- `--help`*,* `-?`

  *Just show a short help message and exit.*

## EXAMPLES

`strip_stx parse.py.stx > parse.py`

*Strip documentation away from the source file* `parse.py.stx`*,* *supposedly only leaving python code there.*

`strip_stx -B '/*' ' */' -c ' * ' my.c.stx > my.c`

*Make a literate C code document into proper C source file, leaving the* *documentation in neatly-formatted comments.*

`strip_stx -B 'cat < < EOT' 'EOT' embshell.stx > embshell.sh`

*Turn the document* `embshell.stx` *into an “embedded shell” script,* *where all non-program portions are printed to the standard output when* *execution reaches them.  This is akin to PHP or eperl; but* `strip_stx` *is not really meant for this.  There are other options for making* *embedded scripts, such as defining your own markup for the code portions* *or handling the program logic with* `m4` *within* `stx2any`*.*

## SEE ALSO

`stx2any` *(1)*

## AUTHOR

*This page is written by Panu A. Kalliokoski.*