more examples, WS and linking from Peter. Thanks :)

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-autoload-filters.xml

@@ -17,7 +17,16 @@ $smarty->autoload_filters = array('pre' => array('trim', 'stamp'),
 ?>
 ]]>
         </programlisting>
-       </informalexample> 
+       </informalexample>
+      </para>
+
+      <para>
+      See also
+      <link linkend="api.register.outputfilter">register_outputfilter()</link>,
+      <link linkend="api.register.prefilter">register_prefilter()</link>,
+      <link linkend="api.register.postfilter">register_postfilter()</link>
+      and
+   <link linkend="api.load.filter">load_filter()</link>
       </para>
      </sect1>
 

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-cache-dir.xml

@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
       <title>$cache_dir</title>
       <para>
        This is the name of the directory where template caches are
-       stored. By default this is "./cache", meaning that it will look
-       for the cache directory in the same directory as the executing
-       php script.
+       stored. By default this is
+       <filename class="directory">"./cache"</filename>, meaning that
+       Smarty will look for the cache directory in the same directory
+       as the executing php script.
        <emphasis role="bold">This directory must
-     be writeable by the web server. </emphasis>
+     be writeable by the web server</emphasis>
+     (<link linkend="installing.smarty.basic">see install</link>).
      You can also use your own
        <link linkend="section.template.cache.handler.func">
        custom cache handler</link>
@@ -64,3 +66,4 @@ vim600: syn=xml fen fdm=syntax fdl=2 si
 vim: et tw=78 syn=sgml
 vi: ts=1 sw=1
 -->
+

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-caching.xml

@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
      <sect1 id="variable.caching">
       <title>$caching</title>
       <para>
-	   This tells Smarty whether or not to cache the output of the templates.
+	   This tells Smarty whether or not to cache the output of the templates
+	   to the <link linkend="variable.cache.dir">$cache_dir</link>.
 	   By default this is set to 0, or disabled. If your templates generate
 	   redundant content, it is advisable to turn on $caching. This
 	   will result in significant performance gains. You can also have

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-compile-dir.xml

@@ -4,10 +4,14 @@
     <title>$compile_dir</title>
     <para>
      This is the name of the directory where compiled templates are
-     located. By default this is "./templates_c", meaning that it
+     located. By default this is
+     <filename class="directory">"./templates_c"</filename>
+     , meaning that it
      will look for the compile directory in the same directory as
      the executing php script. <emphasis role="bold">This directory must
-     be writeable by the web server. </emphasis> See also
+     be writeable by the web server</emphasis>
+     (<link linkend="installing.smarty.basic">see install</link>).
+     Also
      <link linkend="variable.use.sub.dirs">$use_sub_dirs</link>.
 
     </para>

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-config-dir.xml

@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@
        This is the directory used to store
        <link linkend="config.files">config files</link>
        used in the
-       templates. Default is "./configs", meaning that it will look
-       for the configs directory in the same directory as the
-       executing php script.
+       templates. Default is
+       <filename class="directory">"./configs"</filename>, meaning that
+       Smarty will look for the configs directory in the same directory
+       as the executing php script.
       </para>
 	 <note>
 	 <title>Technical Note</title>

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-debug-tpl.xml

@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
       <title>$debug_tpl</title>
       <para>
 	   This is the name of the template file used for the debugging console. By
-	   default, it is named debug.tpl and is located in the <link
+	   default, it is named <filename>debug.tpl</filename> and is
+	   located in the <link
 	   linkend="constant.smarty.dir">SMARTY_DIR</link>.
       </para>
       <para>

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-php-handling.xml

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
        SMARTY_PHP_PASSTHRU. Note that this does NOT affect php code
        within <link linkend="language.function.php">{php}{/php}</link>
        tags in the template.
-      </para>    
+      </para>
       <itemizedlist>
        <listitem><para>SMARTY_PHP_PASSTHRU - Smarty echos tags as-is.</para></listitem>
        <listitem><para>SMARTY_PHP_QUOTE - Smarty quotes the tags as
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
       <note>
        <para>
         Embedding PHP code into templates is highly discouraged.
-        Use <link linkend="language.custom.functions">custom functions</link> or
-        <link linkend="language.modifiers">modifiers</link> instead.
+        Use <link linkend="plugins.functions">custom functions</link> or
+        <link linkend="plugins.modifiers">modifiers</link> instead.
        </para>
       </note>
 </sect1>

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-plugins-dir.xml

@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
       <title>$plugins_dir</title>
       <para>
        This is the directory (or directories) where Smarty will look for the
-       plugins that it needs. Default is "plugins" under the
+       plugins that it needs. Default is
+       <filename class="directory">"plugins"</filename> under the
        <link linkend="constant.smarty.dir">SMARTY_DIR</link>. If you
        supply a relative path, Smarty will first look under the
        <link linkend="constant.smarty.dir">SMARTY_DIR</link>, then
@@ -13,14 +14,33 @@
        search for your plugin in each plugin directory in the order they are
        given.
       </para>
-	  <note>
-	  <title>Technical Note</title>
-	  <para>
-	  For best performance, do not setup your plugins_dir to have to use the
-	  PHP include path. Use an absolute pathname, or a path relative to
-	  SMARTY_DIR or the cwd.
-	  </para>
-	  </note>
+      <note>
+         <title>Technical Note</title>
+         <para>
+          For best performance, do not setup your $plugins_dir to have to use
+          the PHP include path. Use an absolute pathname, or a path relative
+          to SMARTY_DIR or the cwd.
+          </para>
+        </note>
+
+      <example>
+      <title>multiple $plugins_dir</title>
+      <programlisting role="php">
+<![CDATA[
+<?php
+
+$smarty->plugins_dir = array(
+                       'plugins', // the default under SMARTY_DIR
+                       '/path/to/shared/plugins',
+                       '../../includes/my/plugins'
+                       );
+
+?>
+
+]]>
+    </programlisting>
+    </example>
+
 </sect1>
 <!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
 Local variables:

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-template-dir.xml

@@ -5,9 +5,12 @@
     <para>
      This is the name of the default template directory. If you do
      not supply a resource type when including files, they will be
-     found here. By default this is "./templates", meaning that it
-     will look for the templates directory in the same directory as
-     the executing php script.
+     found here. By default this is
+     <filename class="directory">"./templates"</filename>,
+     meaning that Smarty
+     will look for the
+     <filename class="directory">templates</filename> directory in
+     the same directory as the executing php script.
     </para>
     <note>
      <title>Technical Note</title>

docs/en/programmers/api-variables/variable-use-sub-dirs.xml

@@ -23,8 +23,9 @@ nothing.
 <note>
 <title>Technical Note</title>
 <para>
-$use_sub_dirs=true doesn't work with safe_mode=On, that's why it's
-switchable and  why it's off by default.
+$use_sub_dirs=true doesn't work with
+<ulink url="&url.php-manual;features.safe-mode">safe_mode=On</ulink>,
+that's why it's switchable and  why it's off by default.
 </para>
 </note>
       <note>