diff --git a/doc/api/api.pro b/doc/api/api.pro
index aba8fb4bbd461210c5ceff1d75abebdb226ba075..cfa103dee7c204eb6970dbcad12735fc6a78a6e3 100644
--- a/doc/api/api.pro
+++ b/doc/api/api.pro
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ equals(QMAKE_DIR_SEP, /) { # unix, mingw+msys
HELP_FILES = $$PWD/qtcreator-dev.qdocconf
HELP_DEP_FILES = $$PWD/qtcreator-api.qdoc \
$$PWD/coding-style.qdoc \
+ $$PWD/external-tool-spec.qdoc \
$$PWD/qtcreator-dev.qdoc \
$$PWD/qtcreator-dev.qdocconf
diff --git a/doc/api/external-tool-spec.qdoc b/doc/api/external-tool-spec.qdoc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..be472e18e27ed59a11edb8cbe7bdcff231fba57d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/external-tool-spec.qdoc
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+/****************************************************************************
+**
+** This file is part of Qt Creator
+**
+** Copyright (c) 2011 Nokia Corporation and/or its subsidiary(-ies).
+**
+** Contact: Nokia Corporation (info@qt.nokia.com)
+**
+**
+** GNU Free Documentation License
+**
+** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU Free
+** Documentation License version 1.3 as published by the Free Software
+** Foundation and appearing in the file included in the packaging of this
+** file.
+**
+** If you have questions regarding the use of this file, please contact
+** Nokia at qt-info@nokia.com.
+**
+****************************************************************************/
+
+/*!
+ \page external-tool-spec.html
+ \title External Tool Specification Files
+
+ \section1 Description
+
+ File that describes a tool that can be run from the \gui { Tools > External } menu.
+ It specifies the name, the binary to run, what parameters the binary should get
+ and what should happen with the tool's output.
+
+ \section1 File Name
+
+ \c {<yourtoolname>.xml}
+
+ \section1 Location
+
+ User specific tools are located in \c {$HOME/.config/Nokia/qtcreator/externaltools}
+ on Mac and Linux, and in \c {%APPDATA%\Nokia\qtcreator\externaltools} on Windows.
+
+ System wide tools are located in \c {<Qt Creator install>/share/qtcreator/externaltools}
+ on Windows and Linux, and in \c {Qt Creator.app/Contents/Resources/externaltools} on Mac.
+
+ \section1 File Format
+
+ External tool specifications are XML files with the following structure.
+
+ \section2 Main Tag
+
+ The root tag is \c externaltool. It has a mandatory attribute \c id.
+
+ \table
+ \header
+ \o Tag
+ \o Meaning
+ \row
+ \o externaltool
+ \o Root element in a external tool's xml file.
+ \endtable
+ \table
+ \header
+ \o Attribute
+ \o Meaning
+ \row
+ \o id
+ \o This is a string that is used as an identifier for the external tool.
+ There can be no two tools with the same id. Required.
+ \endtable
+
+ \section2 Description Tags
+
+ It is mandatory that you give your tool a description, display name and category.
+ All three can optionally be translated into different languages by adding multiple
+ \c description, \c displayname and \c category tags with different language attributes.
+
+ \table
+ \header
+ \o Tag
+ \o Meaning
+ \row
+ \o description
+ \o Short, one-line description of what the tool is for. Required.
+ \row
+ \o displayname
+ \o Name to show in the menu item for the tool. Required.
+ \row
+ \o category
+ \o Name of the category to show the tool in.
+ This is the name of the sub menu under the \c { Tools > External } menu which
+ will contain this tool. E.g. a value of \c "Text" for the category will
+ put the tool's menu item in the \c { Tools > External > Text } menu. Required.
+ \endtable
+ \table
+ \header
+ \o Attribute
+ \o Meaning
+ \row
+ \o xml:lang
+ \o Language code (e.g. \c "en" or \c "de") of the lanugage that is used for
+ the description, display name, or category. Optional.
+ \endtable
+
+ \section2 Executable Specification Tag
+
+ It is mandatory to add a \c executable tag under the root tag, that specifies what to run,
+ the parameters given to the process, and what to do with the output.
+
+ \table
+ \header
+ \o Tag
+ \o Meaning
+ \row
+ \o executable
+ \o Encloses subtags that specify what to run and which parameters to use. Required.
+ \endtable
+ \table
+ \header
+ \o Attribute
+ \o Meaning
+ \row
+ \o output
+ \o Specifies what to do with the tool's standard output stream.
+ See \l{Output Behavior Flags} below. Defaults to \c ShowInPane. Optional.
+ \row
+ \o error
+ \o Specifies what to do with the tool's standard error stream.
+ See \l{Output Behavior Flags} below. Defaults to \c ShowInPane. Optional.
+ \row
+ \o modifiesdocument
+ \o Spefifies if Qt Creator should expect a change of the current document.
+ If this flag is set, Qt Creator asks for saving the current document
+ before running the tool (if the current document was modified),
+ and silently reloads the current document after the tool has finished.
+ \c "yes" or \c "no" (defaults to \c "no"). Optional.
+ \endtable
+
+ The \c executable tag allows the following subtags, it is only required to specify at least
+ one \c path. All subtags can contain special \l{Qt Creator Variables}.
+
+ \table
+ \header
+ \o Subtag
+ \o Meaning
+ \row
+ \o path
+ \o File path to the executable to run, including the executable's file name.
+ If only the executable name is given without a path, it is looked for in the
+ system's PATH environment variable. Can be specified multiple times,
+ Qt Creator then tries to resolve them in the given order and runs the first
+ one that is found. Required.
+ \row
+ \o arguments
+ \o Command line arguments for the executable. This string is in the form
+ (with respect to e.g. quoting and argument splitting) how it would
+ be specified on the command line of the platform the tool runs on. Optional.
+ \row
+ \o workingdirectory
+ \o The working directory that should be set for the executable. Optional.
+ \row
+ \o input
+ \o A potentially multiline string that is passed to the tool via standard input stream.
+ \endtable
+
+ \section1 Example
+
+ \code
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<externaltool id="sort">
+ <description>Sorts the selected text</description>
+ <description xml:lang="de">Sortiert den ausgewählten Text</description>
+ <displayname>Sort Selection</displayname>
+ <displayname xml:lang="de">Auswahl Sortieren</displayname>
+ <category>Text</category>
+ <category xml:lang="de">Text</category>
+ <executable output="replaceselection" error="ignore">
+ <path>sort</path>
+ <input>%{CurrentDocument:Selection}</input>
+ <workingdirectory>%{CurrentDocument:Path}</workingdirectory>
+ </executable>
+</externaltool>
+ \endcode
+*/
diff --git a/doc/api/qtcreator-dev.qdoc b/doc/api/qtcreator-dev.qdoc
index 34ccec6f4ecb171a3ac63d99aeed920fff833bfb..ee66c5557a26efd569d395d1ebba3495f5685dad 100644
--- a/doc/api/qtcreator-dev.qdoc
+++ b/doc/api/qtcreator-dev.qdoc
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@
\o \l{External Tool Specification Files}
\o \l{Custom Wizard Specification Files}
\o \l{http://kate-editor.org/2005/03/24/writing-a-syntax-highlighting-file/}{Highlight Definition Files}
+ \o \l{Qt Creator Variables}
\o \l{User Interface Text Guidelines}
\o \l{Qt Creator Coding Rules}
\o \l{Qt Creator API Reference}