# tmux_option:describe/2

- **Package:** libtmux_erlang
- **Language:** Erlang
- **Kind:** function
- **Source:** https://github.com/libtmux/libtmux-erlang/blob/d1b6308440cf9eb8f6647e7ae434bce60e849368/apps/libtmux_erlang/src/tmux_option.erl#L73
- **Page:** https://libtmux.org/en/erlang/latest/reference/tmux_option-describe-2/

```
describe(Version, Name)
-spec describe(tmux_version:t(), binary()) ->
                  {ok, metadata()} | {error, map()}.
```

Return source metadata for a canonical built-in name and a parsed daemon version, without I/O. Unknown names, unavailable names, tracking builds and uncatalogued versions have distinct errors. The catalogue describes scopes and parser types; it does not qualify runtime behavior or authorize hook execution.

## Examples

```erlang
1> {ok, V} = tmux_version:parse(<<"tmux 3.3a">>), ok.
ok
2> {ok, M} = tmux_option:describe(V, <<"exit-empty">>), ok.
ok
3> maps:get(scopes, M).
[server]
```

## Parameters

- `Version` (`tmux_version:t()`)
- `Name` (`binary()`)

## Guides

Pages that discuss `describe/2`.

- [Read and change scoped options](/en/erlang/latest/guides/options/)