diff --git a/.waf-tools/sphinx.py b/.waf-tools/sphinx.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f538977
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.waf-tools/sphinx.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# inspired by code by Hans-Martin von Gaudecker, 2012
+
+"""Support for Sphinx documentation"""
+
+import os
+from waflib import Node, Task, TaskGen, Utils
+
+
+class sphinx_build(Task.Task):
+    color = 'BLUE'
+    run_str = '${SPHINX_BUILD} -D ${VERSION} -D ${RELEASE} -q -b ${BUILDERNAME} -d ${DOCTREEDIR} ${SRCDIR} ${OUTDIR}'
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        env = self.env
+        src_str = ' '.join([a.path_from(a.ctx.launch_node()) for a in self.inputs])
+        tgt_str = ' '.join([a.path_from(a.ctx.launch_node()) for a in self.outputs])
+        if self.outputs: sep = ' -> '
+        else: sep = ''
+        return'%s [%s]: %s%s%s\n'%(self.__class__.__name__.replace('_task',''),
+                                   self.env['BUILDERNAME'], src_str, sep, tgt_str)
+
+
+# from https://docs.python.org/3.12/whatsnew/3.12.html#imp
+def load_source(modname, filename):
+    import importlib.util
+    from importlib.machinery import SourceFileLoader
+    loader = SourceFileLoader(modname, filename)
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(modname, filename, loader=loader)
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    loader.exec_module(module)
+    return module
+
+
+@TaskGen.extension('.py', '.rst')
+def sig_hook(self, node):
+    node.sig=Utils.h_file(node.abspath())
+
+
+@TaskGen.feature('sphinx')
+@TaskGen.before_method('process_source')
+def apply_sphinx(self):
+    """Set up the task generator with a Sphinx instance and create a task."""
+
+    inputs = []
+    for i in Utils.to_list(self.source):
+        if not isinstance(i, Node.Node):
+            node = self.path.find_node(node)
+        else:
+            node = i
+        if not node:
+            raise ValueError('[%s] file not found' % i)
+        inputs.append(node)
+
+    task = self.create_task('sphinx_build', inputs)
+
+    conf = self.path.find_node(self.config)
+    task.inputs.append(conf)
+
+    confdir = conf.parent.abspath()
+    buildername = getattr(self, 'builder', 'html')
+    srcdir = getattr(self, 'srcdir', confdir)
+    outdir = self.path.find_or_declare(getattr(self, 'outdir', buildername)).get_bld()
+    doctreedir = getattr(self, 'doctreedir', os.path.join(outdir.abspath(), '.doctrees'))
+
+    task.env['BUILDERNAME'] = buildername
+    task.env['SRCDIR'] = srcdir
+    task.env['OUTDIR'] = outdir.abspath()
+    task.env['DOCTREEDIR'] = doctreedir
+    task.env['VERSION'] = 'version=%s' % self.version
+    task.env['RELEASE'] = 'release=%s' % getattr(self, 'release', self.version)
+
+    if buildername == 'man':
+        confdata = load_source('sphinx_conf', conf.abspath())
+        for i in confdata.man_pages:
+            target = outdir.find_or_declare('%s.%d' % (i[1], i[4]))
+            task.outputs.append(target)
+
+            if self.install_path:
+                self.bld.install_files('%s/man%d/' % (self.install_path, i[4]), target)
+    else:
+        task.outputs.append(outdir)
+
+
+def configure(conf):
+    """Check if sphinx-build program is available."""
+    conf.find_program('sphinx-build', var='SPHINX_BUILD', mandatory=False)
+
+
+# sphinx command
+from waflib.Build import BuildContext
+class sphinx(BuildContext):
+    cmd = 'sphinx'
+    fun = 'sphinx'