Re: [groff] Alignment problems in pic drawing when using \X'ps: exec

[Ralph Corderoy]

Hi Russ,

> I already found documented I can't see how \c is any kind of a
> solution where the grops man page that's effectively being called by
> the X command states:

This isn't specific to grops or the use of `ps:' in the `\X' escape.

    $ cat ralph.tr
    .PS
    command "foo bar"
    linethick = 2
    line right 1
    move right 0.5
    #command "\X'ps: exec 1 setlinecap'"
    line right 2
    .PE
    $
    $ pic <ralph.tr | grep -3 foo
    \h'3.500i'
    .sp -1
    .lf 2
    foo bar
    \D't 2.000p'\h'-2.000p'
    .sp -1
    \h'0.000i'\v'0.000i'\D'l 1.000i 0.000i'
    $

The troff input has `foo bar' as input and renders it.  It is on a
separate line to the `\D' that follows.  pic ensures troff is in no-fill
mode with a `.nf' so the linefeed after the `bar' moves troff's output
down by the vertical spacing.  Replacing `foo bar' with the `invisible'
«\X'ps:...'» doesn't change the effect of the still-present linefeed.
`\c' does.

-- 
Cheers, Ralph.
https://plus.google.com/+RalphCorderoy