Re: [groff] problem with umlaut in string

[Werner LEMBERG]

> I use 
> 
> .ds BLD \f3\\$*\fP
> 
> and
> 
> this text is partly  \*[BLD in bold face]
> 
> to switch to bold face and back within a line of text.
> 
> This works fine as long as there is no german umlaut in the argument
> to BLD.
> 
> With an umlaut, I get
> 
> groff -Tps -k  -t -mom -P-pa4 - > /tmp/4451out.ps
> <standard input>:219: missing `]'
> <standard input>:219: invalid base glyph `u00F6\fPr]' in composite glyph name
> <standard input>:219: warning: can't find special character `'
> 
> Seems, groff is confused by the '[' produced by preconv.
> 
> Is this a groff bug, or my fault?

It's a limitation of `.ds' and documented also, sort-of:

 -- Escape: \*[name arg1 arg2 ...]
     Define and access a string variable NAME (one-character name N,
     two-character name NM).  If NAME already exists, 'ds' overwrites
     the previous definition.  Only the syntax form using brackets can
     take arguments that are handled identically to macro arguments;
     the single exception is that a closing bracket as an argument   <--
     must be enclosed in double quotes.  [...]                       <--

So you should write

  this text is partly \*[BLD "in böld fäce"]


    Werner