[bug #64300] [troff] diagnose error when 'sp used when not on a page

[G. Branden Robinson]

Follow-up Comment #2, bug #64300 (project groff):


[comment #1 comment #1:]
> Does either behavior offer functionality that can't easily be achieved in a
roff implementation that does the opposite?  I can't think of any.
> 
> If there's no strong use case for either approach, in general I tend to
prefer seeing consistent behavior across implementations.  That does
(probably) overturn longstanding groff behavior though, albeit undocumented
behavior.

Apart from the rule of thumb that we should be compatible with other *roffs
except where we have a defensible case not to be, I think this would address
one application of the "absolute page positioning operator" that Peter
Schaffter has raised.

If you inspect the exhibits in comment #0, you can see that saying "'sp -3v'
while the page location (`nl` register) is negative puts the text baseline
"_at_ 3v, damn it", without having to compensate for the 1v offset that Peter
has complained of when using the "|" operator.

Looping in Peter for this reason.


    _______________________________________________________

Reply to this item at:

  <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?64300>

_______________________________________________
Message sent via Savannah
https://savannah.gnu.org/