[groff] 13/16: groff(7): Recast and reorganize some material.

[G. Branden Robinson]

gbranden pushed a commit to branch master
in repository groff.

commit bc5d81d0bf83d11149dd9d1755a1f47bd08ee44d
Author: G. Branden Robinson <g.branden.robinson@gmail.com>
AuthorDate: Mon Aug 23 12:03:57 2021 +1000

    groff(7): Recast and reorganize some material.
    
    * Add new section "Syntax reference conventions", splitting material out
      of "Requests" section, since it applies to the escape sequence summary
      as much as it does to the request summary.
    * Revise the wording of what we might call the standard denotations.
      Try to cover more of their applications.
---
 man/groff.7.man | 83 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------------------
 1 file changed, 47 insertions(+), 36 deletions(-)

diff --git a/man/groff.7.man b/man/groff.7.man
index b5c1507..d1cadac 100644
--- a/man/groff.7.man
+++ b/man/groff.7.man
@@ -1181,40 +1181,13 @@ they cause the condition to evaluate false
 .
 .
 .\" ====================================================================
-.SH Requests
+.SH "Syntax reference conventions"
 .\" ====================================================================
 .
-This section provides a short reference for the predefined requests.
-.
-In groff, request, macro, and string names can be arbitrarily long.
-.
-No bracketing or marking of long names is needed.
-.
-.
-.P
-Most requests take one or more arguments.
-.
-The arguments are separated by space characters (no tabs!); there is
-no inherent limit for their length or number.
-.
-.
-.P
-Some requests have optional arguments with a different behaviour.
-.
-Not all of these details are outlined here.
+In the following request and escape sequence specifications,
+most argument names were chosen to be descriptive.
 .
-Refer to the
-.I groff
-Texinfo manual and
-.BR groff_diff (@MAN7EXT@)
-for all details.
-.
-.
-.P
-In the following request specifications, most argument names were
-chosen to be descriptive.
-.
-Only the following denotations need clarification.
+A few denotations may require introduction.
 .
 .
 .P
@@ -1223,29 +1196,33 @@ Only the following denotations need clarification.
 .
 .TPx
 .I c
-denotes a single character.
+denotes a single input character.
 .
 .TPx
 .I font
-a font either specified as a font name or a font number.
+a font either specified as a font name or a numeric mounting position.
 .
 .TPx
 .I anything
-all characters up to the end of the line or within
+all characters up to the end of the line,
+to the ending delimiter for the escape sequence,
+or within
 .esc {
 and
 .esc } .
 .
+Escape sequences may generally be used freely in
+.IR anything ,
+except when it is read in copy mode.
+.
 .TPx
 .I n
 is a numerical expression that evaluates to an integer value.
 .
-.
 .TPx
 .I N
 is an optionally-signed numerical expression.
 .
-.
 .TPx
 .I \[+-]N
 has three meanings,
@@ -1284,6 +1261,40 @@ an increment or decrement is applied as if to\~0.
 .
 .
 .\" ====================================================================
+.SH Requests
+.\" ====================================================================
+.
+In
+.IR groff ,
+identifier names,
+including those of requests,
+can be arbitrarily long.
+.
+No bracketing or marking of long names is needed in request invocation
+syntax.
+.
+.
+.P
+Most requests take one or more arguments.
+.
+Tabs are permitted after a request name,
+before its first argument
+(if any),
+but arguments themselves must be separated only by space characters.
+.
+There is no inherent limit on argument length or quantity.
+.
+.
+.P
+Not all details of request behavior are outlined here.
+.
+Refer to the
+.I groff
+Texinfo manual or
+.IR groff_diff (@MAN7EXT@).
+.
+.
+.\" ====================================================================
 .SS "Request short reference"
 .\" ====================================================================
 .