Re: [Groff] unformat

[Werner LEMBERG]

> > o Use `.unformat' (new in groff 1.17).  Contrary to `.ascii', it
> >   only unformats horizontal space, i.e., horizontal spaces become
> >   stretchable again.  Examples are given in doc.mdoc.
> 
> I do what you say in compatible mode:

???  What do you mean?  Do you want to develop code which runs on Unix
troff also?

> =======================================================
> .cp
> .nr In 9999 \" My own idea of infinity
> .di x
> .ss \n(In
> Hello, I am a nice little \fIcat\fR\/, and my greatest pleasure in life is to 
> format a mouse with groff.
> .br
> .di
> .ss 12
> .x
> .br
> .ll -5c
> .x
> =======================================================

What shall this code demonstrate?  Using -Tlatin1, I get ugly results.

> The single problem is for \<space> (unbreakable space with a width
> defined by `.ss'.  Any idea?  I'd be proud of managing what I want
> to do in compatibility mode, because I have a quite prehistoric
> mind.  I want to prove that you can do something good with an oldy
> troff.

Hmm.  Escapes can't be reformatted AFAIK by traditional groff.  And
`\ ' is not a space character within groff.

> The other problem (the one for \~) is something else, since \~
> doesn't exist in the original troff... but if you have an idea for
> this one, that would be nice.

The solution is simple: If you provide macros which use only original
troff features, ask the user to do the same.  Don't use `\~'.


    Werner