Re: [Groff] groff as a backend

[Werner LEMBERG]

> I'd propose the following "<<"-like extension to ".sy":
> 
>       [groff source]
>       [groff source]
>       .sy tbl (possible params here) << EOF
>       [tbl source]
>       [tbl source]
>       [tbl source]
>       EOF
>       [groff source]
>       [groff source]
> 
> so that groff would not need to have the ".PS", ".PE", ".TS", ".TE",
> etc, etc. hardcoded;

Basically, there's no need for that.  You can always create a
auxiliary file `foo.tbl' with calls to `.write', then call `.sy' to
make `tbl' run on `foo.tbl', and finally read in the result with
`.so'.  This is much more reliable since you can exactly control how
and where troff tokens are expanded.

> if you could throw in a way to source a macro package with a special
> "source macro package" command like:
> 
>       .somp me
> 
> or
> 
>       .somp me.tmac
> 
> the need for grog would be gone!

This can already be done; it is called `.mso'.  The very problem is
that it is a GNU extension and not available with traditional troff.


    Werner