Re: [Groff] tables in a macro

[Werner LEMBERG]

> > However I want to have a variable parameter list.  At maximum I
> > can have up to 10 parameters.  Each parameter opens a new row.  If
> > the Parameter is empty the do not open a new row.
> 
> [snip]
> 
> I can't think of a simple way to make this work.  The problem lies
> in the nature of tbl as a *pre*processor, which expects to have all
> the data it has to operate on available at *tbl*-runtime, not
> *troff*-runtime.  Of course, since tbl knows nothing about font
> sizes and font metrics and whatnot, it can't position the individual
> table items itself, so instead it generates troff-*code* which troff
> can execute to decide how to format the table.

You could use a brute-force approach:

  .ie (\\n[.$] == 1) \
  .  ATABLE1 \\$1
  .el \n[.$] == 2) \
  .  ATABLE2 \\$1 \\$2
  ...

with 10 macros `ATABLE1' ... `ATABLE10'.

> (see hdtbl, which operates at troff-runtime)

Unfortunately it's tricky currently to emulate tbl with hdtbl.  I'm
working on this.


    Werner