Re: [Groff] colored background?

[Miklos Somogyi]

On 23/02/2008, at 3:52 PM, Michael(tm) Smith wrote:

> Tadziu Hoffmann <address@hidden>, 2008-02-22 18:07  
> +0100:
>
> > > > I ask because for program listings and other "verbatim"
> > > > output, dblatex and the DocBook XSL stylesheets for FO
> > > > output cause the output to be rendered with a light-gray
> > > > background. That really helps to set the program listing
> > > > off from the rest of text.
> >
> > > (Personally, I find it looks ugly compared to the plain white
> > > background used by Brian Kernighan, W. Richard Stevens, etc.)
> >
> > Yes, usually it's a "Hey! Look what my word processor can do!"
> > gimmick.

Yep, colour, just like anything else, can be abused. Also, colour can  
be elegant
and its consistent and moderate use can help organize one's text very  
well.

White only can be very boring, and by lack of its visual clues it  
would want one
read the whole thing again when one only wants to find something  
specific.
If anything out of the white legacy thing is gimmick, then I want my  
word processor
to learn a lot of gimmicks.
If one talks about 3d relationships, nothing beats a 3d sketch that is  
as clear as possible,
whether one wants to brag about what his/her word processor can do.

Yep, I would not want anyone not to make their thoughts as accurate  
and precise as they can,
but would much welcome formatting efforts that would give readers an   
instant recognition
of this or that. This does not have to be graphics, e.g. considerate  
naming of files too would do a good job, e.g.

   ln -s existing-file newly-created-pointer

or something like that. This "formatted" definition does not need a  
long paragraph after it that would
make someone's head spin.
A good lecturer is made up of clarity of thought AND presentation  
skills in equal measure.

My 2 cents,

Miklos



> True -- I think in the case of authoring technical documentation
> at least, most authors would be a lot better off focusing on
> trying to make their content accurate and precise, and less on
> formatting niceties.
>
> > But I guess it's also useful for conference posters
> > or the like.  Or maybe for "Danger!" or "Important" notices.
> >
> > Here is something to play around with, maybe you'll find it
> > useful:
>
> Thanks very much -- the following works like a charm. One
> question: Is there a way I could modify it so that the filled box
> extends all the way across the whole line length? (i.e., from the
> left margin / page offset to the right margin).
>
> Also, when I process a doc with this, it displays as expected but
> I get a message saying "troff: automatically ending diversion `BX'
> on exit." Is there some tweak I need to make to eliminate that?
>
>  --Mike
>
> > .\"
> > .de BB
> > .br
> > .in +2n
> > .ll -2n
> > .gcolor red
> > .di BX
> > ..
> > .de EB
> > .br
> > .di
> > .in
> > .ll
> > .gcolor
> > .nr BW \\n(dl-\\n(.i
> > .nr BH \\n(dn+.5v
> > .ne \\n(BHu+.5v
> > \M[yellow]\h'1n'\v'-.5v'\D'P \\n(BWu 0 0 \\n(BHu -\\n(BWu 0 0 -\ 
> > \n(BHu'\M[]
> > .in 0
> > .sp -.5v
> > .nf
> > .BX
> > .in
> > .sp .5v
> > .fi
> > ..
> > .sp 3c
> > .ll 4c
> > Some text.
> > Some text.
> > Some text.
> > Some text.
> > .in +1n
> > Some text.
> > Some text.
> > Some text.
> > Some text.
> > .BB
> > Text in a box.
> > Text in a box.
> > Text in a box.
> > Text in a box.
> > .EB
> > More text.
> > More text.
> > More text.
> > More text.
> > .in -1n
> > More text.
> > More text.
> > More text.
> > More text.
>
> --
> Michael(tm) Smith
> http://people.w3.org/mike/
> http://sideshowbarker.net/