Re: [Groff] .URL, .TAG interaction for non-Thtml

[Werner LEMBERG]

> The .URL and .TAG macros defined in www.tmac have the following
> behavior when processed by a device other than -Thtml.
> 
> .TAG label
> 
> .URL #label foo
> 
> produces
> 
> foo <#label>
> 
> The text <#label> isn't informative because the printed document has
> no #label that the reader can determine.  Would it not be better if
> instead of the text <#label> we have the number of the page where
> the .TAG was called?

Nice idea; however, this would need a two-pass run to properly resolve
tags which follow the references.  Additionally, what to do if you
convert to a large text file without page numbers?

> Furthermore, .TAG could take an optional second argument which could
> take place of the page number.
> 
> Just a suggestion.  Right now, URL #label produces text in non-Thtml
> that doesn't carry information.

Hmm.  I could imagine to replace `<#label>' with `(see above)' and
`(see below)'; something like this is easy to code -- a call to
`.TAG <label>' defines a macro, say, `TAG-<label>'.  A call to
`.URL #<label>' then checks whether the string `TAG-<label>' is
defined.


    Werner