Re: [Groff] `groff_char.7' works only for `man', but not for `groff'

[Keith Marshall]

On 26/05/14 20:37, Bernd Warken wrote:
>> Von: "Dale Snell"
>>
>> You might look at the source for the groff_char.7 man page.
>> According to groff_man(7)
>>
>>    If a preprocessor like tbl or eqn is needed, it has become
>>    common to make the first line of the man page look like this:
>>
>>               '\" word
> 
> This "word" is a collection of characters, each of which means
> a guessed `groff' option.

It isn't a guess; in man's case, at any rate, it's explicit; for each
key letter present in that "word", man adds the associated preprocessor
to the command pipeline which it constructs, and runs.  If a required
key letter is missing, the required preprocessor will not be run.

>> However, the source file for groff_char.7 (.../man/groff_char.man)
>> has:
>>               .\" t
>>
>> as its first line.  Note that it's got a leading period instead of
>> an apostrophe.  It's the only file in the source "man" directory
>> that does.  The other files that use this construct have an
>> apostrophe.
>  
> I changed grog, such that lines starting with . (period) or '
> (apostrophe) are both regarded as equal (only within `grog').

Why?  I guess users are more likely rely on man(1), rather than on grog,
for reading man pages.  The convention is dictated by man, and that
convention stipulates that the keyword line should begin with an
apostrophe.  Since the maintenance of man(1) lies beyond our remit,
groff's manpage sources should be corrected, to conform with the
prescribed convention.

-- 
Regards,
Keith.