Re: [Groff] multi-line macro arguments

[Steffen Nurpmeso]

(Ted Harding) <address@hidden> wrote:
 |> ?ukasz Stelmach <address@hidden> wrote:
 |>> I am developing a macro to print envelopes. Is it possible to pass a
 |>> multi-line string (not necessarily defined with .ds) as a parameter
 |>> for a macro?

 |The basic idea is not to give a "multi-line string" as a single
 |paramater, but to give the separate lines as separate arguments.

Or open a diversion, read in all lines, and then work with the
diversion.  E.g., my letter template has something like

  .RECEIVER
  $TITLE
  $NAME
  $STREET

  $CITY
  .RECEIVER END

and the plain macro looks like (of course it's part of an,
heavily restricted,

  .MACRO RECEIVER
  .  S:BOOLIFY \$1
  .  ie \n[S:#IS_BOOL] \{\

I.e., macro starting point

  .     vs \n(.su*\*[RECEIVER_LINE_SPACING_SCALE_FACTOR]

By default: RECEIVER_LINE_SPACING_SCALE_FACTOR 1.5

  .     nf
  .     de S:RECEIVER_TRAP EOT
  .        blm PARA

I use blank lines to cause paragraphs.

  .        ds S:RECEIVER_DIVERSION_HOOK
  .        sp 1v
  \*[RECEIVER_PREHOOK]\c

By default: RECEIVER_PREHOOK \s[+1] 
That's all very inflexible, but the way it's used will print the
postal code etc. in a larger font.
(It would need more hooks...)

  .EOT
  .     di S:RECEIVER_DIVERSION
  .     blm S:RECEIVER_TRAP
  .  \}
  .  el \{\

Macro called with "END".

  .     if d S:RECEIVER_DIVERSION_HOOK \{\
  \*[RECEIVER_POSTHOOK]\c

By default: RECEIVER_POSTHOOK \s[-1]

  .        rm S:RECEIVER_DIVERSION_HOOK
  .     \}
  .     di
  .     \" Calculate best position for address field and box out
  .     if (\n(dlu >= \n[#RECEIVER_WIDTH]u) \

Default: #RECEIVER_WIDTH 9c

  .        WARN \
  "Receiver address is too width to fit in address window!"
  .     if (\n(dnu >= \n[#RECEIVER_HEIGHT]u) \{\

Default: #RECEIVER_HEIGHT 3.8c

  .        WARN \
  "Receiver address does not fit in address window! Growing window!!"
  .        nr #RECEIVER_HEIGHT \n(dnu
  .     \}
  .     nr #1 (\n[#RECEIVER_HEIGHT]u-\n(dnu)/2u
  .     sp |(\n[#RECEIVER_START]u+\n(#1u

Default: #RECEIVER_START 4.15c

  .     rr #1
  .     S:RECEIVER_DIVERSION
  .     rm S:RECEIVER_DIVERSION
  .     rm S:RECEIVER_TRAP
  .     fi
  .     vs
  .  \}
  ..

The default dimensions are for C6 (for DIN A4).
The good thing about this approach is that quoting doesn't matter
at all.

--steffen