Re: hdtlb and \n[nl] register

[Bjarni Ingi Gislason]

On Tue, Jan 07, 2020 at 11:36:05AM +0100, Sebastien Marie wrote:
> Hi,
> 
[...]
> 
> I am using hdtbl to produce the grid (and fill some cells with background
> color), and I am trying to add vertical bars over the table to mark "here 
> there
> is a thing on several days".
> 

  You have to translate "add vertical bars" into
the language of tables.

> In order to add such bars, I am trying to store the position while in the 
> table,
> and after emitting the table, to restore my position to draw over the table 
> (if
> I am trying to draw directly while in the table, it seems the rest of the 
> table
> is over my drawing).
> 

  You should (have to) do everything in the domain of the table,
not any piece of it outside it.

[...]
> Any advices would be welcome.

  You should start documenting what
you are going to do in the source file.

  Using a block structure is the best way I know of,
that is:

.\" Define once a macro for the block of documentation.
.
.ie d document \{\
.  ab \n[.F]: The macro (string) "document" is already defined, \
change the name in this file.
.\}
.el \{\
.  de document
.  .
.\}
.
.ig document
This is what I want the following piece of code to do and
the reasons for it.
...
.document
.
CODE
...
.
<repeat structure>

  Maybe it is simpler to start with "tbl" and
use the experience from that to construct a hdtbl-table.