Re: Wanted: your historical me(7) documents (was: [groff] 08/21: [me]: Integrate better with papersize.tmac.)

[G. Branden Robinson]

Hi Dave,

At 2022-12-24T17:19:15-0600, Dave Kemper wrote:
> Snipping most of this message, as it's stuff where either I agree or
> no response seems necessary.

No worries.

> On 12/13/22, G. Branden Robinson <g.branden.robinson@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Still, as long as the release notes mention the default line-length
> >> change, I think we're covered.  It looks like the relevant NEWS
> >> item mentions that the default has _not_ changed for terminal
> >> output, but doesn't say anything concrete about the typeset
> >> default.
> >
> > No; I think I left that out because I wanted to leave myself some
> > freedom.  65cpl looks a little weird to me, especially if there is
> > no page offset.
> 
> I'm not sure I follow: "65cpl" seems like a terminal measurement,

It is, though not one we use in groff documentation.

> not a typeset one, and "no page offset" is a property of its terminal
> output.  The thing I was saying NEWS should mention is that for -me
> users targeting troff, the default line length has changed from (its
> long-entrenched historical) 6i to (the arguably saner) 6.5i.

Well, maybe just quoting the NEWS file in its current state would help.

o On typestting output devices, the e (me) macro package now derives the
  line length from the device description, which can be overriden by the
  "papersize.tmac" macro file (usually configured via the "-d paper"
  groff command-line option).  The package thus adapts to landscape
  orientation and paper formats other than U.S. letter.  It continues to
  use a line length of 6 (notional) inches on terminals.

Does that seem to get the right information across?

Regards,
Branden

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