On 14.03.25 16:29, Damian McGuckin wrote: > On Fri, 14 Mar 2025, dvalin--- via GNU roff typesetting system discussion > wrote:
> > > It seriously looks like the most productive way forward is to go back to > > raw troff, or failing to find the secret sauce there, look for a more > > robust utility - sufficiently documented to allow basic work. > > Did you do the MS tutorial? Many thanks for indicating that one exists. Up to now, I've found the manual section: https://www.gnu.org/software/groff/manual/groff.html.node/Paragraphs-in-ms.html#Paragraphs-in-ms provides an example of input for paragraphs, though not the rendering. I've also referred to "man groff_ms" while seeking a way to make paragraph flowing controlled, rather than perplexingly contrary, as in the two examples I posted. If there is mention of a tutorial at: https://www.gnu.org/software/groff/ then I have missed it. A google for "groff ms tutorial" doesn't reveal it's location, but does find a few YT videos I'd already viewed, mostly not moving beyond square one. This hit: https://technicallywewrite.com/2025/02/17/groffms shows wrapping everywhere in its rendered output, so not how to not wrap stand-alone lines. Experimentation now shows that .SH does not take a single line argument, even when I attempt to terminate it with a blank line - instead it extends indefinitely until terminated by e.g. an .LP. That's a problem when the material under the heading is a series of code or command lines, which must not be munged together. It is probable that a neutral terminator for .SH, .LP, and .PP scope, could be all that is needed. Then "as presented" code or command lines will neither be wrapped nor bolded. I'll see what I can find. Perhaps I shouldn't be so startled by whacko rendering on the slightest misstep - not after the wild weirdness I'd repeatedly wrought while textually "drawing" the 8 technical drawings for my owner-built dwelling. But writing a few thousand lines of postscript was always going to be a "no safety net" exercise, with negligible debugging support. But using my own macros meant I could control, and rectify, any unfortunate interactions. Mind you, I had the Blue Book, and it described stuff well enough that predictability was soon found. Erik
