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<title>Basics (The GNU Troff Manual)</title>
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<hr>
<h3 class="section" id="Basics-1">3.1 Basics</h3>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-basics-of-macro-package-usage"></a>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-macro-package-usage_002c-basics-of"></a>
<p>Let us first survey some basic concepts necessary to use a macro package
fruitfully.<a class="footnote" id="DOCF6" href="groff.html_fot.html#FOOT6"><sup>6</sup></a>
References are made throughout to more detailed information.
</p>
<p>GNU <code class="code">troff</code> reads an input file prepared by the user and outputs a
formatted document suitable for publication or framing. The input
consists of text, or words to be printed, and embedded commands
(<i class="slanted">requests</i> and <i class="slanted">escape sequences</i>), which tell GNU
<code class="code">troff</code> how to format the output. See <a class="xref" href="Formatter-Instructions.html">Formatter Instructions</a>.
</p>
<p>The word <i class="slanted">argument</i> is used in this chapter to mean a word or
number that appears on the same line as a request, and which modifies
the meaning of that request. For example, the request
</p>
<div class="example">
<div class="group"><pre class="example-preformatted">.sp
</pre></div></div>
<p>spaces one line, but
</p>
<div class="example">
<div class="group"><pre class="example-preformatted">.sp 4
</pre></div></div>
<p>spaces four lines. The number 4 is an argument to the <code class="code">sp</code>
request, which says to space four lines instead of one. Arguments are
separated from the request and from each other by spaces (<em class="emph">not</em>
tabs). See <a class="xref" href="Invoking-Requests.html">Invoking Requests</a>.
</p>
<p>The primary function of GNU <code class="code">troff</code> is to collect words from input
lines, fill output lines with those words, adjust the line to the
right-hand margin by widening spaces, and output the result. For
example, the input:
</p>
<div class="example">
<div class="group"><pre class="example-preformatted">Now is the time
for all good men
to come to the aid
of their party.
Four score and seven
years ago, etc.
</pre></div></div>
<p>is read, packed onto output lines, and justified to produce:
</p>
<div class="example">
<div class="group"><pre class="example-preformatted"> ⇒ Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of
⇒ their party. Four score and seven years ago, etc.
</pre></div></div>
<p>Sometimes a new output line should be started even though the current
line is not yet full—for example, at the end of a paragraph. To do
this it is possible to force a <i class="slanted">break</i>, starting a new output
line. Some requests cause a break automatically, as do (normally) blank
input lines and input lines beginning with a space or tab.
</p>
<p>Not all input lines are <i class="slanted">text lines</i>—words to be formatted.
Some are <i class="slanted">control lines</i> that tell a macro package (or GNU
<code class="code">troff</code> directly) how to format the text. Control lines start with
a dot (‘<samp class="samp">.</samp>’) or an apostrophe (‘<samp class="samp">'</samp>’) as the first character, and
can be followed by a <i class="slanted">macro call</i>.
</p>
<p>The formatter also does more complex things, such as automatically
numbering pages, skipping over page boundaries, putting footnotes in the
correct place, and so forth.
</p>
<p>Here are a few hints for preparing text for input to GNU <code class="code">troff</code>.
</p>
<ul class="itemize mark-bullet">
<li>First, keep the input lines short. Short input lines are easier to
edit, and GNU <code class="code">troff</code> packs words onto longer lines anyhow.
</li><li>In keeping with this, it is helpful to begin a new line after every
comma or phrase, since common corrections are to add or delete sentences
or phrases.
</li><li>End each sentence with two spaces—or better, start each sentence on a
new line. GNU <code class="code">troff</code> recognizes characters that usually end a
sentence, and inserts inter-sentence space accordingly.
</li><li>Do not hyphenate words at the end of lines—GNU <code class="code">troff</code> is smart
enough to hyphenate words as needed, but is not smart enough to take
hyphens out and join a word back together. Also, words such as
“mother-in-law” should not be broken over a line, since then a space
can occur where not wanted, such as “<span class="w-nolinebreak-text">mother-</span> in<!-- /@w -->-law”.
</li></ul>
<p>We offer further advice in <a class="ref" href="Input-Conventions.html">Input Conventions</a>.
</p>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-vertical-spacing-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-spacing_002c-vertical-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<p>GNU <code class="code">troff</code> permits alteration of the distance between lines of
text. This is termed <i class="slanted">vertical spacing</i> and is expressed in the
same units as the type size—the point. The default is 10-point type
on 12-point spacing. To get <i class="slanted">double-spaced</i> text you would set
the vertical spacing to 24 points. Some, but not all, macro packages
expose a macro or register to configure the vertical spacing.
</p>
<p>A number of requests allow you to change the way the output is arranged
on the page, sometimes called the <i class="slanted">layout</i> of the output page.
Most macro packages don’t supply macros for performing these (at least
not without performing other actions besides), as they are such basic
operations. The macro packages for writing man pages, <samp class="file">man</samp> and
<samp class="file">mdoc</samp>, don’t encourage explicit use of these requests at all.
</p>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-spacing-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<p>The request ‘<samp class="samp">.sp <var class="var">N</var></samp>’<!-- /@w --> leaves <var class="var">N</var> lines of blank
space. <var class="var">N</var> can be omitted (skipping a single line) or can
be of the form <var class="var">N</var>i (for <var class="var">N</var> inches) or <var class="var">N</var>c (for
<var class="var">N</var> centimeters). For example, the input:
</p>
<div class="example">
<div class="group"><pre class="example-preformatted">.sp 1.5i
My thoughts on the subject
.sp
</pre></div></div>
<p>leaves one and a half inches of space, followed by the line “My
thoughts on the subject”, followed by a single blank line (more
measurement units are available; see <a class="ref" href="Measurements.html">Measurements</a>).
</p>
<p>If you seek precision in spacing, be advised when using a macro package
that it might not honor <code class="code">sp</code> requests as you expect; it can use a
formatter feature called <i class="slanted">no-space mode</i> to prevent excess space
from accumulating. Macro packages typically offer registers to control
spacing between paragraphs, before section headings, and around displays
(discussed below); use these facilities preferentially.
See <a class="xref" href="Manipulating-Spacing.html">Manipulating Spacing</a>.
</p>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-centering-lines-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-lines_002c-centering-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<p>Text lines can be centered by using the <code class="code">ce</code> request. The line
after <code class="code">ce</code> is centered (horizontally) on the page. To center more
than one line, use ‘<samp class="samp">.ce <var class="var">N</var></samp>’<!-- /@w --> (where <var class="var">N</var> is the number
of lines to center), followed by the <var class="var">N</var> lines. To center many
lines without counting them, type:
</p>
<div class="example">
<div class="group"><pre class="example-preformatted">.ce 1000
lines to center
.ce 0
</pre></div></div>
<p>The ‘<samp class="samp">.ce 0</samp>’<!-- /@w --> request tells GNU <code class="code">troff</code> to center zero more
lines, in other words, stop centering.
</p>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-right_002daligning-lines-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-lines_002c-right_002daligning-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-right_002djustifying-lines-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-lines_002c-right_002djustifying-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<p>GNU <code class="code">troff</code> also offers the <code class="code">rj</code> request for right-aligning
text. It works analogously to <code class="code">ce</code> and is convenient for setting
epigraphs.
</p>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-page-break-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-break_002c-page-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<p>The <code class="code">bp</code> request starts a new page; this necessarily implies an
ordinary (line) break.
</p>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-break-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-line-break-_0028introduction_0029"></a>
<p>All of these requests cause a break; that is, they always start a new
line. To start a new line without performing any other action, use
<code class="code">br</code>. If you invoke them with the apostrophe ‘<samp class="samp">'</samp>’, the
<i class="slanted">no-break control character</i>, the (initial) break they normally
perform is suppressed. ‘<samp class="samp">'br</samp>’ does nothing.
</p>
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