man2html: Unknown operator . man2html: Unknown operator . Content-type: text/html Manpage of GROFF_TMAC

GROFF_TMAC

Section: File Formats (5)
Updated: 28 July 2004
Index Return to Main Contents

NAME

groff_tmac - macro files in the roff typesetting system

DESCRIPTION

The roff(7) type-setting system provides a set of macro packages suitable for special kinds of documents. Each macro package stores its macros and definitions in a file called the package's tmac file. The name is deduced from `TroffMACros'. The tmac files are normal roff source documents, except that they usually contain only definitions and setup commands, but no text. All tmac files are kept in a single or a small number of directories, the tmac directories.

GROFF MACRO PACKAGES

groff provides all classical macro packages, some more full packages, and some secondary packages for special purposes. Note that it is not possible to use multiple primary macro packages at the same time; saying e.g.

ell_cmd groff -m man -m ms foo

ell_cmd groff -m man foo -m ms bar

will fail.

Man~Pages

man: This is the classical macro package for UNIX manual pages (man~pages); it is quite handy and easy to use; see groff_man(7).
doc
mdoc: An alternative macro package for man~pages mainly used in BSD systems; it provides many new features, but it is not the standard for man~pages; see groff_mdoc(7).

Full Packages

The packages in this section provide a complete set of macros for writing documents of any kind, up to whole books. They are similar in functionality; it is a matter of taste which one to use.

me: The classical me macro package; see Regenwassertank>groff_me(7).
mm: The semi-classical mm macro package; see groff_mm(7).
mom: The new mom macro package, only available in groff. As this is not based on other packages, it can be freely designed. So it is expected to become quite a nice, modern macro package. See groff_mom(7).
ms: The classical ms macro package; see groff_ms(7).

Special Packages

The macro packages in this section are not intended for stand-alone usage, but can be used to add special functionality to any other macro package or to plain groff.

papersize: This macro file is already loaded at start-up by troff so it isn't necessary to call it explicitly. It provides an interface to set the paper size on the command line with the option B]-dpaper=]I]size]. Possible values for size are the same as the predefined papersize values in the DESC file (only lowercase; see groff_font(5) for more) except a7-d7. An appended l (ell) character denotes landscape orientation. Examples: a4, c3l, letterl.
: Most output drivers need additional command line switches -p and -l to override the default paper length and orientation as set in man2html: Unknown operator . man2html: Unknown operator . man2html: Unknown operator . man2html: Unknown operator . man2html: Unknown operator . man2html: Unknown operator . man2html: Unknown operator . man2html: Unknown operator . the driver specific DESC file. For example, use the following for PS output on A4 paper in landscape orientation:

ell_cmd groff -Tps -dpaper=a4l -P-pa4 -P-l -ms foo.ms > foo.ps

pic

This file provides proper definitions for the macros PS and PE, needed for the pic(1) preprocessor. They will center each picture. Use it only if your macro package doesn't provide proper definitions for those two macros (actually, most of them already have).

pspic

A single macro is provided in this file, PSPIC, to include a PostScript graphic in a document. It makes only sense for output devices which support inclusion of PS images: -Tps, -Tdvi, and -Thtml; the file is then loaded automatically. Syntax:

: .PSPIC [-L|-R|-I n] file [width [height]]

file is the name of the file containing the illustration; width and height give the desired width and height of the graphic. The width and height arguments may have scaling indicators attached; the default scaling indicator is~i. This macro will scale the graphic uniformly in the x and y~directions so that it is no more than width wide and height high. By default, the graphic will be horizontally centered. The -L and -R options cause the graphic to be left-aligned and right-aligned, respectively. The -I option causes the graphic to be indented by~n (default scaling indicator is~m).

trace

Use this for tracing macro calls. It is only useful for debugging. See groff_trace(7).

tty-char

Overrides the definition of standard troff characters and some groff characters for tty devices. The optical appearance is intentionally inferior compared to that of normal tty formatting to allow processing with critical equipment.

www

Additions of elements known from the html format, as being used in the internet (World Wide Web) pages; this includes URL links and mail addresses; see groff_www(7).

NAMING

In classical roff systems, there was a funny naming scheme for macro packages, due to a simplistic design in option parsing. Macro packages were always included by option when this option was directly followed by its argument without an intervening space, this looked like a long option preceded by a single minus [em] a sensation in the computer stone age. To make this optically working for macro package names, all classical macro packages choose a name that started with the letter which was omitted in the naming of the macro file. For example, the macro package for the man pages was called man, while its macro file tmac.an. So it could be activated by the argument an to option or for short. For similar reasons, macro packages that did not start with an had a leading added in the documentation and in talking; for example, the package corresponding to tmac.doc was called mdoc in the documentation, although a more suitable name would be doc. For, when omitting the space between the option and its argument, the command line option for activating this package reads To cope with all situations, actual versions of groff(1) are smart about both naming schemes by providing two macro files for the inflicted macro packages; one with a leading the other one without it. So in groff, the man macro package may be specified as on of the following four methods:

ell_cmd groff~-m~man

ell_cmd groff~-man

ell_cmd groff~-mman

ell_cmd groff~-m~an

Recent packages that do not start with do not use an additional in the documentation. For example, the www macro package may be specified only as one of the two methods:

ell_cmd groff~-m~www

ell_cmd groff~-mwww

Obviously, variants like -mmwww would not make much sense. A second strange feature of classical troff was to name macro files according to Rtmac.name. In modern operating systems, the type of a file is specified as postfix, the file name extension. Again, groff copes with this situation by searching both anything.tmac and tmac.anything if only anything is specified. The easiest way to find out which macro packages are available on a system is to check the man~page groff(1), or the contents of the tmac directories. In groff, most macro packages are described in~man pages called groff_I]name](7), with a leading for the classical packages.

INCLUSION

There are several ways to use a macro package in a document. The classical way is to specify the troff/groff option at run-time; this makes the contents of the macro package name available. In groff, the file name.tmac is searched within the tmac path; if not found, tmac.name will be searched for instead. Alternatively, it is also possible to include a macro file by adding the request filename into the document; the argument must be the full file name of an existing file, possibly with the directory where it is kept. In groff, this was improved by the similar request package, which added searching in the tmac path, just like option does. Note that in order to resolve the and requests, the roff preprocessor soelim(1) must be called if the files to be included need preprocessing. This can be done either directly by a pipeline on the command line or by using the troff/groff option man calls soelim automatically. For example, suppose a macro file is stored as /usr/share/groff/1.19.2/tmac/macros.tmac and is used in some document called docu.roff. At run-time, the formatter call for this is

ell_cmd groff~-m~ macrofile~document.roff

To include the macro file directly in the document either






man2html: Unknown operator .
man2html: Unknown operator .
Content-type: text/html

Manpage of GROFF_TMAC

GROFF_TMAC
Section: File Formats (5)
Updated: 28 July 2004
Index
Return to Main Contents

 
NAME

groff_tmac - macro files in the roff typesetting system
 
DESCRIPTION



























































































































































The
roff(7)

type-setting system provides a set of macro packages suitable for
special kinds of documents.
Each macro package stores its macros and definitions in a file called
the package's
tmac file.

The name is deduced from
`TroffMACros'.


The tmac files are normal roff source documents, except that they
usually contain only definitions and setup commands, but no text.
All tmac files are kept in a single or a small number of directories,
the
tmac

directories.

 
GROFF MACRO PACKAGES


groff

provides all classical macro packages, some more full packages, and
some secondary packages for special purposes.
Note that it is not possible to use multiple primary macro packages at the
same time; saying e.g.



 
ell_cmd groff -m man -m ms foo


or



 
ell_cmd groff -m man foo -m ms bar


will fail.

 
Man~Pages



man


This is the classical macro package for UNIX manual pages
(man~pages); it is quite handy and easy to use; see
groff_man(7).

doc


mdoc


An alternative macro package for man~pages mainly used in BSD
systems; it provides many new features, but it is not the standard for
man~pages; see
groff_mdoc(7).



 
Full Packages


The packages in this section provide a complete set of macros for
writing documents of any kind, up to whole books.
They are similar in functionality; it is a matter of taste which one
to use.

me


The classical
me

macro package; see
groff_me(7).

mm


The semi-classical
mm

macro package; see
groff_mm(7).

mom


The new
mom

macro package, only available in groff.
As this is not based on other packages, it can be freely designed.
So it is expected to become quite a nice, modern macro package.
See
groff_mom(7).

ms


The classical
ms

macro package; see
groff_ms(7).



 
Special Packages


The macro packages in this section are not intended for stand-alone
usage, but can be used to add special functionality to any other
macro package or to plain groff.

papersize


This macro file is already loaded at start-up by
troff

so it isn't necessary to call it explicitly.
It provides an interface to set the paper size on the command line with
the option B]-dpaper=]I]size].
Possible values for
size

are the same as the predefined
papersize

values in the DESC file (only lowercase; see
groff_font(5)

for more) except
a7-d7.

An appended
l

(ell) character denotes landscape orientation.
Examples:
a4,

c3l,

letterl.


Most output drivers need additional command line switches
-p

and
-l

to override the default paper length and orientation as set in man2html: Unknown operator .
man2html: Unknown operator .
man2html: Unknown operator .
man2html: Unknown operator .
man2html: Unknown operator .
man2html: Unknown operator .
man2html: Unknown operator .
man2html: Unknown operator .
the driver
specific DESC file.
For example, use the following for PS output on A4 paper in landscape
orientation:


 
ell_cmd groff -Tps -dpaper=a4l -P-pa4 -P-l -ms foo.ms > foo.ps


pic


This file provides proper definitions for the macros
PS

and
PE,

needed for the
pic(1)

preprocessor.
They will center each picture.
Use it only if your macro package doesn't provide proper definitions
for those two macros (actually, most of them already have).
pspic


A single macro is provided in this file,
PSPIC,

to include a PostScript graphic in a document.
It makes only sense for output devices which support inclusion of PS
images:
-Tps,

-Tdvi,

and
-Thtml;

the file is then loaded automatically.
Syntax:



.PSPIC [-L|-R|-I n] file [width [height]]




file

is the name of the file containing the illustration;
width

and
height

give the desired width and height of the graphic.
The
width

and
height

arguments may have scaling indicators attached;
the default scaling indicator is~i.

This macro will scale the graphic uniformly
in the x and y~directions so that it is no more than
width

wide
and
height

high.
By default, the graphic will be horizontally centered.
The
-L

and
-R

options cause the graphic to be left-aligned and right-aligned,
respectively.
The
-I

option causes the graphic to be indented by~n

(default scaling indicator is~m).

trace


Use this for tracing macro calls.
It is only useful for debugging.
See
groff_trace(7).

tty-char


Overrides the definition of standard troff characters and some groff
characters for tty devices.
The optical appearance is intentionally inferior compared to that of
normal tty formatting to allow processing with critical equipment.
www


Additions of elements known from the html format, as being used in the
internet (World Wide Web) pages; this includes URL links and mail
addresses; see
groff_www(7).



 
NAMING


In classical roff systems, there was a funny naming scheme for macro
packages, due to a simplistic design in option parsing.
Macro packages were always included by option









when this option was directly followed by its argument without an
intervening space, this looked like a long option preceded by a single
minus [em] a sensation in the computer stone age.
To make this optically working for macro package names, all classical
macro packages choose a name that started with the letter









which was omitted in the naming of the macro file.

For example, the macro package for the man pages was called
man,

while its macro file
tmac.an.

So it could be activated by the argument
an

to option









or









for short.

For similar reasons, macro packages that did not start with an









had a leading









added in the documentation and in talking; for example, the package
corresponding to
tmac.doc

was called
mdoc

in the documentation, although a more suitable name would be
doc.

For, when omitting the space between the option and its argument, the
command line option for activating this package reads










To cope with all situations, actual versions of
groff(1)

are smart about both naming schemes by providing two macro files
for the inflicted macro packages; one with a leading









the other one without it.
So in
groff,

the
man

macro package may be specified as on of the following four methods:



 
ell_cmd groff~-m~man

 
ell_cmd groff~-man

 
ell_cmd groff~-mman

 
ell_cmd groff~-m~an


Recent packages that do not start with









do not use an additional









in the documentation.
For example, the
www

macro package may be specified only as one of the two methods:



 
ell_cmd groff~-m~www

 
ell_cmd groff~-mwww


Obviously, variants like
-mmwww

would not make much sense.

A second strange feature of classical troff was to name macro files
according to
Rtmac.name.

In modern operating systems, the type of a file is specified as
postfix, the file name extension.
Again, groff copes with this situation by searching both
anything.tmac

and
tmac.anything

if only
anything

is specified.

The easiest way to find out which macro packages are available on a
system is to check the man~page
groff(1),

or the contents of the
tmac

directories.

In
groff,

most macro packages are described in~man pages called
groff_I]name](7),

with a leading









for the classical packages.

 
INCLUSION


There are several ways to use a macro package in a document.
The classical way is to specify the troff/groff option


















at run-time; this makes the contents of the macro package
name

available.
In groff, the file
name.tmac

is searched within the tmac path; if not found,
tmac.name

will be searched for instead.

Alternatively, it is also possible to include a macro file by adding
the request









filename

into the document; the argument must be the full file name of an
existing file, possibly with the directory where it is kept.
In groff, this was improved by the similar request









package,

which added searching in the tmac path, just like option









does.

Note that in order to resolve the









and









requests, the roff preprocessor
soelim(1)

must be called if the files to be included need preprocessing.
This can be done either directly by a pipeline on the command line or
by using the troff/groff option









man

calls soelim automatically.

For example, suppose a macro file is stored as
/usr/share/groff/1.19.2/tmac/macros.tmac

and is used in some document called
docu.roff.


At run-time, the formatter call for this is



 
ell_cmd groff~-m~ macrofile~document.roff


To include the macro file directly in the document either