gbranden pushed a commit to branch master
in repository groff.
commit 8f004d83fc967a3b29253b2296d43ce54ad38b8d
Author: G. Branden Robinson <[email protected]>
AuthorDate: Wed Dec 27 15:57:09 2023 -0600
[docs]: Revise explanation of `fl` request.
This has been an annoying lacuna of groff documentation forever.
$ printf '.c2 @\n123\n@fl\nABCDEF\nmore words\n' | groff -a
<beginning of page>
123 ABCDEF more words
---
doc/groff.texi | 27 ++++++++++++++++-----------
man/groff.7.man | 2 +-
2 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)
diff --git a/doc/groff.texi b/doc/groff.texi
index f2784b898..0a076030d 100644
--- a/doc/groff.texi
+++ b/doc/groff.texi
@@ -16993,17 +16993,22 @@ planted but subsequently (re)moved, are printed as
well.
@endDefreq
@Defreq {fl, }
-@cindex flush output (@code{fl})
-@cindex output, flush (@code{fl})
-@cindex interactive use of @command{gtroff}
-@cindex @command{gtroff}, interactive use
-Instruct @command{gtroff} to flush its output immediately. The intent
-is for interactive use, but this behaviour is currently not implemented
-in @command{gtroff}. Contrary to Unix @code{troff}, TTY output is sent
-to a device driver also (@code{grotty}), making it non-trivial to
-communicate interactively.
-
-This request causes a line break.
+@cindex flush pending output line (@code{fl})
+@cindex output line, flush pending (@code{fl})
+@cindex pending output line, flush (@code{fl})
+@cindex interactive use of GNU @command{troff}
+@cindex @command{gtroff}, interactive use of
+@cindex @command{troff}, GNU, interactive use of
+Break the line and flush any pending output line immediately. The
+effect is the same as the @code{br} request unless the no-break control
+character is used; @samp{'br} does nothing, whereas @samp{'fl} writes
+the pending output line without further updating the drawing position.
+
+Historically, @code{fl} was used with @code{rd} to produce interactive
+@command{nroff} documents. GNU @command{troff} does not easily support
+this mode of operation, because its output for terminals is first
+prepared in device-independent format, which @command{grotty} renders a
+page at a time.
@endDefreq
@Defreq {backtrace, }
diff --git a/man/groff.7.man b/man/groff.7.man
index 1e90a6524..8eb049570 100644
--- a/man/groff.7.man
+++ b/man/groff.7.man
@@ -3175,7 +3175,7 @@ Sets
.
.TPx
.REQ .fl
-Flush output buffer.
+Flush any pending output line.
.
.TPx
.REQ .fp "pos id"
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