gbranden pushed a commit to branch master
in repository groff.
commit aa2deb971aeccc63ab9d8911398a62a3faa46682
Author: G. Branden Robinson <g.branden.robin...@gmail.com>
AuthorDate: Tue Jul 29 02:12:26 2025 -0500
doc/groff.texi.in: Tweak "nesting depth" stuff.
* "Nesting" manifests in several contexts. Consistently say "nesting
depth of XXX".
* It's not simply "arguments" (to delimited escape sequences) that
possess a nesting depth; the concept is more general to GNU troff's
grammar. (I reckon it's common to macro language processors that
admit recursion.)
* Improve concept index; add entries relating to "input level" (the
source code's term regarding escape sequence interpolation) and
"interpolation depth" (a term I've thrown around casually in Savannah
tickets and other discussions).
* Break input lines consistently with our man(7) documents.
* Tighten wording.
Prompted by discussion with Ingo Schwarze in Savannah #67372.
---
doc/groff.texi.in | 44 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
1 file changed, 33 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)
diff --git a/doc/groff.texi.in b/doc/groff.texi.in
index 67280fcd2..f0dd51779 100644
--- a/doc/groff.texi.in
+++ b/doc/groff.texi.in
@@ -7479,8 +7479,13 @@ intact through multiple macro calls.
@cindex level, input
@cindex interpolation depth
@cindex depth, interpolation
-Outside of compatibility mode, GNU @code{troff} doesn't exhibit this
-problem because it tracks the nesting depth of interpolations.
+@cindex nesting depth, of interpolations
+@cindex depth, nesting, of interpolations
+Outside of compatibility mode,
+GNU
+@command{troff} @c GNU
+doesn't exhibit this problem
+because it tracks the nesting depth of interpolations.
@xref{Implementation Differences}.
@c ---------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -7779,13 +7784,23 @@ any escape sequences other than @code{\%}, @code{\:},
@code{\@{},
@code{\/}, @code{\c}, @code{\e}, and @code{\p}
@end itemize
+@cindex input level
+@cindex level, input
+@cindex interpolation depth
+@cindex depth, interpolation
+@cindex nesting depth, of interpolations
+@cindex depth, nesting, of interpolations
Delimiter syntax is complex and flexible primarily for historical
reasons; the foregoing restrictions need be kept in mind mainly when
-using @code{groff} in @acronym{AT&T} compatibility mode. GNU
-@code{troff} keeps track of the nesting depth of escape sequence
-interpolations, so the only characters you need to avoid using as
-delimiters are those that appear in the arguments you input, not any
-that result from interpolation. Typically, @code{'} works fine.
+using @code{groff} in @acronym{AT&T} compatibility mode.
+GNU
+@command{troff}
+keeps track of the nesting depth of escape sequence interpolations,
+so the only characters you need to avoid using as delimiters are those
+that appear in the arguments you input,
+not any that result from interpolation.
+Typically,
+@code{'} works fine.
@xref{Implementation Differences}.
@Example
@@ -14686,6 +14701,8 @@ inserts some vertical space. It could be used to
separate paragraphs.
..
@endExample
+@cindex nesting depth, of macro definitions
+@cindex depth, nesting, of macro definitions
We can define one macro within another. Attempting to nest @samp{..}
na�vely will end the outer definition because the inner definition
isn't interpreted as such until the outer macro is later interpolated.
@@ -15129,6 +15146,8 @@ the input. Use @code{\e} to represent the escape
character,
and @samp{'} where GNU @code{troff} expects them as control characters
if you mean to use them literally (recall @ref{Requests and Macros}).
+@cindex nesting depth, of escape sequences in macro definitions
+@cindex depth, nesting, of escape sequences in macro definitions
Macro definitions can be nested to arbitrary depth. The mechanics of
parsing the escape character have significant consequences for this
practice.
@@ -19584,13 +19603,16 @@ may be ambiguous to the document maintainer.
This set of additional delimiters comprises
@samp{0123456789+-(.|}.
-@cindex input level in delimited arguments
-@cindex interpolation depth in delimited arguments
-@cindex delimited arguments, incompatibilities with @acronym{AT&T} @code{troff}
+@cindex input level
+@cindex level, input
+@cindex interpolation depth
+@cindex depth, interpolation
+@cindex nesting depth, of interpolations
+@cindex depth, nesting, of interpolations
Normally,
GNU
@command{troff} @c GNU
-keeps track of delimited arguments' interpolation depth.
+tracks the nesting depth of interpolations.
In compatibility mode,
it does not.
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