gbranden pushed a commit to branch master
in repository groff.
commit 299628daa718fdaeab4deb662dc4c2b1b750e875
Author: G. Branden Robinson <[email protected]>
AuthorDate: Fri Nov 14 07:21:09 2025 -0600
tbl(1): Fix content and style nits.
* Say "troff" instead of "groff" when referring to characteristics of
tbl output applicable to most or all implementations.
* Unparenthesize an essential point.
* Reorganize complex clause to make application of modifying phrases
more clear.
* Favor active voice over passive.
* Clarify that `N` column classifier works only with decimal digits.
Not, say, hexadecimal. Nor Roman numerals.
* Note applicability of `\R` table entry syntax to indexed characters.
* Quote register names that end in dots to avoid confusion with sentence
endings.
---
src/preproc/tbl/tbl.1.man | 32 +++++++++++++++++++-------------
1 file changed, 19 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)
diff --git a/src/preproc/tbl/tbl.1.man b/src/preproc/tbl/tbl.1.man
index 96bb8cee8..3ee4adf3a 100644
--- a/src/preproc/tbl/tbl.1.man
+++ b/src/preproc/tbl/tbl.1.man
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ macros to handle issues of table placement on the page.
.
.I @g@tbl
produces
-.I groff
+.I troff \" generic
requests to define these macros as empty
if their definitions do not exist
when the formatter encounters a table region.)
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ We term the resulting group of column descriptors a
.
Within a row definition,
separation between column descriptors
-(by spaces or tabs)
+by spaces or tabs
is often optional;
only some modifiers,
described below,
@@ -522,10 +522,10 @@ Any rows of entries appended to the table data reuse the
row definition
.P
The row definition with the most column descriptors determines the
number of columns in the table;
+any row definition with fewer,
GNU
.I tbl \" GNU
-implicitly extends any row definition with fewer
-on the right-hand side with
+implicitly extends on the right-hand side with
.B L
descriptors as many times as necessary to make the table rectangular.
.\" Heirloom Doctools tbl also does that; DWB tbl does not.
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ Left-align entry within the column.
Numerically align entry in the column.
.
.I @g@tbl
-aligns columns of numbers vertically at the units place.
+aligns columns of decimal numbers vertically at the units place.
.
If multiple decimal separators are adjacent to a digit,
it uses the rightmost one for vertical alignment.
@@ -756,8 +756,8 @@ Modifier arguments,
where accepted,
are case-sensitive.
.
-If a given modifier is applied to a classifier more than once,
-or if conflicting modifiers are applied,
+If you apply a given modifier to a classifier more than once,
+or apply conflicting modifiers,
only the last occurrence has effect.
.
The
@@ -1100,7 +1100,8 @@ do not persist between entries.
.
.
.P
-Several forms of table entry are interpreted specially.
+.I @g@tbl
+interprets several forms of table entry specially.
.
.
.IP \[bu] 3n
@@ -1149,7 +1150,9 @@ where
.IR x \~is
any
.I roff
-ordinary or special character,
+ordinary,
+special,
+or indexed character,
is replaced by enough repetitions of the glyph corresponding
.RI to\~ x
to fill the column,
@@ -1327,7 +1330,10 @@ you can also control a text block's width by including an
request in it prior to any text to be formatted.
.
Because a diversion is used to format the text block,
-its height and width are subsequently available in the registers
+its height and width are subsequently available
+in the
+.I troff \" generic
+registers
.B dn
and
.BR dl ,
@@ -1345,12 +1351,12 @@ it can't be used within the region itself,
but is defined before the
.B .TE
token is output so that a
-.I groff
+.I troff \" generic
macro named
.B TE
can make use of it.
.
-.B T.\&
+.RB \[lq] T.\& \[rq]
is a Boolean-valued register indicating whether the bottom of the table
is being processed.
.
@@ -1544,7 +1550,7 @@ requests that
injects to restore the source line number cannot take effect.
.
Consider copying the input line counter register
-.B c.\&
+.RB \[lq] c.\& \[rq]
and restoring its value at a convenient location after applicable
arithmetic.
.
_______________________________________________
groff-commit mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff-commit
