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Re: [Groff] Copy register value to another register?


From: Steve Izma
Subject: Re: [Groff] Copy register value to another register?
Date: Sun, 30 May 2010 23:03:27 -0400
User-agent: Mutt/1.5.18 (2008-05-17)

On Sun, May 30, 2010 at 05:41:51PM -0600, Clarke Echols wrote:
> Subject: [Groff] Copy register value to another register?
>
> I'm attempting to capture the current value of the vertical position  
> register ( \n[nl] ) and set another register to that value so I can
> use it to return to the current location for further output.
>
> If I have inline code like this:
>
>   >     .nr returnlocation \n[nl]
>   >
>   >          <do some stuff here>
>   >
>   >     .sp |\n[returnlocation]u
>
> it works as expected.
>
> But I prefer to use a macro like this:
>
>          .de macro
>          .nr returnlocation \n[nl]u  \"Preserve location to return to.
>               <other code>
>
> But when I do that, the register [returnlocation] is assigned a value
> of -1 when I call the macro.

You need to double the backslashes when setting the register from
within a macro. If you don't, you get the current position at the
time that the macro is being defined, which is likely to be before
any output has occurred. The current position on a page before
any output or any breaks is always -1, i.e., a value less than
zero. The position 0 is the top of the page, but only after
output is triggered.

        -- Steve

-- 
Steve Izma
-
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Work: Wilfrid Laurier University Press p:519-884-0710 ext. 6125
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