Re: [Groff] [mom] string arguments and double quotes

[Peter Schaffter]

On Thu, Dec 27, 2012, Denis M. Wilson wrote:
> Yes, you can use a double quote in a macro argument (it is documented
> and has been there forever).
> 
> But it gives you the ASCII quote mark, not the typographical open and
> close quotes which are use in typesetting English (\[lq] and \[rq]).

If SMARTQUOTES is enabled (it is by default), doubling the quotes
in the string arg to say, HEADING, does, in fact, result in correct
typographical open and close quotes in the HEADING.

However, doubling quotes is generally not recommended for mom
because it can confuse or break other macros and routines.  For
example

  .HEADING 1 """Text of Heading"""

prints correctly in the body of the doc, but results in a blank
entry in the TOC.  That's why the mom documentation recommends
consistent use of \[lq]...\[rq] or \(lq...\(rq in string args.

-- 
Peter Schaffter

Author of The Binbrook Caucus
http://www.schaffter.ca