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Re: [groff] Creating a numbered list without macros


From: Ralph Corderoy
Subject: Re: [groff] Creating a numbered list without macros
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2018 09:33:12 +0100

Hi Ingo,

> Yves Cloutier wrote:
> > The short answer is that those macros are too level even for me.
>
> I don't understand what "too level" means.

`too (high|low) level'?

> Roff is both a typesetting system and a programming language.  So the
> way to do what you want to do with roff is by writing the program you
> are trying to write - in roff.  In other words, write a macro set.

We're not entirely sure what he wants.  He may not know himself at this
early stage of MVP and experimentation.  Perhaps troff syntax, even with
mainly light-noise macros, would be off-putting to his users and so he's
wanting a pre-processor that produces troff.  The input language could
be largely based on indentation, for example.

> In general, generating code in one programming language by a program
> in a different language is often a second-best approach, to put my
> opinion mildly.

All programs that generate troff are written in a different language
AFAICS ‒ all those preprocessors ‒ with macros being the only exception,
and then they're normally accompanied by prologue that sets up the
environment rather than being self-contained.

> Besides, whith a macro set, advanced users can use roff(7) requests
> between the macros when the need arises.  With your approach, even
> mildly adanced users will soon hit walls where your stuff is not good
> enough - and they can't complement it by directly resorting to
> low-level roff(7) where needed either.

Yves should consider an `escape' such that troff can be poked through.

-- 
Cheers, Ralph.
https://plus.google.com/+RalphCorderoy



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