[bug #59798] [PATCH] an-old.tmac: Add '.na' to macro '.TS' and '.ad' to macro '.TE'

[G. Branden Robinson]

Update of bug #59798 (project groff):

              Item Group:             New feature => Incorrect behaviour    
                  Status:                    None => Invalid                
             Assigned to:                    None => gbranden               
             Open/Closed:                    Open => Closed                 

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Follow-up Comment #1:

After some experimentation, I have determined that the suggested patch is
incorrect.

.TS and .TE _should not_ alter the adjustment mode of the text.

The tbl(1) man page is not clear enough about how adjustment in text blocks is
handled, and neither is Lesk's tbl paper from Volume 2 of the V7 Unix manual.

If I apply the patch, then after the first table in _every_ man page in the
groff distribution that uses tbl, the adjustment on the non-table text
afterwards is incorrectly set to both margins even if the new AD string
feature had been used to set it to 'l'.

One could attempt to lay this at the doorstep of the new AD string feature, or
argue for saving and restoring the string as part of the .TS and .TE macros,
but I think such claims would needless make complex a simple fact that is the
status quo.

*Text blocks in tables are adjusted as was the text immediately prior to the
table, unless the table author uses requests to change it.*

This is a simple rule to remember, and I plan to add documentation of it to
tbl(1) shortly.

I did try comparing groff's behavior with Heirloom Doctools tbl+nroff+man, but
unfortunately my version of Heirloom (191015) introduces a line break prior to
tbl text blocks, which is pretty dubious.  Nonetheless it appears to be
consistent with the groff status quo as regards adjustment of text blocks. 
(Heirloom forces left adjustment for all man pages rendered by nroff.)

I'm attaching my experimental file, and the patch I ended up rejecting.

(file #50737, file #50738)
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Additional Item Attachment:

File name: 59798.man                      Size:0 KB
    <https://file.savannah.gnu.org/file/59798.man?file_id=50737>

File name: 59798.diff                     Size:1 KB
    <https://file.savannah.gnu.org/file/59798.diff?file_id=50738>



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