Re: [Groff] moving TOC to start

[Keith Marshall]

On Tuesday 27 September 2005 2:06 pm, Tadziu Hoffmann wrote:
> > does anyone have any simple methods for placing the table of contents
> > at the start of the output file ?
> > 
> > I have done it manually with Postscript output and should be able to
> > script that, but if anyone has other suggestions I would appreciate
> > hearing from them.
>
> I think manipulating the intermediate output given to the device
> postprocessor is easier than manipulating the final device code
> (ps, in your case).  Something like this:
>
> [excellent example snipped] ...

Sorry to hijack this thread, for a potential development discussion.

Since I first saw this technique, in Tadziu's own `tmac.diss' documentation, 
I've been toying with ideas on how I might adapt it for `pdfroff'.  I'd 
actually like to engineer the concept directly into groff itself.  Here's how 
I think that might be achieved:--

1) Define a new `command', in the troff intermediate output command set, or 
adapt one of those already existing, to mark collation points with arbitrary 
collating sequence serialisation indices.

2) Adapt troff's `\X' escape mechanism, so as to accommodate embedding of 
such collating marks into the troff output stream, at strategic points 
defined within the document source.

3) Provide a new intermediate postprocessor, (call it `grocol' perhaps?), 
which would read the troff output stream, split it at the embedded collating 
marks, then reassemble it in correctly collated sequence order, passing this 
on as its own output, to the ultimate device postprocessor.

4) Modify the groff program itself, to insert this `grocol' postprocessor 
between troff and the ultimate processor, in the normal processing pipeline; 
this would be activated by a new command line switch.

I'd be willing to work on such an implementation, in parallel with ongoing 
development of `pdfroff' and `pdfmark.tmac', if there is any interest in 
pursuing the concept further.

Any thoughts?

Best regards,
Keith.