[unix-history] / usr / src / contrib / groff-1.08 / tbl / tbl.man

.\" -*- nroff -*-
.TH @G@TBL @MAN1EXT@ "@MDATE@" "Groff Version @VERSION@"
.SH NAME
@g@tbl \- format tables for troff
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B @g@tbl
[
.B \-Cv
]
[
.IR files \|.\|.\|.
]
.SH DESCRIPTION
This manual page describes the GNU version of
.BR tbl ,
which is part of the groff document formatting system.
.B tbl
compiles descriptions of tables embedded within
.B troff
input files into commands that are understood by
.BR troff .
Normally, it should be invoked using the
.B \-t
option of
.B groff.
It is highly compatible with Unix
.BR tbl .
The output generated by GNU
.B tbl
cannot be processed with Unix
.BR troff ;
it must be processed with GNU
.BR troff .
If no files are given on the command line, the standard input
will be read.
A filename of
.B \-
will cause the standard input to be read.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.B \-C
Recognize
.B .TS
and
.B .TE
even when followed by a character other than space or newline.
.TP
.B \-v
Print the version number.
.SH USAGE
Only the differences between GNU
.B tbl
and Unix
.B tbl
are described here.
.LP
Normally
.B tbl
attempts to prevent undesirable breaks in the table by using diversions.
This can sometimes interact badly with macro packages' own use of diversions,
when footnotes, for example, are used.
The
.B nokeep
option tells
.B tbl
not to try and prevent breaks in this way.
.LP
The
.B decimalpoint
option specifies the character to be recognized as the decimal
point character in place of the default period.
It takes an argument in parentheses, which must be a single
character, as for the
.B tab
option.
.LP
The
.B f
format modifier can be followed by an arbitrary length
font name in parentheses.
.LP
There is a
.B d
format modifier which means that a vertically spanning entry
should be aligned at the bottom of its range.
.LP
There is no limit on the number of columns in a table, nor any limit
on the number of text blocks.
All the lines of a table are considered in deciding column
widths, not just the first 200.
Table continuation
.RB ( .T& )
lines are not restricted to the first 200 lines.
.LP
Numeric and alphabetic items may appear in the same column.
.LP
Numeric and alphabetic items may span horizontally.
.LP
.B tbl
uses register, string, macro and diversion names beginning with
.BR 3 .
When using
.B tbl
you should avoid using any names beginning with a
.BR 3 .
.SH BUGS
You should use
.BR .TS\ H / .TH
in conjunction with a supporting macro package for
.I all
multi-page boxed tables.
If there is no header that you wish to appear at the top of each page
of the table, place the
.B .TH
line immediately after the format section.
Do not enclose a multi-page table within keep/release macros,
or divert it in any other way.
.LP
A text block within a table must be able to fit on one page.
.LP
The
.B bp
request cannot be used to force a page-break in a multi-page table.
Instead, define
.B BP
as follows
.IP
.B .de BP
.br
.B .ie '\e\en(.z'' .bp \e\e$1
.br
.B .el \e!.BP \e\e$1
.br
.B ..
.br
.LP
and use
.B BP
instead of
.BR bp .
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR groff (@MAN1EXT@),
.BR @g@troff (@MAN1EXT@)
Commit	Line	Data
05368657 C	1	.\" -- nroff --
	2	.TH @G@TBL @MAN1EXT@ "@MDATE@" "Groff Version @VERSION@"
	3	.SH NAME
	4	@g@tbl \- format tables for troff
	5	.SH SYNOPSIS
	6	.B @g@tbl
	7	[
	8	.B \-Cv
	9	]
	10	[
	11	.IR files \\|.\\|.\\|.
	12	]
	13	.SH DESCRIPTION
	14	This manual page describes the GNU version of
	15	.BR tbl ,
	16	which is part of the groff document formatting system.
	17	.B tbl
	18	compiles descriptions of tables embedded within
	19	.B troff
	20	input files into commands that are understood by
	21	.BR troff .
	22	Normally, it should be invoked using the
	23	.B \-t
	24	option of
	25	.B groff.
	26	It is highly compatible with Unix
	27	.BR tbl .
	28	The output generated by GNU
	29	.B tbl
	30	cannot be processed with Unix
	31	.BR troff ;
	32	it must be processed with GNU
	33	.BR troff .
	34	If no files are given on the command line, the standard input
	35	will be read.
	36	A filename of
	37	.B \-
	38	will cause the standard input to be read.
	39	.SH OPTIONS
	40	.TP
	41	.B \-C
	42	Recognize
	43	.B .TS
	44	and
	45	.B .TE
	46	even when followed by a character other than space or newline.
	47	.TP
	48	.B \-v
	49	Print the version number.
	50	.SH USAGE
	51	Only the differences between GNU
	52	.B tbl
	53	and Unix
	54	.B tbl
	55	are described here.
	56	.LP
	57	Normally
	58	.B tbl
	59	attempts to prevent undesirable breaks in the table by using diversions.
	60	This can sometimes interact badly with macro packages' own use of diversions,
	61	when footnotes, for example, are used.
	62	The
	63	.B nokeep
	64	option tells
65	.B tbl
66	not to try and prevent breaks in this way.
67	.LP
68	The
69	.B decimalpoint
70	option specifies the character to be recognized as the decimal
71	point character in place of the default period.
72	It takes an argument in parentheses, which must be a single
73	character, as for the
74	.B tab
75	option.
76	.LP
77	The
78	.B f
79	format modifier can be followed by an arbitrary length
80	font name in parentheses.
81	.LP
82	There is a
83	.B d
84	format modifier which means that a vertically spanning entry
85	should be aligned at the bottom of its range.
86	.LP
87	There is no limit on the number of columns in a table, nor any limit
88	on the number of text blocks.
89	All the lines of a table are considered in deciding column
90	widths, not just the first 200.
91	Table continuation
92	.RB ( .T& )
93	lines are not restricted to the first 200 lines.
94	.LP
95	Numeric and alphabetic items may appear in the same column.
96	.LP
97	Numeric and alphabetic items may span horizontally.
98	.LP
99	.B tbl
100	uses register, string, macro and diversion names beginning with
101	.BR 3 .
102	When using
103	.B tbl
104	you should avoid using any names beginning with a
105	.BR 3 .
106	.SH BUGS
107	You should use
108	.BR .TS\ H / .TH
109	in conjunction with a supporting macro package for
110	.I all
111	multi-page boxed tables.
112	If there is no header that you wish to appear at the top of each page
113	of the table, place the
114	.B .TH
115	line immediately after the format section.
116	Do not enclose a multi-page table within keep/release macros,
117	or divert it in any other way.
118	.LP
119	A text block within a table must be able to fit on one page.
120	.LP
121	The
122	.B bp
123	request cannot be used to force a page-break in a multi-page table.
124	Instead, define
125	.B BP
126	as follows
127	.IP
128	.B .de BP
129	.br
130	.B .ie '\e\en(.z'' .bp \e\e$1
131	.br
132	.B .el \e!.BP \e\e$1
133	.br
134	.B ..
135	.br
136	.LP
137	and use
138	.B BP
139	instead of
140	.BR bp .
141	.SH "SEE ALSO"
142	.BR groff (@MAN1EXT@),
143	.BR @g@troff (@MAN1EXT@)