man(7) - Plan 9 from User Space

| MAN(7) | MAN(7)
| NAME
| man – macros to typeset manual
SYNOPSIS
| `nroff −man` file ...
`troff −man` file ...
DESCRIPTION
| These macros are used to format pages of this manual.
Except in `.LR` and `.RL` requests, any text argument denoted t in the request summary may be zero to six words. Quotes `"` ... `"` may be used to include blanks in a ‘word’. If t is empty, the special treatment is applied to the next text input line (the next line that doesn’t begin with dot). In this way, for example, `.I` may be used to italicize a line of more than 6 words, or `.SM` followed by `.B` to make small letters in ‘bold’ font.
A prevailing indent distance is remembered between successive indented paragraphs, and is reset to default value upon reaching a non-indented paragraph. Default units for indents i are ens.
The fonts are `R` roman, the main font, preferred for diagnostics `I` italic, preferred for parameters, short names of commands, names of manual pages, and naked function names `B` ‘bold’, actually the constant width font, preferred for examples, file names, declarations, keywords, names of `struct` members, and literals (numbers are rarely literals) `L` also the constant width font. In troff `L`=`B`; in nroff arguments of the macros `.L`, `.LR`, and `.RL` are printed in quotes; preferred only where quotes really help (e.g. lower-case literals and punctuation).
Type font and size are reset to default values before each paragraph, and after processing font- or size-setting macros.
The `−man` macros admit equations and tables in the style of eqn(1) and tbl(1), but do not support arguments on `.EQ` and `.TS` macros.
These strings are predefined by `−man`: `\*R` ‘®’, ‘(Reg)’ in nroff. `\*S` Change to default type size. `\*9` The root directory of the Plan 9 installation.
FILES
| `/usr/lib/plan9/tmac/tmac.an
` `/usr/lib/plan9/tmac/tmac.antimes`
SEE ALSO
| troff(1), man(1)
REQUESTS Request Cause If no Explanation
| Break Argument
`.B` t no t=n.t.l.* Text t is ‘bold’. `.BI` t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating bold and italic. `.BR` t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating bold and Roman. `.DT` no Restore default tabs. `.EE` yes End displayed example `.EX` yes Begin displayed example `.HP` i yes i=p.i.* Set prevailing indent to i. Begin paragraph with hanging indent. `.I` t no t=n.t.l. Text t is italic. `.IB` t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating italic and bold. `.IP` x i yes x="" Same as `.TP` with tag x. `.IR` t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating italic and Roman. `.L` t no t=n.t.l. Text t is literal. `.LP` yes Same as `.PP`. `.LR` t no Join 2 words of t alternating literal and Roman. `.PD` d no d=`.4v` Interparagraph distance is d. `.PP` yes Begin paragraph. Set prevailing indent to default. `.RE` yes End of relative indent. Set prevailing indent to amount of starting `.RS`. `.RI` t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating Roman and italic. `.RL` t no Join 2 or 3 words of t alternating Roman and literal. `.RS` i yes i=p.i. Start relative indent, move left margin in distance i. Set prevailing indent to default for nested indents. `.SH` t yes t="" Subhead; reset paragraph distance. `.SM` t no t=n.t.l. Text t is small. `.SS` t no t="" Secondary subhead. `.TF` s yes Prevailing indent is wide as string s in font `L`; paragraph distance is 0. `.TH` n c x yes Begin page named n of chapter c; x is extra commentary, e.g. ‘local’, for page head. Set prevailing indent and tabs to default. `.TP` i yes i=p.i. Set prevailing indent to i. Restore default indent if i=0. Begin indented paragraph with hanging tag given by next text line. If tag doesn’t fit, place it on separate line. `.1C` yes Equalize columns and return to 1-column output `.2C` yes Start 2-column nofill output
* n.t.l. = next text line; p.i. = prevailing indent BUGS
| There’s no way to fool troff into handling literal double quote marks `"` in font-alternation macros, such as `.BI`.
There is no direct way to suppress column widows in 2-column output; the column lengths may be adjusted by inserting `.sp` requests before the closing `.1C`.