Re: [Groff] Problem with \H

[Tadziu Hoffmann]

> I wonder how
> 
>   \H'+5'test \H'+5'test
> 
> looks like with the original troff (using the PostScript device)...
> Is the height of the second `test' larger than the first one?

No.  (Solaris troff.)

> The same for \S: Is the second `test' more slanted than the first one?

No.

Strange.

Manual says ("+-" to be read as the character "\(+-"):

  The function \S'+-N' causes the font to be slanted
  by +-N degrees.
  ...
  The function \H'+-N' sets the height of the current
  font to N, or increments it by +N, or decrements it
  by -N; if N=0, the height is restored to the current
  point size.

The first statement is quite clear: no increments.
The second is ambiguous: increment/decrement relative
to what?  Apparently the current point size.
(Technically, it's wrong: should be "decrements it
by N", not "decrements it by -N".)

The interesting question of course is:  why had the
original implementors decided to treat this differently
than all the other "+-" requests?  Groff is apparently
faithful to the original, but I still think it's
inconsistent.  Will you change it when not in
compatibility mode?  I vote "yes".