Re: [Groff] Questions about the MM macro package

[Mike Bianchi]

On Fri, Apr 23, 2010 at 07:16:13PM +0400, Anton Shepelev wrote:
> Mike Bianchi:
>  
> > I am a day-to-day MM user (since the 1970s) so I should be able to help
> > you.  Please provide stripped down examples that demonstrate your concerns
> > and I'll look at them.
> 
> Here's a sample script:
> 
>   .PGFORM 30n 25v 0u
>   \".PH  \" don't want any headers, but this affects
>   \" .   \" only the next page...
>   .VM 0 0
>   .AL
>   .LI
>   I like these structured lists.
>   .LI
>   I really do. This text should be 30 symbols wide, as
>   defined by the .PGFORM macro called in the beginning of
>   the document.
>   .LE
>   .P
>   The page height is low, so a new page is going
>   to begin soon. And it will have a correctly
>   centered header on it, as disticnt from the
>   first page.
>   .P
> 
> The result:
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>                                    - 1 -
> 
> 
> 
>   1.  I  like these structured
>       lists.
> 
>   2.  I really do.  This  text
>       should   be  30  symbols
>       wide, as defined by  the
>       .PGFORM  macro called in
>       the  beginning  of   the
>       document.
> 
> The  page  height is low, so a
> new page  is  going  to  begin
> soon.   And  it  will  have  a
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>              - 2 -
> 
> 
> 
> correctly centered  header  on
> it, as disticnt from the first
> page.
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> My questions:
> 
>  (1)   Some settings (page width affecting the  printing  of
>        the  header)  seem  not  to  work from the very first
>        page. Does it mean I can't avoid using  the  command-
>        line parameters for MM? I'd like to have full control
>        over the document from inside the souce code.
> 
>        I  have  found  that  PH can turn off the header, but
>        again, it works only form the second page...

The .PH  macro has to be processed before and "output" occurs.
Read  .PGFORM   in the  groff_mm  man page carefully.

>  (2)   I couldn't set the vertical margins to zero (note the
>        vertical space between the pages). How to do it?

Since you do not want any top- or bottom-of-page processing at all,
see  TP  and  EOP  in the man page.  By defining macros with those
names and no content, you get the effect you want.

Hence ,..

cat i
        .de TP
        ..
        .de EOP
        ..
        .PGFORM 30n 25v 0u
        .
        .AL
        .LI
        I like these structured lists.
        .LI
        I really do. This text should be 30 symbols wide, as
        defined by the .PGFORM macro called in the beginning of
        the document.
        .LE
        .P
        The page height is low, so a new page is going
        to begin soon. And it will have a correctly
        centered header on it, as disticnt from the
        first page.
        .P

command
        nroff -mm i  >j


                 1         2         3     
        12345678901234567890123456789012345
pr -n  j


2010-04-23 13:26                        j                         Page 1


    1     1.  I  like these structured
    2         lists.
    3   
    4     2.  I really do.  This  text
    5         should   be  30  symbols
    6         wide, as defined by  the
    7         .PGFORM  macro called in
    8         the  beginning  of   the
    9         document.
   10   
   11   The  page  height is low, so a
   12   new page  is  going  to  begin
   13   soon.   And  it  will  have  a
   14   correctly centered  header  on
   15   it, as disticnt from the first
   16   page.
   17   
   18   
   19   
   20   
   21   
   22   
   23   
   24   
   25   


-- 
 Mike Bianchi
 Foveal Systems

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