[bug #64101] improve diagnostic for bad string argument

[Dave]

URL:
  <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?64101>

                 Summary: improve diagnostic for bad string argument
                   Group: GNU roff
               Submitter: barx
               Submitted: Mon 24 Apr 2023 12:23:53 AM CDT
                Category: Core
                Severity: 2 - Minor
              Item Group: Warning/Suspicious behaviour
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
             Assigned to: None
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Any
         Planned Release: None


    _______________________________________________________

Follow-up Comments:


-------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon 24 Apr 2023 12:23:53 AM CDT By: Dave <barx>
A bracket-delimited escape used in an argument to a string must be quoted. 
[http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/groff.git/commit/?id=17ee46a8 Commit
17ee46a8], part of which was motivated by
http://lists.gnu.org/r/groff/2022-11/msg00185.html, documented this clearly. 
But a user who forgets this requirement is met with a cryptic diagnostic.

$ cat string_test
.ds str hello \\$1
\*[str \[aq]]
$ groff string_test > /dev/null
troff:string_test:2: error: a newline character is not allowed in an escape
sequence parameter

In the email thread (which continues briefly at
http://lists.gnu.org/r/groff/2022-12/msg00001.html, which is not linked to the
rest of the thread due to the archival software's limitations), Branden
explains how the parser processes this input, and surmises that at the point
it realizes it's in trouble, it may not be a in a good position to explain
why.  But he admits the matter requires further investigation, hence this
low-priority ticket to put the issue on the radar after more pressing matters
have been resolved.







    _______________________________________________________

Reply to this item at:

  <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?64101>

_______________________________________________
Message sent via Savannah
https://savannah.gnu.org/