book

UNIX° TEXT PROCESSING

by Dale Dougherty, Tim O'Reilly

May 1987

Intermediate to advanced

680 pages

17h 3m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

Read now

Unlock full access

A WorkspaceTools for EditingDocument FormattingPrintingOther UNIX Text-Processing Tools
The UNIX ShellOutput RedirectionSpecial CharactersEnvironment VariablesPipes and FiltersShell Scripts
Session 1: Basic CommandsOpening a FileMoving the CursorSimple EditsSession 2: Moving around in a HurryMovement by ScreensMovement by Text BlocksMovement by SearchesMovement by Line NumbersSession 3: Beyond the BasicsCommand-Line OptionsCustomizing viEdits and MovementMore Ways to Insert TextUsing BuffersMarking Your PlaceOther Advanced Edits
What the Formatter DoesUsing nroffUsing troffThe Markup LanguageTurning Filling On and OffControlling JustificationHyphenationPage LayoutPage TransitionsChanging FontsA First Look at Macros
Formatting a Text File with msPage LayoutParagraphsChanging Font and Point SizeDisplaysHeadingsCover Sheet MacrosMiscellaneous FeaturesPage Headers and FootersProblems on the First PageExtensions to ms

Formatting a Text FilePage LayoutJustificationWord HyphenationDisplaysChanging Font and Point SizeMore About DisplaysForcing a Page BreakFormatting ListsHeadingsTable of ContentsFootnotes and ReferencesExtensions to mm
The ex EditorUsing ex Commands in viWrite Locally, Edit GloballyPattern MatchingWriting and Quitting FilesReading In a FileExecuting UNIX CommandsEditing Multiple FilesWord AbbreviationSaving Commands with map
Using tblSpecifying TablesA Simple Table ExampleLaying Out a TableDescribing Column FormatsChanging the Format within a TablePutting Text Blocks in a ColumnBreaking Up Long TablesPutting Titles on TablesA tbl ChecklistSome Complex Tables
A Simple eqn ExampleUsing eqnSpecifying EquationsSpaces in EquationsUsing Braces for GroupingSpecial Character NamesSpecial SymbolsOther Positional NotationDiacritical MarksDefining TermsQuoted TextFine-Tuning the DocumentKeywords and PrecedenceProblem Checklist
The pic PreprocessorFrom Describing to Programming Drawingspic Enhancements
Managing Your FilesViewing the Contents of a FileSearching for Information in a FileProofing DocumentsComparing Versions of the Same DocumentManipulating DataCleaning Up and Backing UpCompressing FilesCommunicationsScripts of UNIX Sessions
Shell Programmingex ScriptsStream Editing (sed)A Proofreading Tool You Can Build
Invoking awkRecords and FieldsTesting FieldsPassing Parameters from a Shell ScriptChanging the Field SeparatorSystem VariablesLoopingawk ApplicationsTesting Programs
CommentsDefining MacrosMacro NamesMacro ArgumentsNested Macro DefinitionsConditional ExecutionInterrupted LinesNumber RegistersDefining StringsDiversionsEnvironment SwitchingRedefining Control and Escape CharactersDebugging Your MacrosError HandlingMacro Style
Formatter Escape SequencesLocal Vertical MotionsLocal Horizontal MotionsAbsolute MotionsLine DrawingTalking Directly to the PrinterMarking a Vertical PositionOverstriking Words or CharactersTabs, Leaders, and FieldsConstant SpacingPseudo-FontsCharacter Output TranslationsOutput Line NumberingChange BarsForm LettersReading in Other Files or Program Output
Just What Is a Macro Package, RevisitedBuilding a Consistent FrameworkPage TransitionsPage Transitions in msSome Extensions to the Basic PackageOther Exercises in Page Transition
Creating a Custom Macro PackageStructured Technical DocumentsFigure and Table HeadingsLists, Lists, and More ListsSource Code and Other ExamplesNotes, Cautions, and WarningsTable of Contents, Index. and Other End Lists
Saving an External Table of ContentsIndex ProcessingLet make Remember the DetailsWhere to Go from Here

Content preview from UNIX° TEXT PROCESSING

images

The `mm` Macros

A macro package provides a way of describing the format of various kinds of documents. Each document presents its own specific problems, and macros help to provide a simple and flexible solution. The mm macro package is designed to help you format letters, proposals, memos, technical papers, and reports. A text file that contains mm macros can be processed by either nroff or troff, the two text formatting programs in UNIX. The output from these programs can be displayed on a terminal screen or printed on a line printer, a laser printer, or a typesetter.

Some users of the mm macro package learn only a few macros and work productively. Others choose from a variety of macros to produce a number of different formats. More advanced users modify the macro definitions and extend the capabilities of the package by defining their own special-purpose macros.

Macros are the words that make up a format description language. Like words, the result of a macro is often determined by context. That is, you may not always understand your output by looking up an individual macro, just like you may not understand the meaning of an entire sentence by looking up a particular word. Without examining the macro definition, you may find it hard to figure out which macro is causing a particular result. Macros are interrelated; some macros call other macros, like a subroutine in a program, to ...