Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cmcl2!uupsi!grebyn!ckp
From: ckp@grebyn.com (Checkpoint Technologies)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: question about m4 - macro preprocessor
Message-ID: <23552@grebyn.com>
Date: 26 Nov 90 16:14:24 GMT
References: <3201@mrsvr.UUCP>
Reply-To: ckp@grebyn.UUCP (Checkpoint Technologies)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Grebyn Timesharing, Vienna, VA, USA
Lines: 17

In article <3201@mrsvr.UUCP> carl@gemed.ge.com (Carl Crawford) writes:
>i am using the macro preprocessor m4 with files that are
>subsequently passed to troff. m4 replaces lines that 
>contain m4 commands with blank lines. the blank lines
>disrupt the text that is passed to troff. does anyone know 
>how to run m4 so that the blank lines can be eliminated?

Put the macro "dnl" at the end of your m4 macro lines.  This asks m4 to
read and discard input characters up to and including the trailing
newline from the input file.  Therefore the trailing newline, and
consequently the undesirable blank lines, will be omitted from the
output file.
-- 
First comes the logo: C H E C K P O I N T  T E C H N O L O G I E S      / /  
                                                                    \\ / /    
Then, the disclaimer:  All expressed opinions are, indeed, opinions. \  / o
Now for the witty part:    I'm pink, therefore, I'm spam!             \/