Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!usc!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!uunet!mcsun!ukc!slxsys!jclark!jjc From: jjc@jclark.UUCP (James Clark) Newsgroups: comp.text Subject: Re: troff postprocessors for ISO 8859 characters Message-ID: Date: 31 Dec 90 18:30:59 GMT References: <1990Dec28.195703.2749@cbnewsl.att.com> Sender: jjc@jclark.uucp (James Clark) Organization: None, London, England Lines: 28 In-Reply-To: npn@cbnewsl.att.com's message of 28 Dec 90 19:57:03 GMT Groff has a composite character feature which helps with using ISO 8859/1 with a device that doesn't have all the ISO 8859/1 characters. For example, suppose you want to be able to input an `a' circumflex using ISO 8859/1 (`a' circumflex has code 0342), and suppose you have a device which has the letter `a' and has a circumflex accent, but doesn't have an `a' circumflex as a single character. Assuming `\*^' has been defined appropriately, you just have to do: .char \342 a\\*^ (by \342 I mean the character whose code is 0342.) After this you can use \342 exactly as if your output device provided an `a' with a circumflex as a single character. The `char' request is useful for other things too: for example, .char \(ru \D'l .5m 0' will get you a \(ru character if your output device happens not to have one. Characters defined with the `char' request can be used just like other characters: for example, they will be hyphenated properly (after an appropriate `hcode' request); they can also be used with the `lc' request, with `tr' request and with the `\l' or `\L' escape sequences. James Clark jjc@jclark.uucp