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From: phil%rice@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: ^B and ^C in tbl output
Message-ID: <15812@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 21-Jan-84 18:11:58 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.15812
Posted: Sat Jan 21 18:11:58 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Jan-84 02:41:58 EST
Lines: 17

From:  William LeFebvre <phil@rice>

Let me catch myself before everyone starts flaming me...

After defining a few macros, tbl sets up some number registers to help
determine the widest string for a field.  At that point, it IS using a
control B as a delimiter.  After the ".fc" statement, it uses control B
and control C as field and padding characters.  Since the ^B is only
used as a delimiter for strings to "\w", the main thrust of the message
still applies.  You have to use something for a delimiter.  The only
time that [nt]roff will get confused is when there is a ^B in the
string in the "\w" and why would there be one there?  For that matter,
why would there be a ^B anywhere in the normal text of the document?

                                William LeFebvre
                                ARPANet and CSNet: phil@rice
                                USENet:  ...!lbl-csam!rice!phil