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From: mjl@tropix.UUCP (Mike Lutz)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Reusable troff code
Message-ID: <291@tropix.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 9-Sep-87 11:30:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: tropix.291
Posted: Wed Sep  9 11:30:15 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 11-Sep-87 02:04:43 EDT
References: <9190@brl-adm.ARPA>
Reply-To: mjl@tropix.UUCP (Mike Lutz)
Organization: GCA/Tropel Div. Rochester, NY 14450
Lines: 16

In article <9190@brl-adm.ARPA> abrams%community-chest.mitre.org@gateway.mitre.ORG writes:
>
>I am contemplating rewriting some troff vugraph macros which must support a
>large number of options on entry.  I think it would be user unfriendly
>to require these options to be defined by position, especially since
>each user might choose to accept the default on a different subset.
>One alternative that I have thought of is keyword=value.  For example, the
>call to start making vugraphs might be:
>
>	.VU ID=SMPL ILLUSTRATOR=Abrams DATE=9/2/87

Why not use the tried-and-true preprocessor approach, a la tbl, eqn, pic,
etc.?  Your preprocessor can then generate positional parameters as
necessary, with the .VU macro defined in the traditional troff manner.

Mike Lutz