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From: wnp@killer.UUCP (Wolf Paul)
Newsgroups: comp.text,comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: funny characters in ditroff
Message-ID: <2708@killer.UUCP>
Date: 7 Jan 88 17:37:26 GMT
References: <168@fesk.UUCP>
Reply-To: wnp@killer.UUCP (Wolf Paul)
Organization: The Unix(R) Connection BBS, Dallas, Tx
Lines: 30
Keywords: troff DWB character ditroff
Summary: Define all characters used frequently

In article <168@fesk.UUCP> sverre@fesk.UUCP (Sverre Froyen) writes:
- I have been working on getting DWB troff (ditroff) to work
- with an HP LaserJet II printer. I want to use the K font
- cartridge as my font supply. Using Larry's (...!theceg!lkb)
- makedev program I have generated the appropriate device
- descripton files. The characters missing on the K cartridge I
- simply left out. These included the hyphen \(hy, the rule
- \(ru, the 3/4 \(34, the ligatures, and others. I quickly discovered
- that the hyphen was necessary (no hyphens printed in hyphenated
- text). After a lot of trouble I also discovered that the rule
- must be there (otherwise troff will core dump when printing manual
- entries).  Now my question:
- Can anyone direct me to a minimal list of characters that
- must be defined in order for troff to function correctly. Also,
- what is the criterion (if any) for dividing these characters
- between the standard and special fonts.

I don't know about the special font, but you should probably define 
all the characters likely to be used in standard text. Thus, the
only characters remaining undefined should be greek and maths characters,
if you are unlikely to use these.

Almost all troff characters can be built up from normal ASCII characters.
For example, the ligatures can be built from 'f', 'l', 'i', etc, the
hyphen can be defined using the dash, the em-dash can be defined by
outputting two dashes with a small amount of negative horizontal motion
between them, etc.

Wolf Paul
ihnp4!killer!wnp