From: "Alejandro Colomar (man-pages)" <alx.manpages@gmail.com>
To: "G. Branden Robinson" <g.branden.robinson@gmail.com>
Cc: Michael Kerrisk <mtk.manpages@gmail.com>,
"linux-man@vger.kernel.org" <linux-man@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: nonbreaking spaces (was: [patch] nscd.conf.5: describe reloading, clarifications)
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2021 14:18:30 +0200 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <594e480c-96d4-669c-081e-d3075d5a6e7d@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20210729115508.pt6btsqd7g5tuhg6@localhost.localdomain>
Hi Branden!
On 7/29/21 1:55 PM, G. Branden Robinson wrote:
> Hi, Alex!
>
> At 2021-07-28T22:31:26+0200, Alejandro Colomar (man-pages) wrote:
>> Also from man-pages(7):
> [...]
>> If the command is short, then it can be included inline in
>> the text, in italic format, for example, man 7 man‐pages.
>> In this case, it may be worth using nonbreaking spaces
>> ("\ ") at suitable places in the command. Command options
>> should be written in italics (e.g., -l).
>
> I'd like to note that \~ is a superior escape sequence to use for this
> purpose in most siutations. The problem is that "\ " does, or rather
> doesn't do, two things: it doesn't break and it doesn't adjust (that
> is, it doesn't participate in widening when a line is justified to both
> the left and right margins, a common typesetting practice).
Can you provide some examples of rendered output with '\ ' and '\~'?
I think I understand it, but a graphical example might be better.
> It's also,
> in my opinion, confusing to see and to write and speak about.
I'm not sure I understood this sentence :)
>
> \~ is, admittedly, a groffism, but it is one that has been supported by
> other actively maintained troff implementations and man page
> rendererers.
>
> Heirloom Doctools troff has supported it since its 2005-09-15
> release[1]. mandoc has supported it since 2018-12-15[2], released
> 2019-03-10[3].
>
> (Support in groff itself goes at least as far back as version 1.02, in
> June 1991[4].)
Support looks good.
>
> What do you think about updating this guidance?
I'm not sure I understood the difference completely,
I'll comment about it when you provide some examples.
Kind regards,
Alex
>
> Regards,
> Branden
>
> [1] https://github.com/n-t-roff/heirloom-doctools/blob/master/CHANGES_GR#L1143
> [2] https://cvsweb.bsd.lv/mandoc/mandoc.c.diff?r1=1.110&r2=1.111
> [3] https://mandoc.bsd.lv/
> [4] https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/groff.git/tree/troff/input.c?id=351da0dcdf702cf243d26ffa998961bce2aa8653#n1270
>
--
Alejandro Colomar
Linux man-pages comaintainer; https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/
http://www.alejandro-colomar.es/
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2021-07-29 12:18 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 10+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2021-07-27 22:09 [patch] nscd.conf.5: describe reloading, clarifications Greg Banks
2021-07-28 20:31 ` Alejandro Colomar (man-pages)
2021-07-29 11:55 ` nonbreaking spaces (was: [patch] nscd.conf.5: describe reloading, clarifications) G. Branden Robinson
2021-07-29 12:18 ` Alejandro Colomar (man-pages) [this message]
2021-07-29 13:58 ` G. Branden Robinson
2021-07-29 14:22 ` Alejandro Colomar (man-pages)
[not found] ` <BL0PR2101MB1316FA480EE808D34FA523EEA1F09@BL0PR2101MB1316.namprd21.prod.outlook.com>
2021-08-03 8:08 ` [patch] nscd.conf.5: describe reloading, clarifications Alejandro Colomar (man-pages)
[not found] ` <BL0PR2101MB13161815183CB7E6F5D8E61EA1F09@BL0PR2101MB1316.namprd21.prod.outlook.com>
2021-08-04 7:43 ` Alejandro Colomar (man-pages)
[not found] ` <BL0PR2101MB13161650B82F826B74E5DBD0A1F19@BL0PR2101MB1316.namprd21.prod.outlook.com>
2021-08-05 6:58 ` Alejandro Colomar (man-pages)
2021-08-05 7:38 ` G. Branden Robinson
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