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Diffstat (limited to 'doc/groff.texi')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/groff.texi | 22 |
1 files changed, 13 insertions, 9 deletions
diff --git a/doc/groff.texi b/doc/groff.texi index 5b1b99de5..93a86b202 100644 --- a/doc/groff.texi +++ b/doc/groff.texi @@ -13661,15 +13661,19 @@ Applying string interpolation to a macro does not change this name. @cindex mode, copy @cindex mode, copy -When GNU @code{troff} processes certain requests, most importantly those -which define or append to a macro or string, it does so in @dfn{copy -mode}: it copies the characters of the definition into a dedicated -storage region, interpolating the escape sequences @code{\n}, @code{\g}, -@code{\$}, @code{\*}, @code{\V}, and @code{\?} normally; interpreting -@code{\@key{RET}} immediately; discarding comments @code{\"} and -@code{\#}; interpolating the current leader, escape, or tab character -with @code{\a}, @code{\e}, and @code{\t}, respectively; and storing all -other escape sequences in an encoded form. +GNU @code{troff} processes certain requests in @dfn{copy mode}: it +interpolates the escape sequences @code{\n}, @code{\g}, @code{\$}, +@code{\*}, @code{\V}, and @code{\?} normally; interprets +@code{\@key{RET}} immediately; discards comments @code{\"} and +@code{\#}; interpolates the current leader, escape, or tab character +with @code{\a}, @code{\e}, and @code{\t}, respectively; and represents +all other escape sequences in an encoded form. The term ``copy mode'' +reflects its most visible application in requests that populate macros +and strings, but other requests also use it when interpreting arguments +that can't meaningfully represent typesetting operations. For example, +a font selection escape sequence has no meaning in a hyphenation pattern +file name (@code{hpf}) or a diagnostic message written to the terminal +(@code{tm}). @cindex interpretation mode @cindex mode, interpretation |