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TROFF(1)TROFF(1)

NAME

troff, nroff, dpost – text formatting and typesetting

SYNOPSIS

troff [ option ... ] [ file ... ]

dpost [ -f ] [ file ... ]

nroff [ option ... ] [ file ... ]

DESCRIPTION

Troff formats text in the named files for printing on a typesetter, emitting a textual intermediate format called ‘typesetter-independent troff output’, understood by programs such as proof(1) and lp(1), but also by a troff post-processor named dpost, which emits corresponding Postscript. Under -f, dpost also emits Postscript font definitions as needed. Nroff does the same as troff, but produces output suitable for typewriter-like devices, usually without further post-processing, but see col(1).

If no file argument is present, the standard input is read. An argument consisting of a single minus (-) is taken to be a file name corresponding to the standard input. The options are:

unhandled troff command .nr

Print pages in the comma-separated list of numbers and ranges. A range N-M means N through M; initial -M means up to M; final N- means from N to the end.  

Number first generated page N.  

Process the macro file /sys/lib/tmac/tmac.name before the input files.  

Set register a (one character name) to N.  

Read standard input after the input files are exhausted.  

Invoke the simultaneous input-output mode of the rd request.  

Produce output suitable for typewriter-like devices.  

Typesetter devices (not -N) only

Send a printable textual approximation of the results to the standard output.  

Prepare output for typesetter dest:
 

unhandled troff command .ns

(The default.) PostScript printers with preprocessing to handle Unicode characters encoded in UTF  

Regular PostScript printers  

Mergenthaler Linotron 202  

Take font information from directory dir.  

Typewriter (-N) output only

Halt prior to every N pages (default N=1) to allow paper loading or changing.  

Prepare output for specified terminal. Known names include utf for the normal Plan 9 UTF encoding of the Unicode Standard character set (default), 37 for the Teletype model 37, lp (‘line-printer’) for any terminal without half-line capability, 450 for the \s-1DASI\s+1-450 (Diablo Hyterm), and think (HP ThinkJet).  

Produce equally-spaced words in adjusted lines, using full terminal resolution.  

Use output tabs during horizontal spacing to speed output and reduce output character count. Tab settings are assumed to be every 8 nominal character widths.  

FILES

temporary file  

standard macro files  

terminal driving tables for nroff  

font width tables for troff  

SOURCE

/sys/src/cmd/troff
/rc/bin/dpost

SEE ALSO

lp(1), proof(1), page(1), eqn(1), tbl(1), pic(1), grap(1), doctype(1), ms(6), image(6), deroff(1), col(1)
J. F. Ossanna and B. W. Kernighan, “Troff User’s Manual”
B. W. Kernighan, “A Typesetter-Independent TROFF”, CSTR #97
B. W. Kernighan, “A TROFF Tutorial”, Unix Research System Programmer’s Manual, Tenth Edition, Volume 2.