version 1.67, 2017/06/14 20:57:07 |
version 1.69, 2018/08/08 13:54:05 |
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.Pp |
.Pp |
The rendering depends on the |
The rendering depends on the |
.Xr mandoc 1 |
.Xr mandoc 1 |
output mode; in ASCII output, most characters are completely |
output mode; it can be inspected by calling |
unintelligible. |
.Xr man 1 |
For that reason, using any of the special characters documented here, |
on the |
except those discussed in the |
.Nm |
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manual page with different |
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.Fl T |
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arguments. |
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In ASCII output, the rendering of some characters may be hard |
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to interpret for the reader. |
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Many are rendered as descriptive strings like |
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.Qq <integral> , |
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.Qq <degree> , |
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or |
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.Qq <Gamma> , |
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which may look ugly, and many are replaced by similar ASCII characters. |
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In particular, accented characters are usually shown without the accent. |
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For that reason, try to avoid using any of the special characters |
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documented here except those discussed in the |
.Sx DESCRIPTION , |
.Sx DESCRIPTION , |
is strongly discouraged; they are supported merely for backwards |
unless they are essential for explaining the subject matter at hand, |
compatibility with existing documents. |
for example when documenting complicated mathematical functions. |
.Pp |
.Pp |
In particular, in English manual pages, do not use special-character |
In particular, in English manual pages, do not use special-character |
escape sequences to represent national language characters in author |
escape sequences to represent national language characters in author |
Line 49 names; instead, provide ASCII transcriptions of the na |
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Line 63 names; instead, provide ASCII transcriptions of the na |
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.Ss Dashes and Hyphens |
.Ss Dashes and Hyphens |
In typography there are different types of dashes of various width: |
In typography there are different types of dashes of various width: |
the hyphen (-), |
the hyphen (-), |
the minus sign (\(mi), |
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the en-dash (\(en), |
the en-dash (\(en), |
and the em-dash (\(em). |
the em-dash (\(em), |
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and the mathematical minus sign (\(mi). |
.Pp |
.Pp |
Hyphens are used for adjectives; |
Hyphens are used for adjectives; |
to separate the two parts of a compound word; |
to separate the two parts of a compound word; |
Line 86 Such automatic hyphenation is not supported by |
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Line 100 Such automatic hyphenation is not supported by |
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which only breaks the line at whitespace, and inside words only |
which only breaks the line at whitespace, and inside words only |
after existing hyphens. |
after existing hyphens. |
.Pp |
.Pp |
The mathematical minus sign is used for negative numbers or subtraction. |
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It should be written as |
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.Sq \e(mi : |
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.Bd -unfilled -offset indent |
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a = 3 \e(mi 1; |
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b = \e(mi2; |
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.Ed |
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.Pp |
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The en-dash is used to separate the two elements of a range, |
The en-dash is used to separate the two elements of a range, |
or can be used the same way as an em-dash. |
or can be used the same way as an em-dash. |
It should be written as |
It should be written as |
Line 112 Three things \e(em apples, oranges, and bananas. |
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Line 118 Three things \e(em apples, oranges, and bananas. |
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This is not that \e(em rather, this is that. |
This is not that \e(em rather, this is that. |
.Ed |
.Ed |
.Pp |
.Pp |
Note: |
In |
hyphens, minus signs, and en-dashes look identical under normal ASCII output. |
.Xr roff 7 |
Other formats, such as PostScript, render them correctly, |
documents, the minus sign is normally written as |
with differing widths. |
.Sq \e- . |
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In manual pages, some style guides recommend to also use |
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.Sq \e- |
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if an ASCII 0x2d |
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.Dq hyphen-minus |
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output glyph that can be copied and pasted is desired in output modes |
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supporting it, for example in |
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.Fl T Cm utf8 |
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and |
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.Fl T Cm html . |
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But currently, no practically relevant manual page formatter actually |
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requires that subtlety, so in manual pages just write plain |
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.Sq - |
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to represent hyphen, minus, and hyphen-minus. |
.Ss Spaces |
.Ss Spaces |
To separate words in normal text, for indenting and alignment |
To separate words in normal text, for indenting and alignment |
in literal context, and when none of the following special cases apply, |
in literal context, and when none of the following special cases apply, |