===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/mandoc/mandoc_char.7,v
retrieving revision 1.8
retrieving revision 1.10
diff -u -p -r1.8 -r1.10
--- mandoc/mandoc_char.7	2009/07/26 19:53:40	1.8
+++ mandoc/mandoc_char.7	2009/07/27 12:35:53	1.10
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.\"	$Id: mandoc_char.7,v 1.8 2009/07/26 19:53:40 kristaps Exp $
+.\"	$Id: mandoc_char.7,v 1.10 2009/07/27 12:35:53 kristaps Exp $
 .\"
 .\" Copyright (c) 2009 Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@kth.se>
 .\"
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 .\" ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
 .\" OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 .\" 
-.Dd $Mdocdate: July 26 2009 $
+.Dd $Mdocdate: July 27 2009 $
 .Dt MANDOC_CHAR 7
 .Os
 .\" SECTION
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 .Nd mandoc special characters
 .\" SECTION
 .Sh DESCRIPTION
-This documents the special characters accepted by 
+This documents the special characters and predefined strings accepted by 
 .Xr mandoc 1
 to format
 .Xr mdoc 7
@@ -34,13 +34,47 @@ documents.  Specific output devices of
 dictated by the
 .Fl T Ns Ar output
 argument, will properly render these sequences.
+.\" PARAGRAPH
 .Pp
 Both
 .Xr mdoc 7
 and
 .Xr man 7
-encode special characters with slightly different semantics; consult the
-respective manuals for these escapes.
+encode special characters with 
+.Sq \eX
+.Pq for a one-character escape ,
+.Sq \e(XX
+.Pq two-character ,
+and
+.Sq \e[N]
+.Pq N-character .
+One may generalise
+.Sq \e(XX
+as
+.Sq \e[XX] 
+and
+.Sq \eX
+as
+.Sq \e[X] .
+Predefined strings are functionally similar to special characters, using 
+.Sq \e*X
+.Pq for a one-character escape ,
+.Sq \e*(XX
+.Pq two-character ,
+and
+.Sq \e*[N]
+.Pq N-character .
+One may generalise
+.Sq \e*(XX
+as
+.Sq \e*[XX]
+and
+.Sq \e*X
+as
+.Sq \e*[X] .
+.\" SECTION
+.Sh Special Characters
+These are the preferred input symbols for producing special characters.
 .\" PARAGRAPH
 .Pp
 Typographic:
@@ -51,10 +85,12 @@ Typographic:
 .Pq space
 .It \e^
 .Pq zero-width space
-.It \e^
+.It \e%
 .Pq zero-width space
 .It \e&
 .Pq zero-width space
+.It \e|
+.Pq zero-width space
 .El
 .\" PARAGRAPH
 .Pp
@@ -107,16 +143,10 @@ Enclosures:
 .Pq right bracket
 .It \e(lB
 .Pq left bracket
-.It \eq
-.Pq double-quote
 .It \e(lq
 .Pq left double-quote
-.It \e(Lq
-.Pq left double-quote, deprecated
 .It \e(rq
 .Pq right double-quote
-.It \e(Rq
-.Pq right double-quote, deprecated
 .It \e(oq
 .Pq left single-quote
 .It \e(aq
@@ -211,36 +241,20 @@ Mathematical:
 .Pq approximately equals
 .It \e(=~
 .Pq congruent
-.It \e(Gt
-.Pq greater-than, deprecated
-.It \e(Lt
-.Pq less-than, deprecated
 .It \e(<=
 .Pq less-than-equal
-.It \e(Le
-.Pq less-than-equal, deprecated
 .It \e(>=
 .Pq greater-than-equal
-.It \e(Ge
-.Pq greater-than-equal
 .It \e(==
 .Pq equal
 .It \e(!=
 .Pq not equal
-.It \e(Ne
-.Pq not equal, deprecated
 .It \e(if
 .Pq infinity
-.It \e(If
-.Pq infinity, deprecated
 .It \e(na
-.Pq NaN , an extension
-.It \e(Na
-.Pq NaN, deprecated
+.Pq NaN, an extension
 .It \e(+-
 .Pq plus-minus
-.It \e(Pm
-.Pq plus-minus, deprecated
 .It \e(**
 .Pq asterisk
 .El
@@ -457,21 +471,65 @@ Special symbols:
 .Pq bar
 .It \e(bb
 .Pq broken bar
-.It \e(Ba
-.Pq bar, deprecated
 .It \e(co
 .Pq copyright
 .It \e(rg
 .Pq registered
 .It \e(tm
 .Pq trademarked
-.It \e&
-.Pq non-breaking space
 .It \ee
 .Pq escape
-.It \e(Am
-.Pq ampersand, deprecated
 .El 
+.\" SECTION
+.Sh PREDEFINED STRINGS
+These are not recommended for use, as they differ across
+implementations:
+.Pp
+Mathematical:
+.Bl -tag -width Ds -offset indent -compact
+.It \e*(Ne
+.Pq not equal
+.It \e*(Ge
+.Pq greater-than-equal
+.It \e*(Le
+.Pq less-than-equal
+.It \e*(Gt
+.Pq greater-than
+.It \e*(Lt
+.Pq greater-than
+.It \e*(Pm
+.Pq plus-minus
+.It \e*(If
+.Pq infinity
+.It \e*(Pi
+.Pq pi
+.It \e*(Na
+.Pq NaN
+.El
+.\" PARAGRAPH
+.Pp
+Special symbols:
+.Bl -tag -width Ds -offset indent -compact
+.It \e*(Ba
+.Pq vertical bar
+.It \e*(Am
+.Pq ampersand
+.El
+.\" PARAGRAPH
+.Pp
+Enclosures:
+.Bl -tag -width Ds -offset indent -compact
+.It \e*q
+.Pq double-quote
+.It \e*(Rq
+.Pq right-double-quote
+.It \e*(Lq
+.Pq left-double-quote
+.It \e*(lp
+.Pq right-parenthesis
+.It \e*(rp
+.Pq left-parenthesis
+.El
 .\" SECTION
 .Sh COMPATIBILITY
 This section documents compatibility of