MAN(6) MAN(6)
NAME
man - macros to typeset manual
SYNOPSIS
nroff -man file ...
troff -man file ...
DESCRIPTION
These macros are used to format pages of this manual.
Except in `.LR' and `.RL' requests, any text argument
denoted t in the request summary may be zero to six words.
Quotes " ... " may be used to include blanks in a `word'.
If t is empty, the special treatment is applied to the next
text input line (the next line that doesn't begin with dot).
In this way, for example, .I may be used to italicize a line
of more than 6 words, or .SM followed by .B to make small
letters in `bold' font.
A prevailing indent distance is remembered between succes-
sive indented paragraphs, and is reset to default value upon
reaching a non-indented paragraph. Default units for
indents i are ens.
The fonts are
R roman, the main font, preferred for diagnostics
I italic, preferred for parameters, short names of com-
mands, names of manual pages, and naked function names
`B' `bold', actually the constant width font, preferred for
examples, file names, declarations, keywords, names of
struct members, and literals (numbers are rarely liter-
als)
L also the constant width font. In troff L=B; in nroff
arguments of the macros .L, .LR, and .RL are printed in
quotes; preferred only where quotes really help (e.g.
lower-case literals and punctuation).
Type font and size are reset to default values before each
paragraph, and after processing font- or size-setting mac-
ros.
The -man macros admit equations and tables in the style of
eqn(1) and tbl(1), but do not support arguments on .EQ and
.TS macros.
These strings are predefined by -man:
\*R `(Reg)', trademark symbol in troff.
Page 1 Plan 9 (printed 11/18/24)
MAN(6) MAN(6)
\*S Change to default type size.
FILES
/sys/lib/tmac/tmac.an
SEE ALSO
troff(1), man(1)
REQUESTS
Request Cause If no Explanation
Break Argument
.B t no t=n.t.l.*Text t is `bold'.
.BI t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating bold and
italic.
.BR t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating bold and
Roman.
.DT no Restore default tabs.
.EE yes End displayed example
.EX yes Begin displayed example
.HP i yes i=p.i.* Set prevailing indent to i. Begin para-
graph with hanging indent.
.I t no t=n.t.l. Text t is italic.
.IB t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating italic and
bold.
.IP x i yes x="" Same as .TP with tag x.
.IR t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating italic and
Roman.
.L t no t=n.t.l. Text t is literal.
.LP yes Same as .PP.
.LR t no Join 2 words of t alternating literal
and Roman.
.PD d no d=.4v Interparagraph distance is d.
.PP yes Begin paragraph. Set prevailing indent
to default.
.RE yes End of relative indent. Set prevailing
indent to amount of starting .RS.
.RI t no t=n.t.l. Join words of t alternating Roman and
italic.
.RL t no Join 2 or 3 words of t alternating Roman
and literal.
.RS i yes i=p.i. Start relative indent, move left margin
in distance i. Set prevailing indent to
default for nested indents.
.SH t yes t="" Subhead; reset paragraph distance.
.SM t no t=n.t.l. Text t is small.
.SS t no t="" Secondary subhead.
.TF s yes Prevailing indent is wide as string s in
font L; paragraph distance is 0.
.TH n c x yes Begin page named n of chapter c; x is
extra commentary, e.g. `local', for page
head. Set prevailing indent and tabs to
default.
Page 2 Plan 9 (printed 11/18/24)
MAN(6) MAN(6)
.TP i yes i=p.i. Set prevailing indent to i. Restore
default indent if i=0. Begin indented
paragraph with hanging tag given by next
text line. If tag doesn't fit, place it
on separate line.
.1C yes Equalize columns and return to 1-column
output
.2C yes Start 2-column nofill output
* n.t.l. = next text line; p.i. = prevailing indent
BUGS
There's no way to fool troff into handling literal double
quote marks " in font-alternation macros, such as `.BI'.
There is no direct way to suppress column widows in 2-column
output; the column lengths may be adjusted by inserting
`.sp' requests before the closing `.1C'.
Page 3 Plan 9 (printed 11/18/24)