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RE: [Groff] String editing?


From: Werner LEMBERG
Subject: RE: [Groff] String editing?
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 08:31:12 GMT

> Sure there *are* string editing functions in groff:
> .substring str \n[start] \n[end]  \" groff only
> .as ...... \" both troff and groff
> 
> Consider following test:
> .ds str <this
> .tm [\*[str]]
> .ds sstr \*[str]
> .substring sstr 2
> .tm [\*[sstr]]
> .ds sstr \*[str]
> .substring sstr 2 3
> .tm [\*[sstr]]
> 
> this outputs following on STDERR:
> [<this]
> [this]
> [t]

Of course completely undocumented...  I'll add some docs to troff.man
and groff.texinfo.

I will also soon include a `length' macro which computes the length of
a string.

> Not as powerful as Perl string editing functions are, but ....  I am
> thinking about merging Perl and Groff together to get really
> powerful string manipulation in groff, even search/replace regexes
> will be made easily in this case.  Is anyone intresting on this, or
> I am alone on this?  Should I really do this work?  (I tested Perl
> and groff coexistence, first tests were Ok, but I'm not sure it is
> really useful)

What do you mean with `merging'?  Adding Perl's string functions to
groff?  This is a good thing, I think -- the only question is to which
extent...

Or do you mean writing a macro package to access Perl's string
manipulation functions from within groff?  This is also very nice, but
somewhat limited since you have to use groff's `-U' switch.


    Werner


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