Re: [Groff] Diversion of formatted text

[Werner LEMBERG]

> I try to use a diversion to determine the height of a block of text,
> so that I can paint something underneath this block in PostScript.
> The following simplified example works nicely if no-fill is turned
> on.
>
> However, there are problems in fill mode.  Spaces inserted in the
> text disappear in print, though the height register \n[.d] is ok
> (not used here).  Also, there are problems with with the bulleted
> paragraph macro.  Please change .nf to .fi and see the difference.

As Mike has already mentioned, data stored in a diversion is formatted
which means that you have to deactivate additional formatting done by
groff.  Note that there is restricted support for undoing this
formatting with the `.unformat' request: It basically makes spaces
stretchable again.

> By the way, since you have installed the .device and .devicem
> things, how can one get to use them?

`.devicem' is exactly the same as \Y, but `.device' reads its
arguments in `copy mode' (which \X doesn't; in most cases this doesn't
make any difference).


    Werner