[Groff] tables in a macro

[Erich Hoffmann]

Hello.

I have the following problem with groff.19.1 on a SuSe 10.1.
with the ms package and html output.

        When I insert a table, everything goes well:

.TS
allbox;
cl.
A       table   
.TE

        But when I put that into a macro:

.de ATABLE
.TS
allbox;
cl.
A       table   
.TE
..

        ...i get this output, when I don't call the macro:

A table

        I mean that I get that output as if I had inserted "A table"
        with no surrounding table or macro definition. -
        When I call .ATABLE, groff complains:


./file.ms:153: error: end of file while defining macro `3init'


        153 is the input line of .ATABLE.

   This seems to indicate tthe .TS-.TE pair interrupt the macro
definition.  Is there a workaround?

What I have in mind is something like .ATABLE [ARG] [ARG] where
the arguments are the data input of the table.

I googled, but I didn't find anything on that topic, but that may well
be my fault.  Thanks in advance for any help.

Erich