Re: [Groff] question about .rs and .nop

[Werner LEMBERG]

>> The groff manual says:
>> 
>> .rs       Restore spacing; turn no-space mode off.
>> 
>> However,
>>   .rs
>>   .sp 3
>> does not work; one has to output some text first, to get .sp to
>> work.

I don't understand the problem.  Can you please give a complete
example which I can directly compile with `groff -Tutf8'?

This works for me:

  .rs
  .sp 2
  foo

  ->

     foo

This works for me, too:

  foo
  .br
  .ns
  .sp 3
  .rs
  .sp
  bar

  -> foo

     bar

You have to be in `vertical mode' (to use a TeX term), this is, no
partially filled output line yet to be emitted, to get any effect from
`.ns'/`.rs' (since they don't cause a line break), thus the `.br'.

>> About the .nop request:
>> 
>> .nop anything
>>                  Always process anything.
>> 
>> What is this request good for?

Essentially, it's syntactical sugar only.


    Werner