Re: [Groff] Mission statement

[Peter Schaffter]

On Sun, Mar 16, 2014, Ted Harding wrote:
> In this reply, I would like to comment on my principal need for
> replacing integer arithmetic...

Your description of the hoops you have to jump through to get
groff/eqn to perform in what, sadly, is still a suboptimal manner
was terrific.  I couldn't decide whether to laugh with recognition
or cry in sympathy.

Groff throws a *lot* of curves like that at users, particularly
macro writers.  The problem extends beyond the simply incorrect
computation

  .nr temp 7/3  -->  \n[temp]=2

(sorry, Johnny, no gold star today; you'd better go back and read
up on division) to requests that behave in such an off-puttingly
counter-intuitive manner they actively discourage the adoption of
groff.  Addressing what a friend of mine once called "groff's sack
of gotchas" is vitally important if groff is to have an active
future.

-- 
Peter Schaffter
http://www.schaffter.ca