Re: [Groff] [Groff & Heirloom] tbl problem with backslashes

[Carsten Kunze]

----- Original Nachricht ----
Von:     "(Ted Harding)" <address@hidden>
An:      groff mailinglist <address@hidden>
Datum:   01.09.2014 10:00
Betreff: Re: [Groff] [Groff & Heirloom] tbl problem with backslashes

> WHile not quite sure about the details of the logic underlying
> the effect you describe, I think that your first line of table
> entries is suppressing the end-of-line in the input.
> 
> Try instead (with TAB where the spaces are, as you describe):
> 
> .TS
> a a .
> INPUT PRODUCES
> \\\\ \\\&
> abc def
> .TE
> 
> where the extra "\&" introduces an invisible character in the
> input, thus isolating the end-of-line from the preceding "\\".

That is correct.

Another difference may be that AT&T tbl embeds tbl entries in fields.  That 
additional "layer" may reduce "\\" to "\".  (But I can't access documentation 
for that at the moment.)  Therefore groff tbl shows \\ where tbl based on AT&T 
shows only \.

Carsten