[Groff] More referenceability for -mdoc would be an improvement!?

[Steffen Nurpmeso]

Hello,

despite the fact that grohtml produces faulty output for it
anyway, i really think that -mdoc would need a few more commands
so that it would be possible to create "better" documents with it,
where "better" refers to usability and user experience.

E.g., even mandoc(1) -Tx?html doesn't create anchors and
references for variables etc., just because... it cannot.  Where
should there be an anchor.  So this is the one killer argument for
this terrible info system, that it is capable to offer the links
that make the better usability.

Imho there should be additional commands to create anchors, e.g.,
.Vx as an alias for .Va except that it actually defines an anchor
too, or why not .Xv (variable), .Xf (function)... in equal spirit
to .Xr.  Or a new .Z* series for this sole purpose.

..some more.  The tty output device could learn a new switch and
embed new x^Hy^H sequences, say {no} and [no], then pagers could
go and implement something like the keypad_mode=LINKS_ARE_NUMBERED
that lynx(1) supports and could even jump to the corresponding
anchor.  And of course X?HTML output devices could create anchors
and regulary references to them, too.

Of course these new commands are ~20 years overdue, but for Unix
manuals to become a better experience (regardless of the actual
form, wether tty, html or pdf) they would be a first step, the
necessary framework for things to come.
Thanks,

--steffen