Re: [Groff] sidebars

[Peter Schaffter]

On Mon, Apr 18, 2016, Dale Snell wrote:
> On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:46:05 -0400, in message
> address@hidden, James K.
> Lowden wrote:
> 
> > While I'm in the groff neighborhood, I'd like to ask for advice for a
> > style of layout I don't see any direct support for.  
> > 
> > Readers of this list might have read The Annotated Alice.  The text of
> > Alice in Wonderland is full size, and the outer edges of the page have
> > copious side-notes whose vertical location coincides with the text
> > they're commenting on.  Reading the text, the reader can easily refer
> > to the running commentary along the edge.  Depending on mood and
> > interest, sometimes the commentary is more interesting than the text
> > itself.  
> > 
snip
> > 
> > I don't see any simple way of using .2C in -ms to emulate that layout,
> > nor does .MCO in MOM look suitable. I suppose it requires a whole
> > different set of macros.  How would you approach it?  
> 
> Check out MOM's "Margin Notes".  I've never had need of them, but
> they sound like just what you want.

I was about to suggest this, but Dale beat me to it.  Mom's margin
notes macros are mommified versions of Werner's margin notes macros,
and I've been using them for years to annotate text, leave notes to
myself, and set up sidebars, so it's likely they're what you want.

If you're more comfortable with ms than mom, you can source Werner's
originals.  As far as I can tell, there are no incompatibilities.
You'll probably want to study the code and make a few tweaks for
your precise needs, though.

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