naftoli@aecom.UUCP (Robert N. Berlinger) (07/12/85)
Does anybody know of a bug in ditroff which causes the box produced by the doublebox option of tbl not to line up properly? The boxes don't quite come into agreement at the edges. I'm working with a QMS 800 and QUICroff software. I have contacted QMS and they seem to think (and I agree at first glance) that ditroff is probably at fault. Anyone who could give me a lead would be greatly appreciated. Thanks... -- Robert Berlinger ...{philabs,cucard,pegasus,ihnp4,rocky2}!aecom!naftoli
jaap@mcvax.UUCP (Jaap Akkerhuis) (07/15/85)
In article <1793@aecom.UUCP> naftoli@aecom.UUCP (Robert N. Berlinger) writes: > Does anybody know of a bug in ditroff which causes the box > produced by the doublebox option of tbl not to line up properly? > The boxes don't quite come into agreement at the edges. I'm > working with a QMS 800 and QUICroff software. I have contacted No, it has nothing to do with ditroff. Tbl does a lot of work trying to get the boxes to line up. It sets registers etc. to get things lined up properly. But, since tbl has been written originally for the C/A/T-4, all the adjustments are done for the characters on that machine and if the characters on your output device don't have the same characteristics as the one used on the C/A/T, the adjustments will fail. The effect is stronger when using double lines, (so using doublebox, || or =). > QMS and they seem to think (and I agree at first glance) that > ditroff is probably at fault. Anyone who could give me a lead > would be greatly appreciated. Thanks... You should dive into tbl (or kick QMS in doing in) and make the appropriate changes in tbl (or add a -T flag what I ended up doing). jaap (mcvax!jaap)
jeff@mcnc.UUCP (Jeffrey Copeland) (07/17/85)
Your problem with tbl and ditroff sounds more like the line drawing characters aren't tuned correctly. The four characters, em, rn, ul, and ru should all meet at their ends, so horizontal lines can be drawn. The vertical character br should meet the rn on the top and the ul on the bottom. ul should run under the baseline; ru at the baseline. If the characters are tuned properly, the "smallest possible constructed box", \(br\z\(rn\(ul\(br (see Troff User's Man, sect 12.2) will have corners that match.