steveg@sri-unix (08/31/82)
Only problem with Mike/Debbie's indexing solution is that standard
nroff/troff can't divert to files, only internal buffers.
The V7 n/troff was modified at Tektronix to allow diversions to a file
(".df file" for regular divert, ".dx file" to append). There was also
a ".sy" command implemented that just executed a command under the
shell. Also added was a new number register "\n(id" with the current
process number (useful for temp file names). Changes were also made to
nroff for better support of Qume and Diablo style terminals (real
boldface, better continuous underline, etc.).
The MS macros were also reworked to use these facilities. ".XX text"
inserts an index item named text as the current page number.
".XN text" inserts a non-page-numbered entry (as in ".XN Twain, Mark
(See Clemens, Samuel)".
This work was originally done on V7/PDP-11. There is also a version
around for 4.1bsd. There has been some talk of getting these mods onto
the 4.2 bsd tape. If done, there would probably be an attempt to
incorporate all known bug fixes etc. into the resulting version. So
far it's still just talk.
Steve Glaser, Tektronix MDP