# groff_me

## Name



           groff_me - “me” macro package for formatting _roff_ documents
    


## Synopsis



           **groff -me**[_option_ ...] [_file_ ...]
    
           **groff -m me**[_option_ ...] [_file_ ...]
    


## Description



           The GNU implementation of the _me_ macro package is part of the
           _groff_ document formatting system.  The _me_ package of macro
           definitions for the _roff_ language provides a convenient facility
           for preparing technical papers in various formats.  This version
           is based on the _me_ distributed with 4.4BSD and can be used with
           the GNU _troff_ formatter as well as those descended from AT&T
           _troff_.
    
           Some formatter requests affect page layout unpredictably when used
           in conjunction with this package; however, the following may be
           used with impunity after the first call to a paragraphing macro
           like **lp** or **pp**.  Some arguments are optional; see _groff_(7) for
           details, particularly of requests whose argument list is
           designated with an ellipsis.  An asterisk ***** marks _groff_
           extensions.
    
           **ad** _c_       set text adjustment mode to _c_
           **af** _r f_     assign format _f_ to register _r_
           **am** _m e_     append to macro _m_ until _e_ called
           **as** _s t_     append rest of line _t_ to string _s_
           **bp** _n_       begin new page numbered _n_
           **br** break output line
           **ce** _n_       center next _n_ productive input lines
           **cp** _n_       en-/disable AT&T _troff_ compatibility mode*****
           **de** _m e_     define macro _m_ until _e_ called
           **do** _t_       interpret input _t_ with compatibility mode off*****
           **ds** _s t_     define rest of line _t_ as string _s_
           **el** _t_       interpret _t_ if corresponding **ie** 's _p_ false
           **fc** _c d_     set field delimiter _c_ and padding glyph _d_
           **fi** enable filling
           **hc** _c_       set hyphenation character to _c_
           **hy** _m_       set automatic hyphenation mode to _m_
           **ie** _p t_     as **if** , but enable interpretation of later **el**
           **if** _p t_     if condition _p_ , interpret rest of line _t_
           **in** _h_       set indentation to distance _h_
           **lc** _c_       set leader repetition glyph to _c_
           **ls** _n_       set line spacing to _n_
           **mc** _c h_     set (right) margin glyph to _c_ at distance _h_
           **mk** _r_       mark vertical position in register _r_
           **na** disable adjustment of text
           **ne** _v_       need vertical space of distance _v_
           **nf** disable filling
           **nh** disable automatic hyphenation
           **nr** _r n i_   assign register _r_ value _n_ with auto-increment _i_
           **ns** begin no-space mode
           **pl** _v_       set page length to _v_
           **pn** _n_       set next page number to _n_
           **po** _h_       set page offset to _h_
           **rj** _n_       right-align next _n_ productive input lines*****
           **rm** _m_       remove macro, string, or request _m_
           **rn** _m n_     rename macro, string, or request _m_ to _n_
           **rr** _r_       remove register _r_
           **rs** resume spacing (end no-space mode)
           **rt** _v_       return to vertical position set by **mk** , or _v_
           **so** _f_       source (interpolate) input file _f_
           **sp** _n_       insert _n_ lines of vertical space
           **ta**...     set tab stops
           **tc** _c_       set tab repetition glyph to _c_
           **ti** _h_       set temporary indentation (next line only) to _h_
           **tl**...     output three-part title
           **tr**...     translate characters
           **ul** _n_       underline next _n_ productive input lines
    
           Except on title pages (produced by calling **tp**), _me_ suppresses the
           output of vertical space at the tops of pages (after the output of
           any page header); the **sp** request thus does not work there.  You
           can instead call **bl** or enclose the desired spacing request in a
           diversion, for instance by calling **(b** and **)b**.  _me_ also intercepts
           the **ll** request; see the “ _me_ Reference Manual” for details.
    
       **Name space**
           Objects in _me_ follow a rigid naming convention.  To avoid
           conflict, any user-defined register, string, or macro names should
           be single numerals or uppercase letters, or any longer sequence of
           letters and numerals with at least one uppercase letter.  (For
           portability between BSD and _groff me_ , limit names to two
           characters, and avoid the name **[**(left square bracket).)  The
           names employed by any preprocessors in use should also not be
           repurposed.
    
       **Macros**
           **$0** post-section heading hook
           **$1** pre-section depth 1 hook
           **$2** pre-section depth 2 hook
           **$3** pre-section depth 3 hook
           **$4** pre-section depth 4 hook
           **$5** pre-section depth 5 hook
           **$6** pre-section depth 6 hook
           **$C** post-chapter title hook
           **$H** page/column heading hook
           **$c** output chapter number and title
           **$f** output footer
           **$h** output header
           **$p** output section heading
           **$s** output footnote area separator
           **(b** begin block
           **(c** begin centered block
           **(d** begin delayed text
           **(f** begin footnote
           **(l** begin list
           **(q** begin long quotation
           **(x** begin index entry
           **(z** begin floating keep
           **)b** end block
           **)c** end centered block
           **)d** end delayed text
           **)f** end footnote
           **)l** end list
           **)q** end long quotation
           **)x** end index entry
           **)z** end floating keep
           **++** set document segment type
           **+c** begin chapter
           **1c** end multi-column layout
           **2c** begin multi-column layout
           **EN** end _eqn_ equation
           **EQ** begin _eqn_ equation
           **GE** end _grn_ picture with drawing position at bottom
           **GF** end _grn_ picture with drawing position at top
           **GS** start _grn_ picture
           **IE** end _ideal_ picture with drawing position at bottom
           **IF** end _ideal_ picture with drawing position at top
           **IS** start _ideal_ picture
           **PE** end _pic_ picture with drawing position at bottom
           **PF** end _pic_ picture with drawing position at top
           **PS** start _pic_ picture
           **TE** end _tbl_ table
           **TH** end heading for multi-page _tbl_ table
           **TS** start _tbl_ table
           **b** embolden argument
           **ba** set base indentation
           **bc** begin new column
           **bi** embolden and italicize argument
           **bx** box argument
           **ef** set even-numbered page footer
           **eh** set even-numbered page header
           **ep** end page
           **fo** set footer
           **he** set header
           **hl** draw horizontal line
           **hx** suppress next page's headers/footers
           **i** italicize argument
           **ip** begin indented paragraph
           **ld** reset localization and date registers and strings*****
           **ll** set line length
           **lp** begin fully left-aligned paragraph
           **np** begin numbered paragraph
           **of** set odd-numbered page footer
           **oh** set odd-numbered page header
           **pd** output delayed text
           **pp** begin first-line indented paragraph
           **q** quote argument
           **r** set argument in roman
           **re** reset tab stops
           **sh** begin numbered section
           **sm** set argument at smaller type size
           **sx** change section depth
           **sz** set type size and vertical spacing
           **tp** begin title page
           **u** underline argument
           **uh** begin unnumbered section
           **xl** set line length (current environment only)
           **xp** output index
    
           Some macros are provided for “old” _roff_(1) compatibility.  The “ _me_
           Reference Manual” describes alternatives for modern documents.
    
           **ar** use Arabic numerals for page numbers
           **bl** insert space (even at page top; cf. **sp**)
           **ix** set indentation without break
           **m1** set page top to header distance
           **m2** set header to text distance
           **m3** set text to footer distance
           **m4** set footer to page bottom distance
           **n1** begin output line numbering
           **n2** end or alter output line numbering
           **pa** begin page
           **ro** use Roman numerals for page numbers
           **sk** skip next page
    
       **Registers**
           **$0** section depth
           **$1** first section number component
           **$2** second section number component
           **$3** third section number component
           **$4** fourth section number component
           **$5** fifth section number component
           **$6** sixth section number component
           **$c** current column number
           **$d** delayed text number
           **$f** footnote number
           **$i** paragraph base indentation
           **$l** column width
           **$m** number of available columns
           **$p** numbered paragraph number
           **$s** column spacing (indentation)
           **bi** display (block) indentation
           **bm** distance from text area to page bottom
           **bs** display (block) pre/post space
           **bt** block threshold for keeps
           **ch** current chapter number
           **df** display font
           **dv** vertical spacing of displayed text (as percentage)*****
           **es** equation pre/post space
           **ff** footnote font
           **fi** footnote indentation (first line only)
           **fm** footer margin
           **fp** footnote type size in points
           **fs** footnote prespace
           **fu** footnote undent (right indentation)
           **hm** header margin
           **ii** indented paragraph indentation
           **no** line numbering offset*****
           **pf** paragraph font
           **pi** paragraph indentation
           **po** page offset
           **pp** paragraph type size in points
           **ps** paragraph prespace
           **qi** long quotation left/right indentation
           **qp** long quotation type size in points
           **qs** long quotation pre/post space
           **sf** section title font
           **si** section indentation per level of depth
           **so** additional section title offset
           **sp** section title type size in points
           **ss** section prespace
           **sx** super/subscript line height increase*****
           **tf** title font
           **tm** distance from page top to text area
           **tp** title type size in points
           **tv** vertical spacing of text (as percentage)*****
           **xs** index entry prespace
           **xu** index undent (right indentation)
           **y2** year of the century*****
           **y4** year*****
           **yr** year minus 1900
           **zs** floating keep pre/post space
    
       **Strings**
           **#** delayed text marker
           **$n** catenated section number
           ***** footnote marker
           **-** em dash
           **<    **begin subscripting
           **>    **end subscripting
           **dw** weekday name
           **lq** left double quotation mark
           **mo** month name
           **rq** right double quotation mark
           **td** date
           **wa** term for “appendix” used by **.$c***
           **wc** term for “chapter” used by **.$c***
           **{** begin superscripting
           **}** end superscripting
    


## Files



           _/usr/local/share/groff/1.23.0/tmac/e.tmac_
                  implements the package.
    
           _/usr/local/share/groff/1.23.0/tmac/refer-me.tmac_
                  implements _refer_(1) support for _me_.
    
           _/usr/local/share/groff/1.23.0/tmac/me.tmac_
                  is a wrapper enabling the package to be loaded with the
                  option “**-m me** ”.
    


## Notes



           Some early _roff_ macro packages limited their names to a single
           letter, which followed the formatter's **m** option, resulting in
           “names” like _-mm_ , _-ms_ , _-mv_ , and _-mn_.  _me_ 's “e” stands for “Eric P.
           Allman”, the author of the original macro package and the
           technical papers documenting it.
    


## See also



           Two manuals are available in source and rendered form.  On your
           system, they may be compressed and/or available in additional
           formats.
    
           _/usr/local/share/doc/groff-1.23.0/meintro.me_
           _/usr/local/share/doc/groff-1.23.0/meintro.ps_
                  is “Writing Papers with _Groff_ Using -_me_ ”, by Eric P.
                  Allman, adapted for _groff_ by James Clark.
    
           _/usr/local/share/doc/groff-1.23.0/meref.me_
           _/usr/local/share/doc/groff-1.23.0/meref.ps_
                  is the “ _me_ Reference Manual”, by Eric P. Allman, adapted
                  for _groff_ by James Clark and G. Branden Robinson.
    
           _Groff: The GNU Implementation of troff_ , by Trent A. Fisher and
           Werner Lemberg, is the primary _groff_ manual.  You can browse it
           interactively with “info groff”.
    
           For preprocessors supported by _me_ , see _eqn_(1), _grn_(1), _pic_(1),
           _refer_(1), and _tbl_(1).
    
           _groff_(1), _troff_(1), _groff_(7)
    


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