On 10-Aug-06 Werner LEMBERG wrote: > > Folks, > > > Urs showed up an interesting problem in groff: A hyphen between two > numbers does *not* insert a breakpoint! To be more specific, the > .cflags values 2 and 4 of a character x are only active if the > characters before and after x both have non-zero hyphenation codes (as > set with the `hcode' request). > > Since it isn't possible to set the hcode value for numbers, things > like `200-400' are never hyphenated. To force a break you have to > insert a zero-width breakpoint: `200-\:400'. > > I'll document this properly, but I wonder whether this behaviour > should be changed. For example, I could add a new `.cflags' value to > ignore the surrounding hyphenation codes. On the other hand, until > now there has never been a complaint... > > > Werner
[Though I composed a reply it does not seem to have been sent and has disappeared from my system ... here's another try!] I can't think of a context where a true hyphen between numbers could be accetably broken. I'm excluding cases where a number-range is implied, as in Items 2-7 since this should properly be represented by an en-dash (with or without padding), as in 2\(en7 2\^\(en\^7 1\(en\^8 and cases where it really means a minus sign (for similar reasons). And, in any case, where these are the meanings you don't want a break anyway. The only kind of thing I can think of where a hyphen between numbers is appropriate is like Items item2-1 item2-2 item2-3 item 3-1 item3-5 ... and again I can't imagine that a break at a hyphen would be acceptable. Wouldnt it look just awful: ............. item3- -1 If anyone can think of a context where a hyphen break between two numbers is OK, I'd be very interested to hear of it! And, if the exceptions are so special, then I'm sure that Werner's workround of "\:" should be acceptable, since people are not going to need it all that pften. Meanwhile, I'm comforted that groff's behavious will prevent me from getting unwanted hyphen breaks. Best wishes to all, Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 10-Aug-06 Time: 14:46:56 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Groff mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff
