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(groff)Page Layout

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Page Layout
===========

   `gtroff' provides some very primitive operations for controlling
page layout.

 - Request: .pl [length]
 - Request: .pl +length
 - Request: .pl -length
 - Register: \n[.p]
     Set the "page length" to LENGTH (or increment or decrement the
     current value by LENGTH).  This is the length of the physical
     output page.  The default scaling indicator is `v'.

     The current setting can be found in the read-only number register
     `.p'.

     Note that this only specifies the size of the page, not the top and
     bottom margins.  Those are not set by `gtroff' directly.  Note:
     Traps, for further information on how to do this.

     Negative `pl' values are possible also, but not very useful: No
     trap is sprung, and each line is output on a single page (thus
     suppressing all vertical spacing).

     If no argument or an invalid argument is given, `pl' sets the page
     length to 11i.

   `gtroff' provides several operations which help in setting up top
and bottom titles (or headers and footers).

 - Request: .tl 'left'center'right'
     Print a "title line".  It consists of three parts: a left
     justified portion, a centered portion, and a right justified
     portion.  The argument separator `'' can be replaced with any
     character not occurring in the title line.  The `%' character is
     replaced with the current page number.  This character can be
     changed with the `pc' request (see below).

     Without argument, `tl' is ignored.

     Some notes:

        * A title line is not restricted to the top or bottom of a page.

        * `tl' prints the title line immediately, ignoring a partially
          filled line (which stays untouched).

        * It is not an error to omit closing delimiters.  For example,
          `.tl /foo' is equivalent to `.tl /foo///': It prints a title
          line with the left justified word `foo'; the centered and
          right justfied parts are empty.

        * Any modifications to the current environment within `tl' (e.g.
          changing the font or font size) are undone after processing
          `tl'.

        * `tl' accepts the same parameter delimiting characters as the
          `\A' escape; see Note: Escapes.

 - Request: .lt [length]
 - Request: .lt +length
 - Request: .lt -length
 - Register: \n[.lt]
     The title line is printed using its own line length, which is
     specified (or incremented or decremented) with the `lt' request.
     Initially, the title line length is set to 6.5i.  If a negative
     line length is specified (which is not allowed), `gtroff' emits a
     warning of type `range' and sets the title line length to zero.
     The default scaling indicator is `m'.  If `lt' is called without
     an argument, the title length is reset to the previous value
     before the last call to `lt'.

     The current setting of this is available in the `.lt' read-only
     number register; it is associated with the current environment
     (Note: Environments).


 - Request: .pn page
 - Request: .pn +page
 - Request: .pn -page
 - Register: \n[.pn]
     Change (increase or decrease) the page number of the _next_ page.
     The only argument is the page number; the request is ignored
     without a parameter.

     The read-only number register `.pn' contains the number of the next
     page: either the value set by a `pn' request, or the number of the
     current page plus 1.

 - Register: \n[%]
     A read-write register holding the current page number.

 - Request: .pc [char]
     Change the page number character (used by the `tl' request) to a
     different character.  With no argument, this mechanism is disabled.
     Note that this doesn't affect the number register `%'.

   Note: Traps.