Re: Wanted: your historical me(7) documents

[Ralph Corderoy]

Hi Dave,

> > > The thing I was saying NEWS should mention is that for -me users
> > > targeting troff, the default line length has changed from (its
> > > long-entrenched historical) 6i to (the arguably saner) 6.5i.
> >
> > Well, maybe just quoting the NEWS file in its current state would
> > help.
> >
> > o On typestting output devices, the e (me) macro package now derives
> >   the line length from the device description, which can be
> >   overriden by the "papersize.tmac" macro file (usually configured
> >   via the "-d paper" groff command-line option).  The package thus
> >   adapts to landscape orientation and paper formats other than U.S.
> >   letter.  It continues to use a line length of 6 (notional) inches
> >   on terminals.
> >
> > Does that seem to get the right information across?

It lacks the clarity of ‘the default line length has changed
from 6i to 6.5i’.

It doesn't have the end user in mind who wants to know what affects him.
It's long.  It puts the meat at the end so the user has to wade without
knowing why.  This trains the user to skim.

    The -me macros' line length is now 6.5i instead of 6i on a
    typesetter as it is set from the device or papersize.tmac.
    It remains unchanged on a terminal.

> Side note: the blurb misspells "overridden."

And ‘typestting’.

-- 
Cheers, Ralph.