


GTBL(1)                                                   GTBL(1)


NNAAMMEE
       gtbl - format tables for troff

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
       ggttbbll [ --CCvv ] [ _f_i_l_e_s...  ]

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
       This  manual  page describes the GNU version of ttbbll, which
       is part of the groff document formatting system.  ttbbll com-
       piles  descriptions  of tables embedded within ttrrooffff input
       files into commands that are understood  by  ttrrooffff.   Nor-
       mally,  it should be invoked using the --tt option of ggrrooffff..
       It is highly compatible with Unix ttbbll.  The output  gener-
       ated  by  GNU  ttbbll cannot be processed with Unix ttrrooffff; it
       must be processed with GNU ttrrooffff.  If no files  are  given
       on  the  command line, the standard input will be read.  A
       filename of -- will cause the standard input to be read.

OOPPTTIIOONNSS
       --CC     Recognize ..TTSS and ..TTEE even when followed by a char-
              acter other than space or newline.

       --vv     Print the version number.

UUSSAAGGEE
       Only  the  differences  between  GNU  ttbbll and Unix ttbbll are
       described here.

       Normally ttbbll attempts to prevent undesirable breaks in the
       table  by  using  diversions.  This can sometimes interact
       badly with macro packages' own  use  of  diversions,  when
       footnotes, for example, are used.  The nnookkeeeepp option tells
       ttbbll not to try and prevent breaks in this way.

       The ddeecciimmaallppooiinntt option specifies the character to be rec-
       ognized  as  the  decimal  point character in place of the
       default period.  It  takes  an  argument  in  parentheses,
       which must be a single character, as for the ttaabb option.

       The  ff  format  modifier  can  be followed by an arbitrary
       length font name in parentheses.

       There is a dd format modifier which means that a vertically
       spanning  entry  should  be  aligned  at the bottom of its
       range.

       There is no limit on the number of columns in a table, nor
       any  limit on the number of text blocks.  All the lines of
       a table are considered in deciding column widths, not just
       the  first  200.   Table  continuation (..TT&&) lines are not
       restricted to the first 200 lines.

       Numeric and alphabetic items may appear in the  same  col-
       umn.



Groff Version 1.08         1 April 1993                         1





GTBL(1)                                                   GTBL(1)


       Numeric and alphabetic items may span horizontally.

       ttbbll  uses  register,  string,  macro  and  diversion names
       beginning with 33.  When using ttbbll you should  avoid  using
       any names beginning with a 33.

BBUUGGSS
       You  should use ..TTSS HH/..TTHH in conjunction with a supporting
       macro package for _a_l_l multi-page boxed tables.   If  there
       is  no  header  that you wish to appear at the top of each
       page of the table, place the ..TTHH  line  immediately  after
       the  format  section.   Do  not enclose a multi-page table
       within keep/release macros, or divert it in any other way.

       A  text  block  within  a table must be able to fit on one
       page.

       The bbpp request cannot be used to force a page-break  in  a
       multi-page table.  Instead, define BBPP as follows

              ..ddee BBPP
              ..iiee ''\\\\nn((..zz'''' ..bbpp \\\\$$11
              ..eell \\!!..BBPP \\\\$$11
              ....

       and use BBPP instead of bbpp.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
       ggrrooffff(1), ggttrrooffff(1)




























Groff Version 1.08         1 April 1993                         2


