Preparing Documents with UNIX

Create

• formatted and printed documents
• template files for a variety of typical documents
• table of contents and index
• source files that are portable and maintainable

Using the UNIX operating system to do all this and more. The authors show you how to put the UNIX document preparation tools together to produce a finished product. In this book, designed for many uses and many types of users, you can find:

• background information on how to plan, write, and revise a variety of written materials — from short correspondence to complex documents
• step-by-step procedures for creating document source files that can be used as templates
• in-depth description of the UNIX formatting requests and macros

The examples and easy-to-use formatting reference section will push you in the right direction. And you will find a lot of extra help once you are on your way: the comprehensive bibliography with a collection of related books and UNIX documents, a glossary that lists technical terms, and a detailed index.

• Part I: The Basics
1. Overview
• Introduction
• Word Processing and Text Formatting
• Using a word processor
• Using a text formatting system
• The UNIX Document Development Process
• Step 1: Plan your document
• Step 2; Create your document source file
• Step 3: Format and print your document
• Step 4: Revise your document
• For More Information
2. Planning to Write
• Introduction
• What Do You Want to Say?
• How Do You Want Your Document to Look?
• Make It Easy on Yourself — And on Others
• Style and portability
• Designing a directory structure
• Collaborating with others
• Fancy formatting: When to exercise restraint
• Archiving your document files
• Creating a Forms Directory
• Summary
3. Creating a Document Source File
• Introduction
• The Document Source File
• Hints for Creating Source Files
• Create a separate file for each logical enity
• Use consistent filenaming conventions
• Begin each sentence on a new line
• Break lines at punctuation
• Keep important phrases together on the same line
• Save your work often
• The Essential Formatting Instructions
• Form of requests and macros
• Using the backslach (\) in source files
• Numerical units
• A minimal subset of formatting instructions
• Titles and section headings
• Numbered section headings
• Unnumbered section headings
• Centered lines
• Paragraphs
• Displays
• As-is text
• Emphasis
• Page breaks, line breaks, and white space
• Collecting Data and Text from Other UNIX Files
• Using a letter in a source file
• Finding a file (searching for contents)
• Finding a file (searching for a particular file name)
• Interrupting a text editing session
• Examples for Continued Learning
4. Formatting and Printing Your Document
• Introduction
• Invoking the nroff and troff Formatters
• Formatting for a CRT terminal
• Formatting for a specific device (-T option)
• Selecting the appropriate macro package (-m option)
• Formatting only selected pages (-o option)
• Redirecting and Printing Your Document
• Sending your document to a disk file
• Sending your document to the system printer
• Formatting Tables and Equations
• A Few Pointers
• For More Information
5. Revising Your Document
• Introduction
• Editing Your Own Work
• Writer's Workbench programs
• Minimal edit
• Prose edit
• Document edit
• Analyzing This Chapter
• Part II: Sample Documents
6. Memo and Status Report
• Introduction
• The Memo
• Explanation of the Memo Source File
• Formatting and printing the memo
• Sending the memo via electronic mail
• Formatting and printing the memo on letterhead
• The Status Report
• Explanation of the Status Report Source File
• Formatting and printing the status report
• Reusing the Memo and Status Report Framework
7. Business Letter
• Introduction
• The Business Letter
• Explanation of the Business Letter Source File
• Formatting and printing the business letter
• Reusing the Business Letter Framework
8. Resume
• Introduction
• The Topical Resume
• Explanation of the Topical Resume Source File
• Formatting and printing the topical resume
• The Chronological Resume
• Explanation of the Chronological Resume Source File
• Formatting and printing the chronological resume
• Reusing the Resume Framework
9. Title Page and Copyright Notice
• Introduction
• Simple -ms Title Page
• Explanation of the -ms Title Page Source File
• Formatting and printing the -ms title page
• Custom Title Page and Copyright Notice
• Explanation of the Custom Title Page Source File
• Formatting and printing the custom title page
• Reusing the Title Page Framework
10. Outline
• Introduction
• The Outline
• Explanation of the Outline Source File
• Formatting and printing the outline
• Reusing the Outline Framework
11. Research Paper
• Introduction
• The Research Paper
• Explanation of the Research Paper Source File
• Formatting and printing the research paper
• Reusing the Research Paper Framework
12. Periodical Article
• Introduction
• The Periodical Article
• Explanation of the Periodical Article Source File
• Formatting and printing the periodical article
• Reusing the Periodical Article Framework
13. Software Specification
• Introduction
• The Software Specification
• Explanation of the Software Specification Source File
• Formatting and printing the software specification
• Reusing the Software Specification Framework
14. Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Step 1: Define the New Macros
• The entry macros
• The print macro
• The utility macros
• Step 2: Make the New Macros Available
• Step 3: Use the New Macros
• Declaring a numbered heading (.Nh)
• Declaring an unnumbered heading (.Sh)
• Declaring arbitrary heading text (.He)
• Declaring a figure title (.Fi)
• Declaring a table title (.Ta)
• Printing the table of contents (.Pr)
• How the New Macros Work
• The .Nh macro
• The .Sh macro
• The .He macro
• The .Fi macro
• The .Ta macro
• The .Pr macro
• The .Xs macro
• The .Xe macro
• The .Xp macro
• Summary
• Entering table of contents items
• Printing the table of contents
• Table of contents utility macros
15. Index
• Introduction
• Step 1: Create Raw Index File
• Create the new .Xi macro
• make the .Xi macro available
• Use the .Xi macro in your source file
• Format your source file and redirect stderr
• Step 2: Sort the Raw Index File
• Step 3: Add the Final Touches
• Group the index entries alphabetically
• Combine multiple entries
• Add the titles and formatting instructions
• Step 4: Format and Print the Index
• Part III: Appendices
1. For Fancier Formatting
• Introduction
• Terminology
• Formatter Assumptions: Default Formats
• The -ms number registers
• The -ms string registers
• Formatting Tasks
• Page format and layout
• Page length
• Left and right margins
• Page headers and footers
• Number of columns
• Flush-right and ragged-right text lines
• Indentation
• Horizontal tabs
• Paragraphs with hanging labels
• Keeps (keeping text together)
• Footnotes
• Tables and equations
• Emphasis and special characters
• Boxed words and text
• Various point sizes
• Special characters
• Horizontal lines
• Beyond the scope
• For Further Learning
2. Formatting Reference
• Introduction
• Organization
• Notation
• Defining registers and macros
• Page Format and Layout
• Page length
• Left and right margins
• Page headers and footers
• Number of columns
• Flush-right and ragged-right text lines
• Horizontal tabs
• Page Breaks, Line Breaks, and White Space
• New pages
• New lines
• Blank lines
• Indentation
• Headings
• Three-part titles
• Numbered and unnumbered section headings
• Centered lines
• Paragraph
• Displays, Keeps, As-Is Text
• Displays
• Keeps
• As-is Text
• Footnotes
• Tables and Equations
• Tables
• Equations
• Emphasis
• Fonts
• Boxed words and text
• Point sizes
• Released Paper Format
3. Comparing -ms, -me, and -mm Macros
4. A Quick Guide to tbl
• Introduction
• A Brief Description of tbl input
• A Subset of tbl Requests
• Options
• Format (key-letters)
• Data (key-letters)
• Fixing Tables
• Bibliography
• UNIX Operating System
• UNIX Document Preparation
• Writing and Bookmaking

An excellent book for users and practitioners of troff (not that anyone still exists, but I have used this book extensively).