[Groff] checking file existence

[Dorai Sitaram]

Would it be possible to add a file-existence-checker to groff that works in 
safe mode?

Right now, I use a macro

.de fileexists
.sy test -f \\$1
..

Example use:

.fileexists foo.tmp
.ie !\n[systat] .code_that_uses_foo.tmp
.el .unsafe_code

unsafe_code could set up the conditions for creating foo.tmp that could be used 
in a subsequent pass if not right away (as in the creation of index entries, 
etc).  

The problem with this is that .fileexists itself can only work in unsafe mode.  
Thus, a user who receives the document files with foo.tmp included would still 
have to call groff in unsafe mode, so the file-check would work, even though 
the latter is not a dangerous operation!






      
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