Re: [Groff] fractional point sizes with -ms

[Werner LEMBERG]

> 2. I'm less happy about PS>300 being unlikely.

This has already be answered in another mail.

> 3. However, I'm somewhat unhappy in principle about a solution which
>    depends on assumptions about what user's will not want.

This is not true.  Until now, -ms only supports integer values.  With
the new method, fractional point sizes, starting with 3pt up to the
limit of (2^31-1)/100, are supported.  Below 300pt everything will
stay identical to the current behaviour!

>    It's somewhat reminiscent of the old limitation [...]

There is no limitation at all.

>    [...] and involved using a temporary modified copy of s.tmac (or
>    tmac.s in former days) where occurrences of
> 
>    .ps \\n[PS]
> 
>    and the like were replaced by
> 
>    .ps \\*[PS]
> 
>    where PS is now a string variable.

Been there already.  As you correctly say, your solution is
incompatible.

>    This is even more "incompatible" than .ns PS 10500!

I can only repeat that my solution isn't `incompatible' -- a point
size of 10500 is really unrealistic, so I'm basically only using point
size ranges which make no sense otherwise.

> Undoubtedly, one of these days, troff will use floating point almost
> everywhere (as I believe TeX does) [though I believe there has not
> yet been a call for fractional page numbers].

Answered elsewhere -- floats are used in groff, but not for registers.


    Werner