Re: [9fans] Troff macro package for patents

["Russ Cox" <rsc@swtch.com>]

> OK. They seem to have been decrufted from the source; nothing turns
> up with "grep jo" anyway. Better leave it to the archaeologists, I
> suppose.

I think Dennis was talking about an earlier program, not troff.
Troff does do line numbering in that style, using .nm and .nn.
>From the troff manual /sys/doc/troff.ps

15.  Output Line Numbering.

         Automatic sequence numbering of output lines may be
    requested  with nm.  When in effect, a three-digit, ara-
  3 bic number plus a digit-space is prefixed to output text
    lines.   The  text  lines are thus offset by four digit-
    spaces, and otherwise retain their line length; a reduc-
  6 tion  in  line  length  may be desired to keep the right
    margin aligned with an  earlier  margin.   Blank  lines,
    other vertical spaces, and lines generated by tl are not
  9 numbered.  Numbering can be temporarily  suspended  with
    nn, or with an .nm followed by a later .nm +0.  In addi-
    tion, a line number indent I, and the number-text  sepa-
 12 ration  S may be specified in digit-spaces.  Further, it
    can be specified that only those line numbers  that  are
    multiples of some number M are to be printed (the others
 15 will appear as blank number fields).

.nm ±N M S I             off       E

        Line number mode.  If ±N is given, line numbering is
        turned  on,  and  the  next  output line numbered is
        numbered ±N.  Default values are M=1, S=1, and  I=0.
        Parameters  corresponding  to  missing arguments are
        unaffected; a  non-numeric  argument  is  considered
        missing.  In the absence of all arguments, numbering
        is turned off; the next line number is preserved for
        possible further use in number register ln.

.nn N          -         N=1       E

        The next N text output lines are not numbered.

         As an example, the paragraph portions of this  sec-
    tion  are  numbered  with M=3: .nm 1 3 was placed at the
 18 beginning; .nm was placed at the end of the first  para-
    graph; and .nm +0 was placed in front of this paragraph;
    and .nm finally placed at the end.   Line  lengths  were
 21 also  changed  (by  \w'0000'u)  to  keep  the right side
    aligned.  Another example is .nm +5 5 x 3,  which  turns
    on numbering with the line number of the next line to be
 24 5 greater than the last numbered line,  with  M=5,  with
    spacing S untouched, and with the indent I set to 3.

Russ