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12.7. Escape Sequences

SequenceEffect
\\Prevent or delay the interpretation of \.
\e

Printable version of the current escape character (usually \).

\'

´ (acute accent); equivalent to \(aa.

\‘

(grave accent); equivalent to \(ga.

\-– (minus sign in the current font).
\.Period (dot).
\space

Unpaddable space-size space character.

\newlineConcealed (ignored) newline.
\0Digit-width space.
\|

1/6-em narrow space character (zero width in nroff).

\^

1/12-em half-narrow space character (zero width in nroff).

\&

Nonprinting, zero-width character.

\!Transparent line indicator.
\"Beginning of comment.
\$nInterpolate macro argument 1 Figure n Figure 9.
\%

Default optional hyphenation character.

\(xx

Character named xx. See Section 12.9

\*x or \*(xxInterpolate string x or xx.
\aNoninterpreted leader character.
\b'abc...'Bracket-building function.
\cMake next line continuous with current.
\C'abcd'

Character named abcd (ditroff only).

\d

Forward (down) 1/2-em vertical motion (1/2 line in nroff).

\D'l x,y'

Draw a line from current position by deltas x,y (ditroff only).

\D'c d'

Draw circle of diameter d with left edge at current position (ditroff only).

\D'e d1 d2'

Draw ellipse with horizontal diameter d1 and vertical diameter d2, with left edge at current position (ditroff only).

\D'a x1 y1 x2 y2'

Draw arc counterclockwise from current position, with center at x1,y1 and endpoint at x1+x2,y1+y2 (ditroff only).

\D'~ x1 y1 x2 y2...'

Draw spline from current position through the specified coordinates (ditroff only).

\fx or \f(xx or \fn

Change to font named x or xx or to position n. If x is P, return to the previous font.

\gx or \g(xx

Format of number register x or xx, suitable for use with .af

\h'n'

Local horizontal motion; move right n or, if n is negative, move left.

\H'n'

Set character height to n points, without changing width (ditroff only).

\kx

Mark horizontal input place in register x.

\l'nc'

Draw horizontal line of length n (optionally with c).

\L'nc'

Draw vertical line of length n (optionally with c).

\nx, \n(xx

Interpolate number register x or xx.

\n+x, \n+(xx

Interpolate number register x or xx, applying auto-increment.

\n-x, \n-(xx

Interpolate number register x or xx, applying auto-decrement.

\N'n'

Character number n in the current font (ditroff only).

\o'abc...'

Overstrike characters a, b, c ...

\pBreak and spread output line.
\r

Reverse 1-em vertical motion (reverse line in nroff).

\sn, \s±n

Change point size to n or increment by n. For example, \s0 returns to previous point size.

\s(nn, \s±(nn

Just like \s, but allow unambiguous two-character point sizes (recent ditroff only).

\S'n'

Slant output n degrees to the right. Negative values slant to the left. A value of zero turns off slanting (ditroff only).

\t

Noninterpreted horizontal tab.

\u

Reverse (up) 1/2-em vertical motion (1/2 line in nroff).

\v'n'

Local vertical motion; move down n, or, if n is negative, move up.

\w'string'

Interpolate width of string.

\x'n'

Extra line-space function (n negative provides space before, n positive provides after).

\X'text'

Output text as a device control function (ditroff only).

\zc

Print c with zero width (without spacing).

\{Begin multiline conditional input.
\}End multiline conditional input.
\xx, any character not listed above.



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