MANDOC_CHAR(7) NetBSD Miscellaneous Information Manual MANDOC_CHAR(7)

NAME

mandoc_charmandoc special characters

DESCRIPTION

This page documents the special characters and predefined strings accepted by mandoc(1) to format mdoc(7) and man(7) documents.

Both mdoc(7) and man(7) encode special characters with ‘\X' (for a one-character escape), ‘\(XX' (two-character), and ‘\[N]' (N-character). One may generalise ‘\(XX' as ‘\[XX]' and ‘\X' as ‘\[X]'. Predefined strings are functionally similar to special characters, using ‘\*X' (for a one-character escape), ‘\*(XX' (two-character), and ‘\*[N]' (N-character). One may generalise ‘\*(XX' as ‘\*[XX]' and ‘\*X' as ‘\*[X]'.

Note that each output mode will have a different rendering of the characters. It's guaranteed that each input symbol will correspond to a (more or less) meaningful output rendering, regardless the mode.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS

These are the preferred input symbols for producing special characters.

Spacing:

Input Description
\~ non-breaking, non-collapsing space
\ breaking, non-collapsing n-width space
\^ zero-width space
\% zero-width space
\& zero-width space
\| zero-width space
\0 breaking, non-collapsing digit-width space
\c removes any trailing space (if applicable)

Lines:

Input Rendered Description
\(ba | bar
\(br box rule
\(ul _ underscore
\(rl overline
\(bb ¦ broken bar
\(sl / forward slash
\(rs \ backward slash

Text markers:

Input Rendered Description
\(ci circle
\(bu bullet
\(dd double dagger
\(dg dagger
\(lz lozenge
\(sq white square
\(ps paragraph
\(sc § section
\(lh left hand
\(rh right hand
\(at @ at
\(sh # hash (pound)
\(CR carriage return
\(OK check mark

Legal symbols:

Input Rendered Description
\(co © copyright
\(rg ® registered
\(tm trademarked

Punctuation:

Input Rendered Description
\(em em-dash
\(en en-dash
\(hy hyphen
\e \ back-slash
\. . period
\(r! ¡ upside-down exclamation
\(r? ¿ upside-down question

Quotes:

Input Rendered Description
\(Bq right low double-quote
\(bq right low single-quote
\(lq left double-quote
\(rq right double-quote
\(oq left single-quote
\(cq right single-quote
\(aq ' apostrophe quote (text)
\(dq " double quote (text)
\(Fo « left guillemet
\(Fc » right guillemet
\(fo left single guillemet
\(fc right single guillemet

Brackets:

Input Rendered Description
\(lB [ left bracket
\(rB ] right bracket
\(lC { left brace
\(rC } right brace
\(la < left angle
\(ra > right angle
\(bv brace extension
\[braceex] brace extension
\[bracketlefttp] top-left hooked bracket
\[bracketleftbp] bottom-left hooked bracket
\[bracketleftex] left hooked bracket extension
\[bracketrighttp] top-right hooked bracket
\[bracketrightbp] bottom-right hooked bracket
\[bracketrightex] right hooked bracket extension
\(lt top-left hooked brace
\[bracelefttp] top-left hooked brace
\(lk mid-left hooked brace
\[braceleftmid] mid-left hooked brace
\(lb bottom-left hooked brace
\[braceleftbp] bottom-left hooked brace
\[braceleftex] left hooked brace extension
\(rt top-left hooked brace
\[bracerighttp] top-right hooked brace
\(rk mid-right hooked brace
\[bracerightmid] mid-right hooked brace
\(rb bottom-right hooked brace
\[bracerightbp] bottom-right hooked brace
\[bracerightex] right hooked brace extension
\[parenlefttp] top-left hooked parenthesis
\[parenleftbp] bottom-left hooked parenthesis
\[parenleftex] left hooked parenthesis extension
\[parenrighttp] top-right hooked parenthesis
\[parenrightbp] bottom-right hooked parenthesis
\[parenrightex] right hooked parenthesis extension

Arrows:

Input Rendered Description
\(<- left arrow
\(-> right arrow
\(<> left-right arrow
\(da down arrow
\(ua up arrow
\(va up-down arrow
\(lA left double-arrow
\(rA right double-arrow
\(hA left-right double-arrow
\(uA up double-arrow
\(dA down double-arrow
\(vA up-down double-arrow

Logical:

Input Rendered Description
\(AN logical and
\(OR logical or
\(no ¬ logical not
\[tno] ¬ logical not (text)
\(te existential quantifier
\(fa universal quantifier
\(st such that
\(tf therefore
\(3d therefore
\(or | bitwise or

Mathematical:

Input Rendered Description
\(pl + plus
\(mi minus
\- - minus (text)
\(-+ minus-plus
\(+- ± plus-minus
\[t+-] ± plus-minus (text)
\(pc · centre-dot
\(mu × multiply
\[tmu] × multiply (text)
\(c* circle-multiply
\(c+ circle-plus
\(di ÷ divide
\[tdi] ÷ divide (text)
\(f/ fraction
\(** asterisk
\(<= less-than-equal
\(>= greater-than-equal
\(<< much less
\(>> much greater
\(eq = equal
\(!= not equal
\(== equivalent
\(ne not equivalent
\(=~ congruent
\(-~ asymptotically congruent
\(ap asymptotically similar
\(~~ approximately similar
\(~= approximately equal
\(pt proportionate
\(es empty set
\(mo element
\(nm not element
\(sb proper subset
\(nb not subset
\(sp proper superset
\(nc not superset
\(ib reflexive subset
\(ip reflexive superset
\(ca intersection
\(cu union
\(/_ angle
\(pp perpendicular
\(is integral
\[integral] integral
\[sum] summation
\[product] product
\[coproduct] coproduct
\(gr gradient
\(sr square root
\[sqrt] square root
\(lc left-ceiling
\(rc right-ceiling
\(lf left-floor
\(rf right-floor
\(if infinity
\(Ah aleph
\(Im imaginary
\(Re real
\(pd partial differential
\(-h Planck constant over 2π

Ligatures:

Input Rendered Description
\(ff ff ligature
\(fi fi ligature
\(fl fl ligature
\(Fi ffi ligature
\(Fl ffl ligature
\(AE Æ AE
\(ae æ ae
\(OE Œ OE
\(oe œ oe
\(ss ß German eszett
\(IJ IJ IJ ligature
\(ij ij ij ligature

Accents:

Input Rendered Description
\(a" ̋ Hungarian umlaut
\(a- ¯ macron
\(a. ˙ dotted
\(a^ ̂ circumflex
\(aa ́ acute
\' ́ acute
\(ga ̀ grave
\` ̀ grave
\(ab ̆ breve
\(ac ̧ cedilla
\(ad ̈ dieresis
\(ah ˇ caron
\(ao ˚ ring
\(a~ ̃ tilde
\(ho ̨ ogonek
\(ha ^ hat (text)
\(ti ~ tilde (text)

Accented letters:

Input Rendered Description
\('A Á acute A
\('E É acute E
\('I Í acute I
\('O Ó acute O
\('U Ú acute U
\('a á acute a
\('e é acute e
\('i í acute i
\('o ó acute o
\('u ú acute u
\(`A À grave A
\(`E È grave E
\(`I Ì grave I
\(`O Ò grave O
\(`U Ù grave U
\(`a à grave a
\(`e è grave e
\(`i ì grave i
\(`o ì grave o
\(`u ù grave u
\(~A Ã tilde A
\(~N Ñ tilde N
\(~O Õ tilde O
\(~a ã tilde a
\(~n ñ tilde n
\(~o õ tilde o
\(:A Ä dieresis A
\(:E Ë dieresis E
\(:I Ï dieresis I
\(:O Ö dieresis O
\(:U Ü dieresis U
\(:a ä dieresis a
\(:e ë dieresis e
\(:i ï dieresis i
\(:o ö dieresis o
\(:u ü dieresis u
\(:y ÿ dieresis y
\(^A Â circumflex A
\(^E Ê circumflex E
\(^I Î circumflex I
\(^O Ô circumflex O
\(^U Û circumflex U
\(^a â circumflex a
\(^e ê circumflex e
\(^i î circumflex i
\(^o ô circumflex o
\(^u û circumflex u
\(,C Ç cedilla C
\(,c ç cedilla c
\(/L Ł stroke L
\(/l ł stroke l
\(/O Ø stroke O
\(/o ø stroke o
\(oA Å ring A
\(oa å ring a

Special letters:

Input Rendered Description
\(-D Ð Eth
\(Sd ð eth
\(TP Þ Thorn
\(Tp þ thorn
\(.i ı dotless i
\(.j ȷ dotless j

Currency:

Input Rendered Description
\(Do $ dollar
\(ct ¢ cent
\(Eu Euro symbol
\(eu Euro symbol
\(Ye ¥ yen
\(Po £ pound
\(Cs ¤ Scandinavian
\(Fn ƒ florin

Units:

Input Rendered Description
\(de ° degree
\(%0 per-thousand
\(fm minute
\(sd second
\(mc µ micro

Greek letters:

Input Rendered Description
\(*A Α Alpha
\(*B Β Beta
\(*G Γ Gamma
\(*D Δ Delta
\(*E Ε Epsilon
\(*Z Ζ Zeta
\(*Y Η Eta
\(*H Θ Theta
\(*I Ι Iota
\(*K Κ Kappa
\(*L Λ Lambda
\(*M Μ Mu
\(*N Ν Nu
\(*C Ξ Xi
\(*O Ο Omicron
\(*P Π Pi
\(*R Ρ Rho
\(*S Σ Sigma
\(*T Τ Tau
\(*U Υ Upsilon
\(*F Φ Phi
\(*X Χ Chi
\(*Q Ψ Psi
\(*W Ω Omega
\(*a α alpha
\(*b β beta
\(*g γ gamma
\(*d δ delta
\(*e ε epsilon
\(*z ζ zeta
\(*y η eta
\(*h θ theta
\(*i ι iota
\(*k κ kappa
\(*l λ lambda
\(*m μ mu
\(*n ν nu
\(*c ξ xi
\(*o ο omicron
\(*p π pi
\(*r ρ rho
\(*s σ sigma
\(*t τ tau
\(*u υ upsilon
\(*f ϕ phi
\(*x χ chi
\(*q ψ psi
\(*w ω omega
\(+h ϑ theta variant
\(+f φ phi variant
\(+p ϖ pi variant
\(+e ϵ epsilon variant
\(ts ς sigma terminal

PREDEFINED STRINGS

These are not recommended for use, as they differ across implementations:

Input Rendered Description
\*(Ba | vertical bar
\*(Ne not equal
\*(Ge greater-than-equal
\*(Le less-than-equal
\*(Gt > greater-than
\*(Lt < less-than
\*(Pm ± plus-minus
\*(If infinity infinity
\*(Pi π pi
\*(Na NaN NaN
\*(Am & ampersand
\*R ® restricted mark
\*(Tm trade mark
\*q " double-quote
\*(Rq right-double-quote
\*(Lq left-double-quote
\*(lp ( right-parenthesis
\*(rp ) left-parenthesis
\*(lq left double-quote
\*(rq right double-quote
\*(ua up arrow
\*(va up-down arrow
\*(<= less-than-equal
\*(>= greater-than-equal
\*(aa ́ acute
\*(ga ̀ grave

NUMBERED CHARACTERS

For backward compatibility with existing manuals, mandoc(1) also supports the

\N'number'

escape sequence, inserting the character number from the current character set into the output. Of course, this is inherently non-portable and is already marked as deprecated in the Heirloom roff manual. For example, do not use \N'34', use \(dq, or even the plain ‘"' character where possible.

COMPATIBILITY

This section documents compatibility between mandoc and other other troff implementations, at this time limited to GNU troff (“groff”).

SEE ALSO

mandoc(1)

AUTHORS

The mandoc_char manual page was written by Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>.

CAVEATS

The ‘\*(Ba' escape mimics the behaviour of the ‘|' character in mdoc(7); thus, if you wish to render a vertical bar with no side effects, use the ‘\(ba' escape.
February 9, 2011 NetBSD 5.99