For what it is worth, I like this idea (and the fact a patch was included).
It's always sort of bugged me that it limits it to 5/6, I'm sure there
was a reason but I think it should match line length.
On Thu, Aug 06, 2020 at 11:53:38AM -0400, T. Kurt Bond wrote:
> groff_ms(7) says that changing the number register FL is effective at
> the next footnote. That seems to be true only for one column text.
>
> In multicolumn text you have to change the undocumented fn:MCLL after
> calling .MC. fn:MCLL is an alias for the number register pg@fn-colw,
> which is set when .MC is called. (.2C calls .MC to do the work, so
> we only have to worry about .MC.)
>
> Is fn:MCLL intended to be ms internal use only, or is intended to be
> available to users?
>
> If you don't set either FL or fn:MCLL the groff ms macros default to
> making the footnote length 5/6 the length of the current line length.
>
> I don't like having the line length of the footnotes only 5/6 the
> width of the columns: I like them to be the full width of the current
> line, whether that is in one column mode or multicolumn mode. I'd
> like to be able to change that default, to avoid having to change the
> footnote line length in multicolumn mode using the undocumented
> fn:MCLL.
>
> I propose adding a string variable, FR (footnote ratio), that defaults
> to to 5/6 for compatibility and replaces the uses of the literal 5/6
> for setting footnote line length. You can set this at the beginning
> of your document, or before each .MC or .2C. For my use I'd always
> set it to 1, making the footnote line length the same as the line
> length.
>
> (I think making setting FR effective before the next footnote, like
> setting FL in one column mode, would take rewriting par@reset to
> recalculate fn:MCLL every time, instead of just after a .MC.)
>
> Here's a patch:
> ===== footnote-ratio.patch =================================
> diff --git a/doc/groff.texi b/doc/groff.texi
> index 75b08a5f..f72bda49 100644
> --- a/doc/groff.texi
> +++ b/doc/groff.texi
> @@ -2774,6 +2774,15 @@ Effective: next footnote.
> Default: @math{@code{@\n[PD]} / 2}.
> @endDefmpreg
>
> +@DefstrList {FR, ms}
> +Defines the ratio of the footnote line length to the current line
> +length.
> +
> +Effective: start of document or before each @code{.MC} or @code{.2C}.
> +
> +Default: @math{5/6}.
> +@endDefmpreg
> +
> @unnumberedsubsubsec Miscellaneous Number Registers
>
> @Defmpreg {MINGW, ms}
> diff --git a/tmac/groff_ms.7.man b/tmac/groff_ms.7.man
> index 83a6cefc..858ad699 100644
> --- a/tmac/groff_ms.7.man
> +++ b/tmac/groff_ms.7.man
> @@ -235,15 +235,23 @@ cb cb cb cb
> lfCW l l l.
> Reg. Definition Effective Default
> _
> -FL Footnote length next footnote \[rs]n[LL]*5/6
> +FL Footnote length T{
> +next footnote; not effective in multicolumn mode
> +T} \[rs]n[LL]*\[rs]*[FR]
> FI Footnote indent next footnote 2n
> FF Footnote format next footnote 0
> FPS Point size next footnote \[rs]n[PS]\-2
> FVS Vert.\& spacing next footnote \[rs]n[FPS]+2
> FPD Para.\& spacing next footnote \[rs]n[PD]/2
> +FR Footnote ratio T{
> +before first paragraph, or before each .MC
> +T} 5/6
> _
> .TE
> .RE
> +.LP
> +Note that \f[CW]FR\fP is a string variable and should be set with the
> +\fBds\fP request.
> .
> .LP
> .ne 6
> diff --git a/tmac/s.tmac b/tmac/s.tmac
> index 180a9f81..8f03878f 100644
> --- a/tmac/s.tmac
> +++ b/tmac/s.tmac
> @@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ along with this program. If not, see
> <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
> .DEVTAG ".mc \\n[pg@ncols] \\n[pg@colw] \\n[pg*gutw]"
> .ns
> .nr pg*col-num 0
> -.nr pg@fn-colw \\n[pg@colw]*5/6
> +.nr pg@fn-colw \\n[pg@colw]*\\*[FR]
> .par@reset
> .mk pg*col-top
> ..
> @@ -1077,7 +1077,7 @@ along with this program. If not, see
> <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
> .\" happens when the first page begins
> .de par@init
> .if !rLT .nr LT \\n[LL]
> -.if !rFL .nr FL \\n[LL]*5/6
> +.if !rFL .nr FL \\n[LL]*\\*[FR]
> .if !rVS \{\
> . ie (\\n[PS] >= 1000) \
> . nr VS (\\n[PS] + 2000)
> @@ -1419,7 +1419,9 @@ along with this program. If not, see
> <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
> .\" but allow ".SH n" to make heading point size match ".NH n",
> .\" for same "n", when \n[GROWPS] and \n[PSINCR] are set.
> . nr sh*psincr 0
> -. if 0\\$1>0 .nr sh*psincr (\\n[GROWPS]-0\\$1)*\\n[PSINCR]
> +. if 0\\$1>0 \{\
> +. nr sh*psincr (\\n[GROWPS]-0\\$1)*\\n[PSINCR]
> +.\}
> . SH-NO-TAG
> . DEVTAG-SH 1
> . if '\*(.T'html' .nr need_eo_h 1
> @@ -1498,6 +1500,8 @@ along with this program. If not, see
> <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
> .ds par@sup-end \v'-.7m\s0+.9m'
> .als } par@sup-end
> .\" footnote paragraphs
> +.\" FR is the footnote ratio to the line length
> +.ds FR 5/6
> .\" FF is the footnote format
> .nr FF 0
> .\" This can be redefined. It gets a second argument of 'no' if the
> ============================================================
>
> --
> T. Kurt Bond, tkurtb...@gmail.com
--
---
Larry McVoy lm at mcvoy.com
http://www.mcvoy.com/lm
