Hi Branden,

On Sun, Sep 07, 2025 at 08:51:29AM -0500, G. Branden Robinson wrote:
> Hi Alex,
> 
> At 2025-09-07T12:22:35+0200, Alejandro Colomar wrote:
> > I never received a copy of
> > <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/groff/2025-08/msg00028.html>.
> > I guess you only sent it to the list?  Or maybe it got lost...
> 
> Either is possible.
> 
> > Anyway, below goes my updated opinion.  See at the bottom.
> [...]
> > > > I think the behavior with '"' makes more sense than with '\[dq]'.
> > > > Maybe some conditional within groff(1) checks for '"' but forgets
> > > > to check for the synonymous '\[dq]'?
> > 
> > I have changed my mind.  I think the behavior of mandoc(1), and that
> > of \[dq], is the one I like.
> > 
> > The '?' within quotation marks does not end the sentence, and is just
> > part of the quoted text.  The enclosing sentence was missing an
> > end-of-sentence punctuator.
> 
> Okay.  Please review points A and B of the URL cited above.

About point A:

I need to think about it.  So far, the project is quite consistent (with
some minor exceptions) in using vertical quotes.  I'd have to do a lot
of work to transform all of that, and decide on some rules about when to
use each of them.  I don't say no, but I don't see it happening soon.

About point B:

I agree.  It would reduce some confusion.  But it would be a lot of
work.  Some day...  Eventually...  I guess.  :)

> > I've fixed that with:
> > 
> >     $ git show ddb26eb2011a
> >     commit ddb26eb2011a498ece999aa44e501e0ed7fddb09
> >     Author: Alejandro Colomar <[email protected]>
> >     Date:   Sun Sep 7 10:06:47 2025 +0200
> > 
> >         man/man3/cfree.3: pfix
> >         
> >         Signed-off-by: Alejandro Colomar <[email protected]>
> > 
> >     diff --git a/man/man3/cfree.3 b/man/man3/cfree.3
> >     index b117539be..dfa2b5a13 100644
> >     --- a/man/man3/cfree.3
> >     +++ b/man/man3/cfree.3
> >     @@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ .SS 3-arg cfree
> >      to free memory allocated with
> >      .BR calloc (3),
> >      or do I need
> >     -.BR cfree ()?"
> >     +.BR cfree ()?\[dq].
> >      Answer: use
> >      .BR free (3).
> >      .P
> > 
> > Which formats as:
> > 
> >     $ MANWIDTH=72 diffman-git ddb26eb2011a
> >     --- ddb26eb2011a^:man/man3/cfree.3
> >     +++ ddb26eb2011a:man/man3/cfree.3
> >     @@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ DESCRIPTION
> >             to your file.
> >      
> >             A frequently asked question is "Can I use free(3) to free memory
> >     -       allocated with calloc(3), or do I need cfree()?"  Answer: use
> >     +       allocated with calloc(3), or do I need cfree()?".  Answer: use
> >             free(3).
> >      
> >             An SCO manual writes: "The cfree routine is provided for compli‐
> 
> Your selection of closing quotation character happens to be irrelevant
> to the EOS-transparency properties of the `"` ordinary and `dq` special
> characters, because of a further change you made.

Yup.  I wonder if in some case I wouldn't want to have punctuation in my
sentence and then the punctuation of the quotation might degrade the
text.  Maybe something like:

        The kid asks "Can I go to the park?" every morning.

There should be no inter-sentence space in there.

> >     -.BR cfree ()?"
> >     +.BR cfree ()?\[dq].
> 
> By also adding a sentence-ending character _afterward_, the
> EOS-transparency property of the "quotation" character becomes
> irrelevant.
> 
> However, I would repeat my counsel to use an idiomatic character to
> close a quotation.  In this case, that means `\[rq]` (and change the
> quotation's opening to use `\[lq]`).
> 
> > This is anti-American, I know, but Americans are not reasonable
> > regarding quoting.
> 
> Some of us are, some of the time.  ;-)
> 
> My copy of CMoS 18 (2024) says (§6.9)...
> 
>       The British system (or a variation of it) may be appropriate in
>       works of textual criticism or in computing coding and other
>       technical or scientific settings.  See also 12.7–8, 12.30–31.
> 
> ...and (§12.7)...
> 
>       4.  At the end of the quotation, a period or other mark of
>       punctuation in the original may be omitted or changed to a
>       period or comma as required by the surrounding text; a question
>       mark or exclamation point may be retained if it continues to
>       apply to the word or words as quoted.
> 
> ...so your preference is, I think, fully licensed by Chicago, and that

Uhh, I didn't expect this one.  Nice!  50 points for the house of
Chicago.  :-)

> frees up your anti-American sentiments to be directed more justly, say
> at the sitting President and majority party in the houses of Congress.
> (Personally, I'd add a big chunk of the craven, billionaire-captured
> minority party in Congress to my negative sentiments.)
> 
> ✊,
> Branden


Have a lovely night!
Alex

-- 
<https://www.alejandro-colomar.es>
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