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4.6.1 Introduction

The ms macros are the oldest surviving package for roff systems.¹³ Whereas man suits brief references, ms can handle long or complex works that require deep sectioning, footnotes, or multiple columnation.

Macro, register, and string descriptions frequently mention each other; most references are to macros. Where a register or string is referenced, we annotate its type. ms’s identifiers use only capital letters, numerals, and ‘-’. Macro arguments surrounded by [brackets] are optional. Setting the register PDFFEAT to 1 on the command line enables PDF features.

• Basic information