MANDOC_CHAR(7)             OpenBSD Reference Manual             MANDOC_CHAR(7)

NAME
     mandoc_char - mandoc special characters

DESCRIPTION
     This page documents the special characters and predefined strings accept-
     ed 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 charac-
     ters.  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     O           circle
           \(bu     o           bullet
           \(dd     =           double dagger
           \(dg     -           dagger
           \(lz     <>          lozenge
           \(sq     []          white square
           \(ps     9|          paragraph
           \(sc     S           section
           \(lh     <=          left hand
           \(rh     =>          right hand
           \(at     @           at
           \(sh     #           hash (pound)
           \(CR     _|          carriage return
           \(OK                 check mark

     Legal symbols:
           Input    Rendered    Description
           \(co     (C)         copyright
           \(rg     (R)         registered
           \(tm     tm          trademarked

     Punctuation:
           Input    Rendered    Description
           \(em     --          em-dash
           \(en     -           en-dash
           \(hy     -           hyphen
           \e       \           back-slash
           \.       .           period
           \(r!     i           upside-down exclamation
           \(r?     c           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     v           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     v           down double-arrow
           \(vA                 up-down double-arrow

     Logical:
           Input    Rendered    Description
           \(AN     ^           logical and
           \(OR     v           logical or
           \(no     ~           logical not
           \[tno]               logical not (text)
           \(te     3           existential quantifier
           \(fa     V           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     x           multiply
           \[tmu]               multiply (text)
           \(c*     x           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     oc          proportionate
           \(es     {}          empty set
           \(mo     E           element
           \(nm     E           not element
           \(sb     (=          proper subset
           \(nb                 not subset
           \(sp     =)          proper superset
           \(nc                 not superset
           \(ib     (=          reflexive subset
           \(ip     =)          reflexive superset
           \(ca     (^)         intersection
           \(cu     U           union
           \(/_     /           angle
           \(pp     |           perpendicular
           \(is     I           integral
           \[integral]                         integral
           \[sum]               summation
           \[product]                          product
           \[coproduct]                        coproduct
           \(gr     V           gradient
           \(sr     \/          square root
           \[sqrt]              square root
           \(lc     |           left-ceiling
           \(rc     |           right-ceiling
           \(lf     |           left-floor
           \(rf     |           right-floor
           \(if     oo          infinity
           \(Ah     N           aleph
           \(Im     I           imaginary
           \(Re     R           real
           \(pd     a           partial differential
           \(-h                 Planck constant over 2n

     Ligatures:
           Input    Rendered    Description
           \(ff     ff          ff ligature
           \(fi     fi          fi ligature
           \(fl     fl          fl ligature
           \(Fi     ffi         ffi ligature
           \(Fl     ffl         ffl ligature
           \(AE     AE          AE
           \(ae     ae          ae
           \(OE     OE          OE
           \(oe     oe          oe
           \(ss     B           German eszett
           \(IJ                 IJ ligature
           \(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     v           caron
           \(ao     o           ring
           \(a~     ~           tilde
           \(ho     ,           ogonek
           \(ha     ^           hat (text)
           \(ti     ~           tilde (text)

     Accented letters:
           Input    Rendered    Description
           \('A     A           acute A
           \('E     E           acute E
           \('I     I           acute I
           \('O     O           acute O
           \('U     U           acute U
           \('a     a           acute a
           \('e     e           acute e
           \('i     i           acute i
           \('o     o           acute o
           \('u     u           acute u
           \(`A     A           grave A
           \(`E     E           grave E
           \(`I     I           grave I
           \(`O     O           grave O
           \(`U     U           grave U
           \(`a     a           grave a
           \(`e     e           grave e
           \(`i     i           grave i
           \(`o     i           grave o
           \(`u     u           grave u
           \(~A     A           tilde A
           \(~N     N           tilde N
           \(~O     O           tilde O
           \(~a     a           tilde a
           \(~n     n           tilde n
           \(~o     o           tilde o
           \(:A     A           dieresis A
           \(:E     E           dieresis E
           \(:I     I           dieresis I
           \(:O     O           dieresis O
           \(:U     U           dieresis U
           \(:a     a           dieresis a
           \(:e     e           dieresis e
           \(:i     i           dieresis i
           \(:o     o           dieresis o
           \(:u     u           dieresis u
           \(:y     y           dieresis y
           \(^A     A           circumflex A
           \(^E     E           circumflex E
           \(^I     I           circumflex I
           \(^O     O           circumflex O
           \(^U     U           circumflex U
           \(^a     a           circumflex a
           \(^e     e           circumflex e
           \(^i     i           circumflex i
           \(^o     o           circumflex o
           \(^u     u           circumflex u
           \(,C     C           cedilla C
           \(,c     c           cedilla c
           \(/L     L           stroke L
           \(/l     l           stroke l
           \(/O     O           stroke O
           \(/o     o           stroke o
           \(oA     A           ring A
           \(oa     a           ring a

     Special letters:
           Input    Rendered    Description
           \(-D     D           Eth
           \(Sd     o           eth
           \(TP     b           Thorn
           \(Tp     b           thorn
           \(.i     i           dotless i
           \(.j                 dotless j

     Currency:
           Input    Rendered    Description
           \(Do     $           dollar
           \(ct     c           cent
           \(Eu                 Euro symbol
           \(eu                 Euro symbol
           \(Ye     Y           yen
           \(Po     L           pound
           \(Cs     x           Scandinavian
           \(Fn     f           florin

     Units:
           Input    Rendered    Description
           \(de     o           degree
           \(%0     %o          per-thousand
           \(fm     '           minute
           \(sd     ''          second
           \(mc                 micro

     Greek letters:
           Input    Rendered    Description
           \(*A     A           Alpha
           \(*B     B_          Beta
           \(*G     |           Gamma
           \(*D     /\          Delta
           \(*E     E           Epsilon
           \(*Z     Z           Zeta
           \(*Y     H           Eta
           \(*H     O           Theta
           \(*I     I           Iota
           \(*K     K           Kappa
           \(*L     /\          Lambda
           \(*M     M           Mu
           \(*N     N           Nu
           \(*C     H           Xi
           \(*O     O           Omicron
           \(*P     TT          Pi
           \(*R     P           Rho
           \(*S     >           Sigma
           \(*T     T           Tau
           \(*U     Y           Upsilon
           \(*F     O           Phi
           \(*X     X           Chi
           \(*Q     Y           Psi
           \(*W     O           Omega
           \(*a     a           alpha
           \(*b     B           beta
           \(*g     y           gamma
           \(*d     d           delta
           \(*e     e           epsilon
           \(*z     C           zeta
           \(*y     n           eta
           \(*h     0           theta
           \(*i     i           iota
           \(*k     k           kappa
           \(*l     \           lambda
           \(*m     u           mu
           \(*n     v           nu
           \(*c     E           xi
           \(*o     o           omicron
           \(*p     n           pi
           \(*r     p           rho
           \(*s     o           sigma
           \(*t     t           tau
           \(*u     u           upsilon
           \(*f     o           phi
           \(*x     x           chi
           \(*q     u           psi
           \(*w     w           omega
           \(+h     0           theta variant
           \(+f     o           phi variant
           \(+p     w           pi variant
           \(+e                 epsilon variant
           \(ts     s           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    pi          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

COMPATIBILITY
     This section documents compatibility of mandoc_char with older or exist-
     ing versions of groff(1).

     The following render differently in -Tascii output mode:

           \(ss, \(nm, \(nb, \(nc, \(ib, \(ip, \(pp, \[sum], \[product], \[co-
           product], \(gr, \(-h, \(a.

     The following render differently in -Thtml output mode:

           \(~=, \(nb, \(nc

     Finally, the following have been omitted by being poorly documented or
     having no known representation:

           \[radicalex], \[sqrtex], \(ru

SEE ALSO
     mandoc(1)

STANDARDS
     The Unicode Consortium, The Unicode Standard: Worldwide Character
     Encoding, Version 5.2, 1991.  W3C, HTML 4.01 Specification, December,
     1999.

AUTHORS
     The mandoc_char manual page was written by Kristaps Dzonsons
     <kristaps@kth.se>.

OpenBSD 4.7                     January 6, 2010                              7
