man/: ffix

man/: ffix

On Fri, Aug 22, 2025 at 05:09:42PM +0200, Ingo Schwarze wrote:
> >     .TS
> >     l l l
> >     ---
>
> That's terrible style.
>
> Using "-" in the tbl(7) layout only makes sense when the same layout
> line also contains at least one cell that receives data.
>
> A horizontal line that extends across the table as a whole
> should *not* get its own layout line but can be specified purely
> in the data section of the table.  That's not only more robust,
> but also results in source code that is easier to read and maintain.
>
> The above is not just convention, but also makes sense logically
> and is related to the root cause of your earlier blank line woes.
> A table line that receives no data should not be specified in the
> layout because every layout line requires at least one data line,
> so a layout line receiving no data is an oxymoron, and that logical
> contradiction is precisely what causes the issue of needing a
> blank line in the first place.
>
> Note that in a layout line that only contains "-" for *some* cells,
> while at leat one cell receives data, the problem does not occur
> because the coressponding data line(s) do contain actual data
> for at least one cell, so they are not blank.

Reported-by: Ingo Schwarze <schwarze@openbsd.org>
Suggested-by: Ingo Schwarze <schwarze@openbsd.org>
Signed-off-by: Alejandro Colomar <alx@kernel.org>