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                       Quick Introduction to RNF

                            Willett Kempton
                              7 June 1986



     RNF is a program for producing  documents  such  as  user  manuals,
reports,  or  term  papers.   This  is a short introduction to RNF; more
details can be found in the complete manual.

     RNF is a text formatter, like nroff or troff on UNIX or  RUNOFF  on
the  DEC-10.  It expects an input file containing text and commands, and
it produces a final-format document.  The input file is just a  standard
ASCII  file,  and  can be prepared with any editor.  Most commands are a
dot and a name, such as .BOLD to print  bold  letters.   The  output  is
typically  sent directly to the printer, but it can be sent to a file or
to the console (CON:) first for checking if desired.

     RNF is unlike most word processors  in  that  it  does  not  format
on-screen and it has no built-in editor.  On the other hand, it has more
powerful capabilities  than  most  commercial  word  processors,  it  is
written  in  very  standard  Pascal,  and  it  is  in the public domain.
Therefore, RNF is good for  people  who  are  in  one  or  more  of  the
following categories, people who:

     1.  Want a good word processor but don't want to  spend  a  lot  of
         money for it, or

     2.  Like the editor they are already using for  programming  better
         than the editor embedded in their word processor, or

     3.  Want to use more of the  special  features  of  their  printer,
         which their current word processor does not allow, or

     4.  Cannot stand relying on tools (such  as  word  processors)  for
         which they do not have the source code, because they cannot fix
         those annoying little bugs and limitations, or

     5.  Want  to  learn  about  programming  by examining well-written,
         moderately large programs, or

     6.  Need  a word processor which can run on many different computer
         systems, while using the same document files.  You  have  a  PC
         and  the  coauthors  of  your  book have a VAX and a Cyber?  No
         problem!

     To prepare text for RNF, user your favorite editor.  Paragraphs can
be  separated by a blank line, or, if the .AP (autoparagraph) command is
given, by leading spaces or a tab.  Thus, you can  start  using  RNF  by
just  creating  a  file  which  starts  with  .AP and then typing normal




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text--RNF will fill lines, divide into paragraphs, and number pages  for
you.

     Even though RNF is very powerful,  you  can  learn  only  a  useful
subset if you want.  It works fine on normal text with just an .AP.  You
will soon be using simple things like underlining, centering,  automatic
list  numbering,  hanging paragraphs, and "ASIS" mode.  Some people will
then  want  to  try  variables,  conditionals,  include  files,   saving
environments, and macros.

     Notice that three characters are used for special purposes: "_" "#"
"\"  (underline, sharp, and backslash).  In addition, two characters are
special only when they have letters immediately after them: "." and  "$"
(period  and  dollar sign), and two more are special only when flags are
set: "<" "^" (less than and uparrow).  To make special  characters  show
on  the  output,  proceed  them  with  an underline "_" which quotes the
special character.  Finally, control characters will not  appear  except
through the .FMT command.


     TO COMPILE: First, check that PAGE is appropriate for your printer;
as  distributed,  RNF  assumes  that control-L does a page eject.  Using
Turbo Pascal version 3 on MS-DOS, PC-DOS and CP/M-86, just read  RNF.PAS
as the Main file, set the option to compile to disk, and compile it.  It
will include several RNF?.PAS files.  For CP/M-80, un-comment the  three
overlays  as  marked  in  RNF.PAS  before  compiling.   On  Turbo Pascal
versions before ver 3, and on Prospero ProPascal or  VAX/VMS  Pascal,  a
few  changes  will  have  to  be made before compiling, as marked in the
comments.


     TO PRINT THE MANUAL: You  must  compile  RNF  before  printing  the
manual.   Try  a test printing of this small document; print it with the
command:  "RNF RNFDOC.RNF".   To   print   the   entire   manual,   type
"RNF RNFMAN.RNF".  Ignore the 20 or so warning messages about ASIS lines
extending past the right margin, and the two warnings of an empty token.
The manual is about 50 pages.


     Good luck!