File: groff.info,  Node: groff Capabilities,  Next: Macro Package Intro,  Prev: What Is groff??,  Up: Introduction

1.3 'groff' Capabilities
========================

GNU 'troff' is a typesetting document formatter; it provides a wide
range of low-level text and page operations within the framework of a
programming language.  These operations compose to generate footnotes,
tables of contents, mathematical equations, diagrams, multi-column text,
and other elements of typeset works.  Here is a survey of formatter
features; all are under precise user control.

   * text filling, breaking, alignment to the left or right margin;
     centering

   * adjustment of inter-word space size to justify text, and of
     inter-sentence space size to suit local style conventions

   * automatic and manual determination of hyphenation break points

   * pagination

   * selection of any font available to the output device

   * adjustment of type size and vertical spacing (or "leading")

   * configuration of line length and indentation amounts; columnation

   * drawing of geometric primitives (lines, arcs, polygons, circles,
     ...)

   * setup of stroke and fill colors (where supported by the output
     device)

   * embedding of hyperlinks, images, document metadata, and other
     inclusions (where supported by the output device)