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4.6.4 Document Description Macros
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Only the simplest document lacks a title.(1)  (*note ms Document
Description Macros-Footnote-1::) As its level of sophistication (or
complexity) increases, it tends to acquire a date of revision,
explicitly identified authors, sponsoring institutions for authors, and,
at the rarefied heights, an abstract of its content.  Define these data
by calling the macros below in the order shown; 'DA' or 'ND' can be
called to set the document date (or other identifier) at any time before
(a) the abstract, if present, or (b) its information is required in a
header or footer.  Use of these macros is optional, except that 'TL' is
mandatory if any of 'RP', 'AU', 'AI', or 'AB' is called, and 'AE' is
mandatory if 'AB' is called.

 -- Macro: .RP [no-repeat-info] [no-renumber]
     Use the "report" (AT&T: "released paper") format for your document,
     creating a separate cover page.  The default arrangement is to
     place most of the document description (title, author names and
     institutions, and abstract, but not the date) at the top of the
     first page.  If the optional 'no-repeat-info' argument is given,
     'ms' produces a cover page but does not repeat any of its
     information subsequently (but see the 'DA' macro below regarding
     the date).  Normally, 'RP' sets the page number following the cover
     page to 1.  Specifying the optional 'no-renumber' argument
     suppresses this alteration.  Optional arguments can occur in any
     order.  'no' is recognized as a synonym of 'no-repeat-info' for
     'AT&T' compatibility.

 -- Macro: .TL
     Specify the document title.  'ms' collects text on input lines
     following this call into the title until reaching 'AU', 'AB', or a
     heading or paragraphing macro call.

 -- Macro: .AU
     Specify an author's name.  'ms' collects text on input lines
     following this call into the author's name until reaching 'AI',
     'AB', another 'AU', or a heading or paragraphing macro call.  Call
     it repeatedly to specify multiple authors.

 -- Macro: .AI
     Specify the preceding author's institution.  An 'AU' call is
     usefully followed by at most one 'AI' call; if there are more, the
     last 'AI' call controls.  'ms' collects text on input lines
     following this call into the author's institution until reaching
     'AU', 'AB', or a heading or paragraphing macro call.

 -- Macro: .DA [x ...]
     Typeset the current date, or any arguments X, in the center footer,
     and, if 'RP' is also called, left-aligned at the end of the
     description information on the cover page.

 -- Macro: .ND [x ...]
     Typeset the current date, or any arguments X, if 'RP' is also
     called, left-aligned at the end of the document description on the
     cover page.  This is 'groff' 'ms''s default.

 -- Macro: .AB [no]
     Begin the abstract.  'ms' collects text on input lines following
     this call into the abstract until reaching an 'AE' call.  By
     default, 'ms' places the word "ABSTRACT" centered and in italics
     above the text of the abstract.  The optional argument 'no'
     suppresses this heading.

 -- Macro: .AE
     End the abstract.

   An example document description, using a cover page, follows.

     .RP
     .TL
     The Inevitability of Code Bloat
     in Commercial and Free Software
     .AU
     J.\& Random Luser
     .AI
     University of West Bumblefuzz
     .AB
     This report examines the long-term growth of the code
     bases in two large,
     popular software packages;
     the free Emacs and the commercial Microsoft Word.
     While differences appear in the type or order of
     features added,
     due to the different methodologies used,
     the results are the same in the end.
     .PP
     The free software approach is shown to be superior in
     that while free software can become as bloated as
     commercial offerings,
     free software tends to have fewer serious bugs and the
     added features are more in line with user demand.
     .AE

     ...the rest of the paper...