File: groff.info,  Node: ms Naming Conventions,  Prev: ms_Legacy_Features.php">ms Legacy Features,  Up: ms

4.6.9 Naming Conventions
------------------------

The following conventions are used for names of macros, strings, and
registers.  External names available to documents that use the 'groff'
'ms' macros contain only uppercase letters and digits.

   Internally, the macros are divided into modules.  Conventions for
identifier names are as follows.

   * Names used only within one module are of the form MODULE'*'NAME.

   * Names used outside the module in which they are defined are of the
     form MODULE'@'NAME.

   * Names associated with a particular environment are of the form
     ENVIRONMENT':'NAME; these are used only within the 'par' module.

   * NAME does not have a module prefix.

   * Constructed names used to implement arrays are of the form
     ARRAY'!'INDEX.

   Thus the 'groff' 'ms' macros reserve the following names.

   * Names containing the characters '*', '@', and ':'.

   * Names containing only uppercase letters and digits.