MANDOC_CHAR(7) Miscellaneous Information Manual MANDOC_CHAR(7)
NAME
mandoc_charmandoc special characters
DESCRIPTION
This page documents the special characters and predefined strings accepted by mandoc(1) to format mdoc(7) and man(7) documents.
 
Both mdoc(7) and man(7) encode special characters with ‘\X' (for a one-character escape), ‘\(XX' (two-character), and ‘\[N]' (N-character). One may generalise ‘\(XX' as ‘\[XX]' and ‘\X' as ‘\[X]'. Predefined strings are functionally similar to special characters, using ‘\*X' (for a one-character escape), ‘\*(XX' (two-character), and ‘\*[N]' (N-character). One may generalise ‘\*(XX' as ‘\*[XX]' and ‘\*X' as ‘\*[X]'.
 
Note that each output mode will have a different rendering of the characters. It's guaranteed that each input symbol will correspond to a (more or less) meaningful output rendering, regardless the mode.
SPECIAL CHARACTERS
These are the preferred input symbols for producing special characters.
 
Spacing:
Input
Description
\~
non-breaking, non-collapsing space
\
breaking, non-collapsing n-width space
\^
zero-width space
\%
zero-width space
\&
zero-width space
\|
zero-width space
\0
breaking, non-collapsing digit-width space
\c
removes any trailing space (if applicable)
 
Lines:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(ba
|
bar
\(br
box rule
\(ul
_
underscore
\(rl
overline
\(bb
¦
broken bar
\(sl
/
forward slash
\(rs
\
backward slash
 
Text markers:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(ci
circle
\(bu
bullet
\(dd
double dagger
\(dg
dagger
\(lz
lozenge
\(sq
white square
\(ps
paragraph
\(sc
§
section
\(lh
left hand
\(rh
right hand
\(at
@
at
\(sh
#
hash (pound)
\(CR
carriage return
\(OK
check mark
 
Legal symbols:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(co
©
copyright
\(rg
®
registered
\(tm
trademarked
 
Punctuation:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(em
em-dash
\(en
en-dash
\(hy
hyphen
\e
\
back-slash
\.
.
period
\(r!
¡
upside-down exclamation
\(r?
¿
upside-down question
 
Quotes:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(Bq
right low double-quote
\(bq
right low single-quote
\(lq
left double-quote
\(rq
right double-quote
\(oq
left single-quote
\(cq
right single-quote
\(aq
'
apostrophe quote (text)
\(dq
"
double quote (text)
\(Fo
«
left guillemet
\(Fc
»
right guillemet
\(fo
left single guillemet
\(fc
right single guillemet
 
Brackets:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(lB
[
left bracket
\(rB
]
right bracket
\(lC
{
left brace
\(rC
}
right brace
\(la
<
left angle
\(ra
>
right angle
\(bv
brace extension
\[braceex]
brace extension
\[bracketlefttp]
top-left hooked bracket
\[bracketleftbp]
bottom-left hooked bracket
\[bracketleftex]
left hooked bracket extension
\[bracketrighttp]
top-right hooked bracket
\[bracketrightbp]
bottom-right hooked bracket
\[bracketrightex]
right hooked bracket extension
\(lt
top-left hooked brace
\[bracelefttp]
top-left hooked brace
\(lk
mid-left hooked brace
\[braceleftmid]
mid-left hooked brace
\(lb
bottom-left hooked brace
\[braceleftbp]
bottom-left hooked brace
\[braceleftex]
left hooked brace extension
\(rt
top-left hooked brace
\[bracerighttp]
top-right hooked brace
\(rk
mid-right hooked brace
\[bracerightmid]
mid-right hooked brace
\(rb
bottom-right hooked brace
\[bracerightbp]
bottom-right hooked brace
\[bracerightex]
right hooked brace extension
\[parenlefttp]
top-left hooked parenthesis
\[parenleftbp]
bottom-left hooked parenthesis
\[parenleftex]
left hooked parenthesis extension
\[parenrighttp]
top-right hooked parenthesis
\[parenrightbp]
bottom-right hooked parenthesis
\[parenrightex]
right hooked parenthesis extension
 
Arrows:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(<-
left arrow
\(->
right arrow
\(<>
left-right arrow
\(da
down arrow
\(ua
up arrow
\(va
up-down arrow
\(lA
left double-arrow
\(rA
right double-arrow
\(hA
left-right double-arrow
\(uA
up double-arrow
\(dA
down double-arrow
\(vA
up-down double-arrow
 
Logical:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(AN
logical and
\(OR
logical or
\(no
¬
logical not
\[tno]
¬
logical not (text)
\(te
existential quantifier
\(fa
universal quantifier
\(st
such that
\(tf
therefore
\(3d
therefore
\(or
|
bitwise or
 
Mathematical:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(pl
+
plus
\(mi
minus
\-
-
minus (text)
\(-+
minus-plus
\(+-
±
plus-minus
\[t+-]
±
plus-minus (text)
\(pc
·
centre-dot
\(mu
×
multiply
\[tmu]
×
multiply (text)
\(c*
circle-multiply
\(c+
circle-plus
\(di
÷
divide
\[tdi]
÷
divide (text)
\(f/
fraction
\(**
asterisk
\(<=
less-than-equal
\(>=
greater-than-equal
\(<<
much less
\(>>
much greater
\(eq
=
equal
\(!=
not equal
\(==
equivalent
\(ne
not equivalent
\(=~
congruent
\(-~
asymptotically congruent
\(ap
asymptotically similar
\(~~
approximately similar
\(~=
approximately equal
\(pt
proportionate
\(es
empty set
\(mo
element
\(nm
not element
\(sb
proper subset
\(nb
not subset
\(sp
proper superset
\(nc
not superset
\(ib
reflexive subset
\(ip
reflexive superset
\(ca
intersection
\(cu
union
\(/_
angle
\(pp
perpendicular
\(is
integral
\[integral]
integral
\[sum]
summation
\[product]
product
\[coproduct]
coproduct
\(gr
gradient
\(sr
square root
\[sqrt]
square root
\(lc
left-ceiling
\(rc
right-ceiling
\(lf
left-floor
\(rf
right-floor
\(if
infinity
\(Ah
aleph
\(Im
imaginary
\(Re
real
\(pd
partial differential
\(-h
Planck constant over 2π
 
Ligatures:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(ff
ff ligature
\(fi
fi ligature
\(fl
fl ligature
\(Fi
ffi ligature
\(Fl
ffl ligature
\(AE
Æ
AE
\(ae
æ
ae
\(OE
Œ
OE
\(oe
œ
oe
\(ss
ß
German eszett
\(IJ
IJ
IJ ligature
\(ij
ij
ij ligature
 
Accents:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(a"
̋
Hungarian umlaut
\(a-
¯
macron
\(a.
˙
dotted
\(a^
̂
circumflex
\(aa
́
acute
\'
́
acute
\(ga
̀
grave
\`
̀
grave
\(ab
̆
breve
\(ac
̧
cedilla
\(ad
̈
dieresis
\(ah
ˇ
caron
\(ao
˚
ring
\(a~
̃
tilde
\(ho
̨
ogonek
\(ha
^
hat (text)
\(ti
~
tilde (text)
 
Accented letters:
Input
Rendered
Description
\('A
Á
acute A
\('E
É
acute E
\('I
Í
acute I
\('O
Ó
acute O
\('U
Ú
acute U
\('a
á
acute a
\('e
é
acute e
\('i
í
acute i
\('o
ó
acute o
\('u
ú
acute u
\(`A
À
grave A
\(`E
È
grave E
\(`I
Ì
grave I
\(`O
Ò
grave O
\(`U
Ù
grave U
\(`a
à
grave a
\(`e
è
grave e
\(`i
ì
grave i
\(`o
ì
grave o
\(`u
ù
grave u
\(~A
Ã
tilde A
\(~N
Ñ
tilde N
\(~O
Õ
tilde O
\(~a
ã
tilde a
\(~n
ñ
tilde n
\(~o
õ
tilde o
\(:A
Ä
dieresis A
\(:E
Ë
dieresis E
\(:I
Ï
dieresis I
\(:O
Ö
dieresis O
\(:U
Ü
dieresis U
\(:a
ä
dieresis a
\(:e
ë
dieresis e
\(:i
ï
dieresis i
\(:o
õ
dieresis o
\(:u
ü
dieresis u
\(:y
ÿ
dieresis y
\(^A
Â
circumflex A
\(^E
Ê
circumflex E
\(^I
Î
circumflex I
\(^O
Ô
circumflex O
\(^U
Û
circumflex U
\(^a
â
circumflex a
\(^e
ê
circumflex e
\(^i
î
circumflex i
\(^o
ô
circumflex o
\(^u
û
circumflex u
\(,C
Ç
cedilla C
\(,c
ç
cedilla c
\(/L
Ł
stroke L
\(/l
ł
stroke l
\(/O
Ø
stroke O
\(/o
ø
stroke o
\(oA
Å
ring A
\(oa
å
ring a
 
Special letters:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(-D
Ð
Eth
\(Sd
ð
eth
\(TP
Þ
Thorn
\(Tp
þ
thorn
\(.i
ı
dotless i
\(.j
ȷ
dotless j
 
Currency:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(Do
$
dollar
\(ct
¢
cent
\(Eu
Euro symbol
\(eu
Euro symbol
\(Ye
¥
yen
\(Po
£
pound
\(Cs
¤
Scandinavian
\(Fn
ƒ
florin
 
Units:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(de
°
degree
\(%0
per-thousand
\(fm
minute
\(sd
second
\(mc
µ
micro
 
Greek letters:
Input
Rendered
Description
\(*A
Α
Alpha
\(*B
Β
Beta
\(*G
Γ
Gamma
\(*D
Δ
Delta
\(*E
Ε
Epsilon
\(*Z
Ζ
Zeta
\(*Y
Η
Eta
\(*H
Θ
Theta
\(*I
Ι
Iota
\(*K
Κ
Kappa
\(*L
Λ
Lambda
\(*M
Μ
Mu
\(*N
Ν
Nu
\(*C
Ξ
Xi
\(*O
Ο
Omicron
\(*P
Π
Pi
\(*R
Ρ
Rho
\(*S
Σ
Sigma
\(*T
Τ
Tau
\(*U
Υ
Upsilon
\(*F
Φ
Phi
\(*X
Χ
Chi
\(*Q
Ψ
Psi
\(*W
Ω
Omega
\(*a
α
alpha
\(*b
β
beta
\(*g
γ
gamma
\(*d
δ
delta
\(*e
ε
epsilon
\(*z
ζ
zeta
\(*y
η
eta
\(*h
θ
theta
\(*i
ι
iota
\(*k
κ
kappa
\(*l
λ
lambda
\(*m
μ
mu
\(*n
ν
nu
\(*c
ξ
xi
\(*o
ο
omicron
\(*p
π
pi
\(*r
ρ
rho
\(*s
σ
sigma
\(*t
τ
tau
\(*u
υ
upsilon
\(*f
ϕ
phi
\(*x
χ
chi
\(*q
ψ
psi
\(*w
ω
omega
\(+h
ϑ
theta variant
\(+f
φ
phi variant
\(+p
ϖ
pi variant
\(+e
ϵ
epsilon variant
\(ts
ς
sigma terminal
PREDEFINED STRINGS
These are not recommended for use, as they differ across implementations:
 
Input
Rendered
Description
\*(Ba
|
vertical bar
\*(Ne
not equal
\*(Ge
greater-than-equal
\*(Le
less-than-equal
\*(Gt
>
greater-than
\*(Lt
<
less-than
\*(Pm
±
plus-minus
\*(If
infinity
infinity
\*(Pi
π
pi
\*(Na
NaN
NaN
\*(Am
&
ampersand
\*R
®
restricted mark
\*(Tm
trade mark
\*q
"
double-quote
\*(Rq
right-double-quote
\*(Lq
left-double-quote
\*(lp
(
right-parenthesis
\*(rp
)
left-parenthesis
\*(lq
left double-quote
\*(rq
right double-quote
\*(ua
up arrow
\*(va
up-down arrow
\*(<=
less-than-equal
\*(>=
greater-than-equal
\*(aa
́
acute
\*(ga
̀
grave
COMPATIBILITY
This section documents compatibility of mandoc_char with older or existing versions of groff(1).
 
The following render differently in -Tascii output mode:
\(ss, \(nm, \(nb, \(nc, \(ib, \(ip, \(pp, \[sum], \[product], \[coproduct], \(gr, \(-h, \(a.
 
The following render differently in -Thtml output mode:
\(~=, \(nb, \(nc
 
Finally, the following have been omitted by being poorly documented or having no known representation:
\[radicalex], \[sqrtex], \(ru
SEE ALSO
AUTHORS
The mandoc_char manual page was written by Kristaps Dzonsons <kristaps@bsd.lv>.
CAVEATS
The ‘\*(Ba' escape mimics the behaviour of the ‘|' character in mdoc(7); thus, if you wish to render a vertical bar with no side effects, use the ‘\(ba' escape.