[Rd] format text help pages Windows

[Tobias Verbeke]

Dear list,

Could someone enlighten me a bit on the
exact format used for text help pages
as I see them on Windows in the help/
folders of (compiled) package roots.

When opening an example of these files
in a text editor (?Bessel in GNU emacs),
the file is displayed as follows:


_^HB_^He_^Hs_^Hs_^He_^Hl_^H _^HF_^Hu_^Hn_^Hc_^Ht_^Hi_^Ho_^Hn_^Hs

Bessel                 package:base                 R Documentation

_^HB_^He_^Hs_^Hs_^He_^Hl_^H _^HF_^Hu_^Hn_^Hc_^Ht_^Hi_^Ho_^Hn_^Hs


_^HD_^He_^Hs_^Hc_^Hr_^Hi_^Hp_^Ht_^Hi_^Ho_^Hn:


      Bessel Functions of integer and fractional order, of first and
      second kind, J(nu) and Y(nu), and Modified Bessel functions (of
      first and third kind), I(nu) and K(nu).

[....]

How should other applications handle these files ? Running Rterm as
a console within eclipse, e.g., now displays ^H as small rectangles
and leaves the underscores while R itself (Rgui to be precise) and
ESS nicely display help pages with some formatting (color code for
Rgui and underlining in an ESS help buffer).

Many thanks in advance,
Tobias

-- 

Tobias Verbeke - Consultant
Business & Decision Benelux
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+32 499 36 33 15
tobias.verbeke at businessdecision.com