.CHAPTER INTRODUCTION
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RUNOFF is a text formatting program that facilitates the 
design and production of printed documents such as memos, letters,
manuals, etc.  Input to RUNOFF is a file containing the text of
the document, case and formatting information, and other pertinent
information such as how lines should be justified, how pages
should be numbered and titled, and so forth.
The output from RUNOFF is a
ready-to-print document.  After a input file has been processed,
it remains available for further editing.
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The formatting information consists of commands and flags.  Command
lines are signalled by a period in the first position and may contain
one or more commands and text.  Within the text are special
characters, called flags, that specify character modifications such
as underlining or bolding.
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RUNOFF reduces the amount of interaction needed for preparation of a
document by allowing both textual correction and formatting changes
to be executed in one pass through the source file.  And since text
changes do not effect the basic design, documents can be updated
without extensive retyping.