VMS Help DSR, DSR Commands, .PARAGRAPH  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    The .PARAGRAPH command controls spacing and page placement
    associated with the creation of paragraphs. The .PARAGRAPH
    command executes .TEST PAGE, followed by .SKIP and .INDENT. (See
    also .SET PARAGRAPH.)

    Format

      .PARAGRAPH  [[-]n1 [,[-]n2 [,n3]]]

    Abreviated format

      .P  [[-]n1 [,[-]n2 [,n3]]]

    The parameters n1, n2, and n3 are identical to the values of the
    .SET PARAGRAPH command. If you choose not to use one of these
    optional parameters, you must use a comma as a placeholder for
    the missing parameter in the parameter list.

1 - Parameters

 n1 = spaces indented (The default is 5.)

    Specifies (like .INDENT) how many character positions to the
    right of the left margin setting the first line of text will
    begin.

 -n1

    Specifies how many character positions to the left of the left
    margin setting the first line of text will begin; -n1 cannot,
    however, cause the text to begin to the left of character
    position 0.

 n2 = vertical spacing (The default is 1.)

    Specifies (like .SKIP) the number of blank lines you want
    inserted before the paragraph. You get additional blank lines
    if the .SPACING value is greater than 1 (see .SKIP, .SPACING).

 -n2

    Specifies that the next line of text be pushed to within n2
    lines of the bottom of the current page by the insertion of
    blank lines. Every line but the last one retains the line spacing
    (.SPACING value) that follows it.

 n3 = test page lines (The default is 2.)

    Specifies (like .TEST PAGE) the number of lines of text required
    to be on one page. This parameter, unlike the .TEST PAGE command,
    takes into account any blank lines that the .SPACING command
    is routinely inserting after each line of text. If there is not
    enough room on the current page to accommodate that many lines,
    DSR puts the text on the next page. You can cancel this function
    by specifying 0 for n3.

2 - Defaults

    o  .PARAGRAPH 5,1,2

    o  If you enter .PARAGRAPH without one or more of the n values,
       you get the corresponding setting from the previous .PARAGRAPH
       or .SET PARAGRAPH that you entered.

    o  If you enter .PARAGRAPH without one or more of the n values
       and if you have not set values in any previous .PARAGRAPH or
       .SET PARAGRAPH that you might have entered, you get one or
       more of the following:

          n1=5
          n2=1
          n3=2

    The following table shows how to change the default values from 5
    for spaces indented, 1 for vertical spaces, and 2 for test page
    lines:

    Format           Actual Arguments

    .PARAGRAPH       5,1,2
    .PARAGRAPH ,,4   5,1,4
    .PARAGRAPH 3     3,1,2
    .PARAGRAPH ,2    5,2,2