By using this patch I still get
"contain %d .  %d is replaced by the page number."

With one extra space after the first %d and the . is also "bold"

Do you know how to remove that extra space and unbold the '.'?

I get the behavior you describe if I apply the patch incorrectly so that it results in this:

    .B %d .
    %d is replaced by the page number.

...instead of the correct one in the patch, ie. this:

    .BR %d .
    %d is replaced by the page number.

With the latter, it works as it should for me; the first %d is bold, no space after it, the dot is not "bold", etc.  This is on Fedora 17, man from man-db 2.6.0.2, groff 1.21.

man-db 2.6.1 and groff 1.21 in ubuntu here. I'm attaching the screenshot to make sure you understand what i mean, i don't see any difference between your two texts.

Created attachment 61926 [details]
said image

(In reply to comment #3)
> i don't see any difference between your two texts.

The first one had .B, the second one .BR.

And now I'm confused, earlier you said there's an extra space after the first %d, but there's no space after it in your screenshot - the period comes immediately after it.

FWIW, I think your screenshot shows the desired outcome.  I don't care about the two spaces between the period and the 2nd %d - to me that's a feature, not a bug (Google for "two spaces after period" for more info).

Doh :D I can't read :D

Well, two spaces after a dot is just crazy, noone does that when writing nor on books, but seems to be man style... can't fight that :D

Pushed