Article View: comp.lang.postscript
Article #4061Re: text formatters written in PostScript?
From: Nilo STOLTE
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 01:46
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 01:46
31 lines
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2416 bytes
**>rcd@raven.eklektix.com (Dick Dunn) writes: **:> connolly@convex.com (Dan Connolly) writes: **: >I am interested in a text formatting system written in PostScript. **: >would read data from the input stream (similar to the way **: >the image operator, or any number of image decompression operators **: >read data from the input stream). Then it would arrange the text **: >on successive pages and render the text. **: **: This falls into the category people like to call "Theoretically Possible, **: but..." It is possible to format text in PostScript, but it's really not **: very well suited to the task. **Nevertheless, I have written one! My original reason for doing so was ... I've done it also!! I thought I was the only crazy enough person able to do such a thing. In reallity it was written JUST IN POSTSCRIPT. I agree with Dick that it is not very well suited to the task, but I will explain exactly why. The reason is just the only disadvantage of using it. You've got to have as many %%Page: comments as you "suppose" your text will definivivelly occupy. As I remarked there is a bit of transcendental felling to know before formatting how many pages your document will have. Of course you can have an idea that your text would never exceed n pages, so you put n comments. As the text becomes bigger it is more difficult to know it and to put n times the comment %%Page: So it is appropiate only to small texts not to big ones (say: 100 pages is too much for it) My reasons for doing it. Well, in reallity was the portability. You can type the text (with the program together) in ANY machine and transmit it to the printer to execute it. Nowadays, I use Latex, that you can TYPE in any machine but you CANNOT EXECUTE in any machine, because not every machine has Latex, but every machine has a text editor that you can type your text inside a previous file with the PostScript program)... My mail adrress is stolte@irit.fr. I can send a copy of it if asked. Nilo.
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!europa.asd.contel.com!darwin.sura.net!jvnc.net!gmd.de!Germany.EU.net!mcsun!corton!cix!irit!stolte From: stolte@irit.irit.fr (Nilo STOLTE) Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript Subject: Re: text formatters written in PostScript? Message-ID: <2589@irit.irit.fr> Date: 12 Nov 92 01:46:04 GMT Sender: usenet@irit.fr Organization: IRIT-UPS, Toulouse, France Lines: 31