🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov14.222532.8727@cs.brown.edu> jgm@cs.brown.edu (Jonathan Monsarrat) writes:
>Why do text formatters/converters like dvips (for TeX) and grops (for Troff)
>define everything upside down in PostScript?

Upside down? In relation to what?

I suspect you're thinking of the different coordinate origins used:

* DVI files have a origin in the upper left corner of the page, Y
  coordinates going down the page.

* PS has a default origin in the lower left corner, Y coordinates going
  up the page.

>Just to be mean?

To be mean to what - a PostScript interpreter?

To keep things simple.  DVI coordinate origin cannot be changed, but
the PS origin and direction of coordinate axes can. So it's simpler to
remap the PS coordinate system - no need to perform all that tedious
coordinate conversion if PS can do it 'automatically'.

-- 
Anders Thulin       ath@linkoping.trab.se 	013-23 55 32
Telia Research AB, Teknikringen 2B, S-583 30 Linkoping, Sweden