Re: Display PostScript

Thread View: comp.windows.misc

1 messages

[T] Back to Threads [V] Tree View [G] Group Articles

1 total messages Started by Steve Wilhelm Wed, 27 Jan 1988 20:43

#799

Author: Steve Wilhelm
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1988 20:43

52 lines
2802 bytes

From what I understand, based on a brief look at an alpha release 
Adobe Display PostScript technical document, Display Postscript is
supposed to be embedded in a window system for display only (thus
the name).  

      ---------------------------------------
      |              application            |
      |     --------------------------|     |
      |     |       window system     |     |
      |     |      -------------      |     |
      |     |      | DisplayPS |      |     |
      |     |      |           |      |     |
      |     |      |           |      |     |
    ==========================================
		       Kernel

In theory, Adobe knows how to display text and 2D graphics better
(read faster) than anyone writing a window system.  I saw a demonstration
of Display Postscript rendering pages of variable width font text at
"scrolling" speeds.

However, you will still need a window system to handle mouse keyboard
I/O and all the other window system functions.

NeWS could benefit from Display PostScript. I imagine that Sun could
"plug in" Display PostScript easily and receive the performance increase.
But, each NeWS server would require an Adobe PostScript license,
increasing NeWS's price as well.

X could also benefit from Display PostScript.  Without redesigning 
the protocol, there would be quite a bit of overhead converting X protocol
to PostScript, but X desparately needs the performance increase.
Incorporating Display PostScript would have to be done on a vender by
vender basis (venders note: this could be the discriminating
difference between your X and anyone elses X).

If the powers that be could redesign the X protocol to take advantage of
Postscript, the overhead would decrease and venders would be more
inclined to embed Display PostScript in their X server (not to mention
all the benefits of using a device independent rendering paradigm).

Note: This is my opinion, not that of Analog Design Tools, Inc.

------------------------------------------------------------
 Steve Wilhelm,  Software Engineer
 Analog Design Tools	...{ucbvax!sun!sunncal, hplabs}!analog!stevew
 Sunnyvale, California  94088
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------
 Steve Wilhelm,  Software Engineer
 Analog Design Tools	...{ucbvax!sun!sunncal, hplabs}!analog!stevew
 Sunnyvale, California  94088

Thread Navigation

This is a paginated view of messages in the thread with full content displayed inline.

Messages are displayed in chronological order, with the original post highlighted in green.

Use pagination controls to navigate through all messages in large threads.

Back to All Threads