Re: a DSSSL typesetter

[s.rahtz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Sebastian Rahtz)]

Brandon Ibach writes:
 > has anyone ever thought of implementing TeX's functionality in
 > PostScript? 
yes, I have seen simple PS-based text formatters in the
past. perfectly plausible for simple documents.

 > In other words, you could setup a simple Jade backend
 > which would write the stream of flow objects to a PostScript file, and
 > a standard set of PostScript routines would typeset those objects
 > directly, rather than having TeX output (via DVI->ps) a stream of
 > "stupid" PostScript code which just says "move here, draw this".

on the one hand you are right to say that TeX is
overkill for typesetting DSSSL flow objects; but on the other, I see
the requirements for a DSSSL flow object typesetter as more complex
than you suggest. It *is* more than "move here, draw this", its "set
this paragraph with a width of 5 in in this typeface and that
leading". So that means the formatter handles paragraph makeup,
justification, hyphenation, all that. and page breaking. And don't
forget little details like inclusion of graphics files. and math.

i think the implication is that the backend would have to do a lot
more work than just shovel out flobs as PS routines. not impossible,
but you have to write a new paragraph formatter. One route would be to
take James' groff code, and try to extract the guts of that.

Sebastian


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