Subject: Re: a DSSSL typesetter From: Brandon Ibach <bibach@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 21:28:08 -0500 (CDT) |
Sebastian Rahtz said: > > 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'm not really saying that TeX is overkill for DSSSL typesetting. In fact, from what I've seen in a few recent messages, anything less than TeX would be lack the sophistication needed for a full DSSSL implementation. My "move here, draw this" remark was in reference to the type of PostScript code which is produced by the TeX processing, which largely consists of simple drawing primitives. My thought is that PostScript is capable of much more than such simple usage, and could well be capable of supporting an implementation of similar functionality to TeX's. > 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. > Well, no plans to try this just yet... just an idea. :) -Brandon :) DSSSList info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/dsssl/dssslist
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