HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rthomson@mesa.dsd.es.com (Rich Thomson)
Subject: Re: Is there interest in comp.sources.postscript?
Reply-To: rthomson@dsd.es.com (Rich Thomson)
Organization: Design Systems Division, Evans & Sutherland, SLC, UT
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 00:27:08 GMT

In article <1992Nov10.231730.8716@cs.brown.edu>
	jgm@cs.brown.edu (Jonathan Monsarrat) writes:
>Yes, it would be nice to have a new newsgroup, which would include
>source postings.

Yes that would be nice.  A moderated posting of PS source would
prevent it from becoming yet another binaries/pictures group.

>Could this new newsgroup also be for more general discussion
>of programming PostScript? Our beloved comp.lang.postscript seems
>to be more than half devoted to asking and answering questions about
>using PostScript. I think that this is a fine, fine service that 
>PostScript-ers provide to each other and to newcomers.

If you want to talk about PS programming, just use
comp.lang.postscript -- nobody is stopping you!!  The fact that people
are often asking questions about how to use PS shouldn't prevent you
from posting programming questions here.

>Still, it would be nice to concentrate directly on programming aspects.

The group is what you make of it.  If you start posting more
programming aspects here, then they will be discussed here.  No need
to create yet another group, when the existing group is just fine.

>comp.graphics.postscript

Again, there is no need to create another group when
comp.lang.postscript serves the purpose just fine.

						-- Rich
-- 
		      Don't blame me; I voted Libertarian
Disclaimer: I speak for myself, except as noted; Copyright 1992 Rich Thomson
UUCP: ...!uunet!dsd.es.com!rthomson			Rich Thomson
Internet: rthomson@dsd.es.com	IRC: _Rich_		PEXt Programmer
From: e-sink@uiuc.edu (Eric W. Sink)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Newbie PS questions
Date: 13 Nov 92 18:56:30 GMT
Reply-To: e-sink@uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Originator: sink@ux2.cso.uiuc.edu

I'm just getting into PostScript (and enjoying it BTW).  I'm just
starting to think I understand BoundingBoxes, translate and scale,
and coordinate systems.  Here are a few questions and comments.
Please let me know if I'm way off base.

1.  Suppose my app reads in an EPS object, with the intent of
	integrating that object into a document.  On faith, I
	believe that I can place that EPS object anywhere in
	my user coordinate space, at any size.
	My best guess for how to do this:

	gsave
	TX TY translate
	SX SY scale
	% insert actual EPS code here
	grestore

	In other words, by tacking a few lines just before and after
	the EPS code which I imported, I can size and place the graphic
	by just sticking it somewhere in the rest of the PS generated
	for my document.

	Is this right ?  If so, how would I calculate TX and TY, SZ and SY ?
	I assume TX and TY are the location in coordinate space of
	the corner of the rectangle where I want to place the object.
	SX should be the width of the destination rectangle divided
	by the width of the bounding box as it appears in the EPS
	comment.  SY is similar.  Is this right ?

2.  To better understand the translate and scale operators, I ask:
	Suppose you were writing a tiny subset PostScript interpreter,
	which supported only moveto, lineto, stroke, translate, and
	scale.  How would you implement translate and scale?

	Each invocation of lineto and moveto adds to the current path.
	The coordinates which are added to that path are first modified
	by the CTM (HOW?).  So, all I need to do in response to the
	translate and scale operators is to modify the CTM.  Then,
	as moveto and lineto are used, they will modified through
	the CTM appropriately.

3.  Is the following statement correct ?
	The %%BoundingBox comment in an EPS object has nothing to
	do with defining a coordinate system.  It merely states the
	ranges of coordinates which will be used in the path construction
	operators within that object.  The intent is that *applications*
	can read that comment and use it for its own calculations.  The
	PS interpreter itself treats it like the comment it really is,
	and ignores it.

Thanks in advance,

-- 
Eric W. Sink, Spyglass        | "You are the Pan."
1800 Woodfield Drive          |     - Rufio
Savoy, IL  61826              |
---- e-sink@uiuc.edu ---------|---------- 217-355-6000 -----------------------
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript,comp.periphs.printers
From: lishka@dxcern.cern.ch (Christopher Lishka)
Subject: Status of lj2ps
Keywords: lj2ps
Organization: CERN European Lab for Particle Physics
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 10:45:25 GMT

I am the author of the program "lj2ps", a program which translates a
subset of LaserJet PCL4 escape sequences into PostScript.  This
message is intended to clarify the status of lj2ps.

Since the time I originally wrote lj2ps I have switched jobs.
Unfortunately, due to a snafu, my email forwarding was accidentally
turned off for much of 1992.  This situation is being corrected and I
am currently trying to reply to the mail backlog that I recently
received.  I *will* reply to everyone, but forgive me if it takes
time.

At my new job we do not have *any* Hewlett Packard LaserJets; rather,
we only use PostScript printers.  Furthermore, there is no HP LaserJet
documentation to look at.  This means that I am not able to support
lj2ps, as I have no way of comparing the output from the two types of
printers.  Furthermore, I don't have the time these days to fix up
lj2ps.  If anybody out there wants to volunteer to work on lj2ps, I
(and many other people who actually use it!) would be very glad.  I am
more that willing to act as a "consultant" on how I wrote lj2ps.

So, unless somebody else picks up where I left off, lj2ps will remain
at version 1.2.  To my knowledge v1.2 is still being used daily by the
Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (where I used to work), and
seems to be used by many others around the world.  I am glad the
program has had such a long lifetime.

As an alternative to lj2ps, there is a program available called hp2pbm
which converts HP PCL4 into a Portable BitMap, PostScript, and
human-readable text (for debugging).  It was posted to
comp.sources.misc and appears in archie listings in volumes 26, 27,
28, and 29.  It should be easily available through FTP.  The authors
are Chris Lewis and Klaus Schallhorn.

I have checked the archie listings for lj2ps (v1.2) and it is also
available at many sites in volume 13 of the comp.sources.misc
archives.

Finally, please note that my email address has changed.  The new
address is:
			lishka@dxcern.cern.ch

Please direct all correspondences to this address, and not my old one
(lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu).

Thanks to all who have sent me messages regarding lj2ps.  It is nice
to see it in use by so many people.  I wish that I could still support
it, but my current situation does not allow for it.

							.oO Chris Oo.


-- 
                                                           Christopher Lishka
 Never drive a car when you're dead...			   PPE Division, CERN
				-- Tom Waits		  lishka@dxcern.cern.ch
							     vxaluw::lishka
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: miorelli@pwa-b.uucp (BoB Miorelli)
Subject: help with a def including an image
Keywords: def image
Organization: Pratt & Whitney Aircraft
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 02:32:30 GMT

Help, please.  I would like to define a command that includes an image
operator, but keep getting a stackoverflow.  The image data is approx 50k
and my printer has 2 meg in it (HP Lasterjet II with the Adobe PostScript
cartridge). This is what I would like to do:

/mypic {
	/dopic {
	gsave width height 1
	[width 0 0 height neg 0 height]
	{currentfile picstr readhexstring pop}
	image grestore } def
	0 0 translate pixwidth pixheight scale
	dopic
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

...... picture data deleted

} def

then in several places in he document do a 

x y moveto mypic


Any hints/help/``this is impossible'' would be appreciated.

Thanks.

-- 

-->BoB Miorelli, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft
                 also, H & R Block Tax preparer and Instructor
pwa-b!miorelli or miorelli@mstr.hgc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: mon001@cdc835.cdc.polimi.it (Carlo Savi)
Subject: Postscript -> CCRF (Calcomp Raster Format) ???
Organization: C.d.C-Politecnico di Milano
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 12:09:03 GMT


I want to know if anyone get a converter Postscript --> CCRF (Calcomp Raster
Format) or if exist a similar converter...

PS: I have a Calcomp Electrostatic Plotter model 68436 and i should plot
    a bitmapped image....

Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: stucki@math.fu-berlin.de (Christoph von Stuckrad)
Subject: Paper Size/Position Problem using ptroff on SUN to QMS&HP-PS-Printers
Keywords: troff, pscat, ptroff, papersize
Organization: Free University of Berlin, Germany
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 15:18:07 GMT

Hi!


We are successfully using PS-Printers by sending Jobs from SUNs vi
HELIOS-Printer-Software (AppleTalk)  to HP LJ III / QMS-Turbo
and TEK-Phaser(Color) Printers. Nearly all Programs work too...
BUT:
  SUNs own transcript Software contains 'pscat' which does PS-Output
  for troff. And this ALWAYS PRINTS about 1cm TO LOW ON THE PAGE !!!
I've seen the same Problem if someone uses 'AppleWriter' on a MAC
and prints on the QMS here !

The Problem does NOT depend of the pagesize in pscat and i fear it is
in the pscat-prologue-file (which I cannot read by not understanding
PS enough)

SO does somebody know how to adapt SUN's 'pscat' to A4 format Paper
(so that it prints 'manuals' especially 'ptroff -man .../man/man?/...')

Thanks for Replies by e-mail, yours <stucki>
-- 
 Christoph von Stuckrad      *  *   !  talk to   ! <stucki@math.fu-berlin.de>  
 Freie Universitaet Berlin   |/__*  !  nickname  ! ...!unido!fub!leibniz!stucki
 Fachbereich Mathematik, EDV |\  *  !  'stucki'  ! Tel.: 49 30 838-5916
 Arnimallee 2-6              * *    !   on IRC   ! Fax:  49 30 838-5913
Xref: sparky comp.lang.postscript:5387 comp.periphs.printers:3211 comp.unix.questions:12975 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware:29019
From: alawa@gna.axis-design.fr (Allaoua Bouabdallah)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript,comp.periphs.printers,gnu.ghostscript.bugs,comp.unix.questions,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: PostScript -> Cannon lbp4 ???
Date: 5 Nov 92 16:22:21 GMT
Organization: GNA c/o Axis Design 119 rue de Flandre, 75019 Paris, France


	In my previous message i complain about the slowness of my printer.
	I am stupid.
	If you use the parrall device, the "golfer.ps" is printed in 2.30mns
	instead of 20mns.

-Alawa
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: nar@usha.cs.wayne.edu (Nagarajan Ramesh)
Subject: How to print a large ps file?.
Keywords:  postscript large
Organization: Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 22:33:22 GMT


Hi,

I have a large ps file that is too large for my Apple
laser writer.  Even a symbollic link does not work.
Can anybody tell me how I can print this file?.

Thanks very much, in advance,
-Nagraj


-- 
Nagarajan Ramesh                !   internet- nar@cs.wayne.edu
Dept. of Computer Science	!   uucp    - ..!umich!wsu-cs!nar
Wayne State University, 	!   Phone: (313)-577-2477 
Detroit  MI 48202 		!   Fax  : (313)-577-6868
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: rhcohen@netcom.com (Robert Cohen)
Subject: Re: SendPS and LaserTalk on Mac System 7
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 09:06:33 GMT

An easier solution is to just use the LaserWriter Utility 7.1 available
from ftp.apple.com and on the developer cd-rom.

Robert Cohen
 

Stephen Zisk (zisk@adobe.com) wrote:
: Recently, David Richardson wrote:
: 
: > What is the current best/prefered method to print a color
: > postscript file from a Mac with system 7?  I still have an
: > old "SendPS" (1986!) but that doesn't seem to do the job.
: > I'm printing to a Tectronix printer with it's own driver, if
: > that matters.
: 
: This is not really a PostScript, Level 2, Tektronix, or Tek driver
: problem. It is a problem with SendPS and Mac System 7, but is
: relevant to this group, so I am replying. These comments also
: apply to LaserTalk.
: 
: SendPS exepcts to get access to the current Chooser-level driver
: in the System Folder in order to discover if the device is a
: PostScript device, get its name, and so on. SendPS knows nothing
: of System 7 mods, including the Extensions folder and aliases.
: This also applies to a number of other programs, including LaserTalk.
: Since the LaserWriter (or other) driver is now in the extensions
: folder, SendPS cannot find it.
: 
: The solution is to move LaserWriter (or the Tek driver you select
: with the Chooser) into the System Folder itself. You should also
: make an alias of the driver and put it into the extensions folder,
: so Chooser (and any other program looking in Extensions) will be
: happy. Do not use copies (separate documents would not be updated
: together by Chooser), and do not put the alias in the System Folder
: and the original in the Extensions folder (SendPS would not see
: the alias). You can do this with all Chooser-level PostScript drivers.
: 
: For SendPS, you could also stop using it and use Downloader 5.0.4,
: which knows about System 7, but this will not help for Lasertalk and
: other programs.
: 
: Enjoy!
: Steve Zisk
-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Robert Cohen         rhcohen@netcom.com  <- preferred
                     rhcohen@PacBell.COM
                     tel.415.553.4033
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: eric@helix.nih.gov (Eric Henry)
Subject: Algorithm for approximating curveto by line segments
Organization: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 20:57:48 GMT

The subject header pretty much says it.  Can anybody describe the algorithm
by which, for a given currentflat, a curveto is approximated by a set of
connected line segments?  E-mail or post would be fine.  Thank you...
Eric Henry
eric@helix.nih.gov

Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: tnguyen@saturn.sdsu.edu (Tuan J. Nguyen)
Subject: [LaserWrite II]
Organization: San Diego State University, College of Sciences
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 18:27:30 GMT


Hello netters,
     I just bought a LaserWrite II postscript printer.  How do can I print
a postscripted file generated by MS-Window3.1 Write ?  Do I need a 
postscript interpreter for my LaserWrite II ?  if so where can i get it?

Thank You

--
       _/_/_/_/_/_/  _/_/_/_/_/_/  _/_/    _/_/  _/_/    _/_/  _/_/    _/_/
          _/_/          _/_/      _/_/_/_/_/_/  _/_/_/_/_/_/   _/_/   _/_/
         _/_/          _/_/      _/_/ _/ _/_/  _/_/ _/ _/_/      _/_/
    _/  _/_/          _/_/      _/_/    _/_/  _/_/    _/_/      _/_/ 
     _/_/_/      _/_/_/_/_/_/  _/_/    _/_/  _/_/    _/_/      _/_/
            		         -----0<>0-----    
		              [ Jimmy Tuan Nguyen ]
       { Email: tnguyen@saturn.sdsu.edu  |  jnguyen@eis.calstate.edu }
Xref: sparky comp.lang.postscript:5488 comp.periphs.printers:3292
From: exudnw@exu.ericsson.se (Dave Williams)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript,comp.periphs.printers
Subject: Postscript torture and speed tests?
Date: 12 Nov 92 16:40:11 GMT
Reply-To: exudnw@exu.ericsson.se
Organization: Ericsson Network Systems
X-Disclaimer: This article was posted by a user at Ericsson.
              Any opinions expressed are strictly those of the
              user and not necessarily those of Ericsson.

Anyone know of a good Postscript "torture test" - one that excercises 
PS level 2 functions?

How about a good PS timing benchmark?

Thanks - email me and I'll summarize.

---
= exudnw@exu.ericsson.se                                                =
= David Williams              "You can't win, you can't break even,     =
= Ericsson Network Systems     and you can't quit"                      =
= Richardson, TX 75081                                  my opinions...  =
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: wrp@pslsrv1.gvl.unisys.com (Bill Pringle)
Subject: Re: How to print a large ps file?.
Keywords: postscript large
Organization: Paramax Systems, Ivyland, PA
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 03:47:15 GMT

In article <1992Nov9.223322.27775@cs.wayne.edu> nar@usha.cs.wayne.edu (Nagarajan Ramesh) writes:
>
>Hi,
>
>I have a large ps file that is too large for my Apple
>laser writer.  Even a symbollic link does not work.
>Can anybody tell me how I can print this file?.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Assuming that your document is DSC compliant, you can use pspages to
extract a subset of the pages (e.g. 1-5000).  You can anonymous ftp
pspages from gvl.unisys.com.  Look in directory ~/pub/albums.
============================================================================
Bill Pringle                      Software Tools
Paramax Corporation               Voice: (215)443-7500 X4023
Internet: wrp@ivy.unisys.com      UUCP: ...!uunet!mimsy!widener!gvls1!wrp%ivy
From: rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu (Robert Wier)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Anyone have working DistillPS?
Date: 10 Nov 92 05:48:58 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ


 Does anyone have a *working* version of distillps for the mac?
 Every version I've been able to find has a problem with the
 file dialog - it can find itself just fine, but can't find
 any other file --- at least that what it seems like it's doing.

 Sorry if this is a faq...

 Incidentally, I'm talking from a MacIIci to a LW NT...

 Please drop me a note or post here.

 THANKS!

 -- Bob Wier   rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu
From: zeno@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Sean Lamont)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: Multiple copies within PS file
Keywords: Copies
Date: 10 Nov 92 00:23:04 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Nov10.002304.23079
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <1992Nov9.155057.5403@inel.gov> haw@inel.gov (Grant Hawkes) writes:
>
>     I am wondering if there is a way to give a ps command to print
>multiple copies of the ps file.  I have a two page color postscript
>file that I want to send to the color ps printer.  I need several
>copies.  I know that I can keep sending the file multiple times, but
>I want to know if there is a command to issue to do it.  I looked
>at a ps book and couldn't find anything on copies in the index.
>Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.


edit the ps file, replace instances of "showpage" with
copypage
copypage
[... however many you want, n-1 times where n = number of copies]
showpage   


this will give n copies of the first page, n copies of the second page,
without re-imaging the page.


-- 
Sean T. Lamont                           |   "Don't oppress me, It's
zeno@genetics.washington.edu             |    'computer of color!' "
lamont@abstractsoft.com                  |_______________________________
Abstract Software                                                         
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: rcd@raven.eklektix.com (Dick Dunn)
Subject: Re: How do I recognize postscript from a file
Summary: applications should *NEVER* generate end-of-job ^D
Organization: eklektix - Boulder, Colorado
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 06:55:04 GMT

av@uta.fi (Arto V. Viitanen) writes, in answer to suggestion to check for "%!":

>When printing from MS Windows to Postscript file, the file (if you don't
>make it not to) starts with characters ^D%! (i.e. control-D, %, !)...

Yes.  This is a bug.
A program looking for the beginning of a PostScript file should look for
^D%! - but NOT because it is right; rather, because good program design
says "be generous in what you accept, conservative in what you generate".

>...In a way,
>this is right way, since ^D means end-of-job to a Postscript printer, so
>previous job is stopped...

No, it is wrong.  An application generating PostScript has no business with
a "previous job".  Job boundaries are simply not the province of applica-
tions.

It is easy to understand why an application writer might think "well, just
to be safe, I'll generate an end-of-job marker at the beginning of the
job."  But it's not safe; more to the point it's not innocuous.  An empty
job may not be a "no-op".  Adobe has taken some pains to discourage tossing
in gratuitous ^D for some time now.

In summary: If you're trying to recognize a file containing PostScript,
look for %! or ^D%! - but you might want to complain to whoever generates
files with end-of-job at beginning-of-file that they are doing you a dis-
service and helping almost nobody.
-- 
Dick Dunn    rcd@raven.eklektix.com   -or-   raven!rcd    Boulder, Colorado
	...Simpler is better.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: rcd@raven.eklektix.com (Dick Dunn)
Subject: Re: PostScript disassembler?
Organization: eklektix - Boulder, Colorado
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 08:57:05 GMT

rothman@tegra.com (Steve Rothman) writes:
>carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick) writes:
[example stuff]
>>	/BIG
>>	{ /POINTSIZE 18 def
>>	} def
>>	/SMALL
>>	{ /POINTSIZE 9 def
>>	} def
...[mixed uses of BIG and SMALL]...
>>Now, how would your "disassembler" expand POINTSIZE?

>Well, I guess I would want it to replace POINTSIZE with 18 in the first
>instance and 9 in the second. Somehow, a PostScript interpreter can deal with
>this...

Yes, a PostScript interpreter can deal with this...but the output isn't
something you're going to like!  If you expand down to this level--which is
really a peephole into the execution loop--you get far too much detail.
Even very simple (seeming) sequences turn into thousands of operations...
"trust me" (sic), I've been there.  The level of detail it gives you is
useful for debugging an interpreter--*IF* the bug is a tough one and you're
persistent--but for general work it's just too much.  You get a beetle's-eye
view of part of one tree; the forest is but a curious rumor.

>By the way, maybe a better analogy to what I want (rather than "dissasembler")
>is a C preprocessor that can take a C program, with all kinds of #defines,
>#includes, and various conditionals, and turn in into straight C code. This
>kind of utility I think is always included with C compilers, probably because
>it's a step that is done automatically during normal compilation anyway.

Yes, but in the case of substantial #defines that, too, is more than you
want to cope with.  Sometime, try the expansion of something as simple as:
	while ((c=getchar())!=EOF)
		putchar(c);
Even stdio is horrendous on a lot of implementations...and the expansions
don't tell you nearly as much about "what's going on" as you'd like; it's
more "how it's done".  moreover...

>Perhaps "preprocessing" is also a step that PS interpreters also have to do
>anyway. In that case, might not a PS interpreter allow this as an option? 

No, there's no preprocessing to be done, unless you think of the effect of
"bind".

(I don't really want to sound as discouraging as I am; I'm just trying to
point out some avenues of inquiry that don't seem likely to pan out.)
-- 
Dick Dunn    rcd@raven.eklektix.com   -or-   raven!rcd    Boulder, Colorado
	...Simpler is better.
From: dok_mki@sovb23pki-nbg.philips.de (Manfred Kipp)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: how to convert Sun/Mac-FrameMaker-Postscript-Code into Illustrator 88-PS-Code
Keywords: Illustrator, FM, Mac, PostScript
Date: 6 Nov 92 15:15:48 GMT
Reply-To: dok_mki@pki-nbg.philips.de
Organization: Philips Communication Systems, Nuremberg, Germany



Hi out there,

we're working on Sun's and Mac's with FrameMaker 3.0.
All works well. The only problem is how to export FrameMakers-Postscript-Code
(including Preview-Image) into Illustrator-88 Postscript-Code (or Illustrator 1.1).

Is there anyone, who could solve the problem and explain how to do this (or how
to get some app's or binaries doin' this) ?

Ideas and suggestions are welcome.

thanks, manfred kipp

Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript