jep@tlxprs.UUCP (Jo Poplawski) (02/26/88)
Hello. I am wondering if there are any Public Domain (preferably) or commercial software packages that will allow us to use an Apple Laser Writer Plus with TROFF/NROFF. I have heard of DITROFF but do not really know what it is. Any help that could be given would be greatly appreciated. Please respond via mail unless you deem it of general interest to the net. Thanks in advance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jo Poplawski UUCP: jep@tlxprs.UUCP | Disclaimer: If no one | Systems Support | around here takes me | Telexpress Inc. | seriously, should you? | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) (02/28/88)
In article <293@tlxprs.UUCP> jep@tlxprs.UUCP (Jo Poplawski) writes: >Hello. I am wondering if there are any Public Domain (preferably) or >commercial software packages that will allow us to use an Apple Laser >Writer Plus with TROFF/NROFF. I have heard of DITROFF but do not really >know what it is. "ditroff" is one name for the version of "troff" than Brian Kernighan rewrote to remove the GSI/Wang C/A/T typesetter dependency. "di" stands for "device independent", because new "troff" obtains its idea about a typesetter's characteristics by reading a data file, based on what the invoker tells it the device type is (via its "-T" option). I think there are several companies that offer ditroff post-processors for the LaserWriter (or, more generally, for PostScript-based printers). Adobe Systems (creators of PostScript) is one I'm familiar with. You should be able to find ads in back issues of UNIX Review or UNIX/World.
kg@elan.UUCP (Ken Greer) (02/29/88)
From article <293@tlxprs.UUCP>, by jep@tlxprs.UUCP (Jo Poplawski): > ...software packages that will allow us to use an Apple Laser > Writer Plus with TROFF/NROFF. I have heard of DITROFF but do not really > know what it is. diTroff replaced plain Troff circa 5 or so years ago. It's from AT&T too. Basically, Troff was redesigned to allow it to work with any output device. The old one was hard wired for the C/A/T typesetter. The result was named Device-Independent-Troff. There are a number of vendors supporting Laser Printers with diTroff. There are a few who also offer an enhanced diTroff, with the ability for example, to include bitmap graphics images into your document, or preview your document on your hi-res display, to name a few. I work for one such vendor: Elan Computer Group, Inc. 410 Cambridge Avenue, Suite A Palo Alto, CA 94306 415-322-2450 -- Ken Greer Elan Computer Group, Inc. 415-322-2450 {ames,hplabs}!elan!kg
breck@aimt.UUCP (Robert Breckinridge Beatie) (03/04/88)
In article <266@elan.UUCP>, kg@elan.UUCP (Ken Greer) writes: > From article <293@tlxprs.UUCP>, by jep@tlxprs.UUCP (Jo Poplawski): > > ...software packages that will allow us to use an Apple Laser > > Writer Plus with TROFF/NROFF. I have heard of DITROFF but do not really > > know what it is. > > diTroff replaced plain Troff circa 5 or so years ago. It's from > AT&T too. Basically, Troff was redesigned to allow it to > work with any output device. The old one was hard wired for > the C/A/T typesetter. The result was named Device-Independent-Troff. > > There are a number of vendors supporting Laser Printers with diTroff. > There are a few who also offer an enhanced diTroff, with the ability > for example, to include bitmap graphics images into your document, > or preview your document on your hi-res display, to name a few. > I work for one such vendor: > [Blatant product plug deleted] Here's another possibility... Pipeline Associates Inc sells a product they call "devps" that is apparently a ditroff-to-postscript translater. I personally haven't used it, but my boss has and he says he's satisfied with it. According to the addvert I have here, it's capabilities include: 1) Full support of pic, tbl, and eqn 2) Full support of ditroff special character set 3) Support of downloadable PostScript typefaces 4) Automatic merging and scaling of Macintosh graphics 5) Page selection and reversal programs 6) Programs for printing labels envelopes and transparencies 7) troff macros for shading and outlined and rotated text Now, you can go to the vendor mentioned in the referenced article and pay them a couple thousand dollars for a binary only license on a multi-user system (according to the price list I have from a year ago). Or you can go to Pipeline Associates and for $495 you get a single system source code license ($895 for a multi system source code license). If I had an Apple Laserwriter, I know which package I'd buy. Now, I have no connection to Pipeline Associates. Nor is anything I've the opinion or policy of AIM Technology. These random mutterings are mine and mine alone. -- Breck Beatie {uunet,ames!coherent}!aimt!breck "Sloppy as hell Little Father. You've embarassed me no end."