rr2g@composite.ce.Virginia.EDU (Rhonda R. Gaines) (02/28/91)
What are the major differences between troff and eroff? -- Rhonda Gaines | University of Virginia phone: 804-924-6265 | Thornton Hall bitnet: gaines@virginia.bitnet | Applied Mechanics Program internet: gaines@virginia.edu | Charlottesville, VA 22903-2442
ralph@svnet.UUCP (Ralph Barker) (03/03/91)
In article <1991Feb27.161635.26756@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, rr2g@composite.ce.Virginia.EDU (Rhonda R. Gaines) writes: > > Rhonda Gaines | University of Virginia writes: > What are the major differences between troff and eroff? > Depending on your point of view, either none, or A LOT. Eroff (tm) is a commercial product of Elan Computer Group which INCLUDES all of AT&T's Documenter's Workbench (DWB) (tm), which might be viewed as simply "troff". Thus, you might say that there is NO difference. Included with the Eroff product, however, are "extras" including a front-end, additional macros for graphics images, etc. and postprocessors for laser printers (both PostScript and HP). DWB, as distributed by AT&T does not include (or at least didn't) any postprocessors required to actually print on other than the designated phototypesetter. Thus, you might say that there is A LOT of difference between "troff" and Eroff. Elan also indicates that they have fixed a variety of bugs in the AT&T sources. Never having tried to use the original AT&T code, I can't personally testify to what they have done, other than making a (IMHO) solid, reliable product with vastly improved documentation and other highly useful add-ons (e.g. X Windows screen previewers, etc). I have been using Eroff for a number of years (my first copy was distributed from the living room of one of the principals), and have been highly satisfied. There are, of course, other "commercial incantations" of troff available, some of which diverge significantly from the underlying "troff philosophy", along with at least one shareware package. Eroff is not cheap, but (IMHO) it is good. -- Ralph Barker: SVNet, 640 So Winchester Blvd, San Jose,CA 95128 uucp: ...{pyramid, sun, uunet}!amdahl!aleph!svnet!ralph uunet!usrgrp!svnet!ralph or, attmail!ralmar!ralph Voice: (408) 248-8649