km@mathcs.emory.edu (Ken Mandelberg) (01/02/90)
What is the expectation on how X terminals will fair amoung
vendors that use extensions to the X protocol. For example,
DEC seems to be featuring Display Postscript as an extension.
Will DEC applications that need this require the capability
in the server, or will it fall back to a host based process
to translate the extension for basic X servers (say for an
X terminal).
--
Ken Mandelberg | km@mathcs.emory.edu PREFERRED
Emory University | {decvax,gatech}!emory!km UUCP
Dept of Math and CS | km@emory.bitnet NON-DOMAIN BITNET
Atlanta, GA 30322 | Phone: (404) 727-7963klein@lupine.UUCP (01/03/90)
What is the expectation on how X terminals will fair amoung
vendors that use extensions to the X protocol. For example,
DEC seems to be featuring Display Postscript as an extension.
Will DEC applications that need this require the capability
in the server, or will it fall back to a host based process
to translate the extension for basic X servers (say for an
X terminal).
There is really no reason that this question should be directed at 'X
terminals', since it really applies to anyone's server. What happens
when you sit on your Sun workstation and ask your DEC application (with
Display PostScript expectations) to display? Seems like this is a
relevant topic for all application developers, not just those expecting
to see X terminals in their environment.
Doug
klein@ncd.com
tinkelman@ccavax.camb.com (01/03/90)
In article <4819@emory.mathcs.emory.edu>, km@mathcs.emory.edu (Ken Mandelberg) writes: > DEC seems to be featuring Display Postscript as an extension. > Will DEC applications that need this require the capability > in the server, or will it fall back to a host based process > to translate the extension for basic X servers (say for an > X terminal). First, as I understand it the Display PostScript extension is currently available only on DEC's Ultrix X-Server product. I was told at the Fall '89 (Anaheim) DECUS Symposium that there were business negotiations under way between Digital and Adobe regarding putting Display PostScript on the VMS X-Server. (But ``don't expect anything in less that 6-9 months.) There was no mention of Display PostScript on the other DEC X-Servers products, eg DECwindows/PC or the DECwindows Terminal (the latter to be called a VT1000?). DEC did not seem to be setting any policy on how they thought the extension should be used. They said ``It's up to the application developer.'' The choices seemed to be: (1) Application requires the extension, (2) Application runs with reduced functionality on X-servers without the extension, or (3) Applications run with reduced performance on X-servers without the extension. For example, if your application labels lines running at a arbitrary angles, with Display PostScript you would probably simply rotate the text. Without Display PostScript you could omit the text, output it non-rotated, or convert the text to an X bitmap in your application. DEC seemed very unsure of just how this extension would be used. On the distrbution tape they included four implementations of a ``sample calculator'' program, using various amounts of Display PostScript. It's interesting to picture your application as running on a dual processor configuration -- one of which is running Display PostScript. I doubt very much that DEC will be shipping standard applications that require Display PostScript on the server in order to run at all. A side thought: I wonder what the plans are for the second meg of ROM (socketted but not populated) on the DECwindows Terminal? -- Bob Tinkelman, Cambridge Computer Associates, Inc., 212-425-5830 bob@ccavax.camb.com or ...!uunet!ccavax!bob
doug@herbert.uucp (Doug Phillipson 5-0134) (01/14/90)
In article <4819@emory.mathcs.emory.edu> km@mathcs.emory.edu (Ken Mandelberg) writes: >What is the expectation on how X terminals will fair amoung >vendors that use extensions to the X protocol. For example, >DEC seems to be featuring Display Postscript as an extension. >Will DEC applications that need this require the capability >in the server, or will it fall back to a host based process >to translate the extension for basic X servers (say for an >X terminal). You mean to tell me that after all the wars over X and NeWS DEC will include what should have (and could have if politics were not involved) been included as a standard feature. Looks like SUN really won anyway but all the competing parties are to embarrassed to admit it. Douglas Phillipson (EG&G)
lerici@SUPER.ORG (Peter W. Brewer) (01/14/90)
Display Postscript I believe is a different animal fron NeWS. NeXT took a different to that window manager. Peter