X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] ["1510" "Tue" "15" "June" "93" "09:42:40" "+0200" "Rainer Schoepf" "schoepf@SC" nil "34" "Re: questions on CD task" "^Date:" nil nil "6"]) Return-Path: Received: from sc.ZIB-Berlin.DE (mailserv) by dagobert.ZIB-Berlin.DE (4.1/SMI-4.0/1.9.92 ) id AA06011; Tue, 15 Jun 93 09:44:04 +0200 Received: from vm.urz.Uni-Heidelberg.de (vm.hd-net.uni-heidelberg.de) by sc.ZIB-Berlin.DE (4.1/SMI-4.0-sc/03.06.93) id AA26069; Tue, 15 Jun 93 09:44:02 +0200 Message-Id: <9306150744.AA26069@sc.zib-berlin.dbp.de> Received: from DHDURZ1 by vm.urz.Uni-Heidelberg.de (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 6501; Tue, 15 Jun 93 09:42:33 CET Received: from DHDURZ1 by DHDURZ1 (Mailer R2.08 R208004) with BSMTP id 8143; Tue, 15 Jun 93 09:42:24 CET Received: from DHDURZ1 by DHDURZ1 (Mailer R2.08 R208004) with BSMTP id 8141; Tue, 15 Jun 93 09:42:22 CET Reply-To: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project In-Reply-To: <9306142235.AA25494@sc.zib-berlin.dbp.de> Date: Tue, 15 Jun 93 09:42:40 +0200 From: Rainer Schoepf Sender: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project To: Multiple Recipients of Subject: Re: questions on CD task Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 1049 H Sami Sozuer writes: > Regarding the picture environment planned for LaTeX3, I would > like to point out that an excellent language already exists, > namely PostScript. Therefore I think it may be very wise > to adopt the PostScript language within this picture > environment. I realize this is a huge task, but there is > already a public domain PostScript interpreter, GhostScript, > which is highly compatible with PostScript. Whereas I sympathise with this approach, I don't think it feasible; for the very simple reason that PostScript is only available to a very small fraction of the (La)TeX community, even if we take GhostScript into account. Let's not forget that the most common setup is a low cost printer attached to a DOS machine, most commonly a HP Laserjet or even a matrix dot printer. Apart from these practical considerations I'd like to point out that there are other graphic languages around, e.g. HPGL. Therefore we need to implement something that is highly independent of the underlying printing model. This may, of course, be implemented in terms of PostScript specific driver \special's, and the PostScript module may even implement additional features that others lack. Apart from that I find PostScript much too low-level to be of use to as a markup. Rainer Schoepf Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum fuer Informationstechnik Berlin Heilbronner Strasse 10 W-1000 Berlin 31 Federal Republic of Germany or