Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!execu!sequoia!rpp386!woody
From: woody@rpp386.cactus.org (Woodrow Baker)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: ruler.ps - an inch/point ruler of your very own
Summary: addendum
Message-ID: <17663@rpp386.cactus.org>
Date: 15 Jan 90 13:35:17 GMT
References: <21772@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> <1990Jan14.180821.18711@trigraph.uucp>
Organization: River Parishes Programming, Plano, TX
Lines: 15


in reference to my prior posting on this topic, it should be remembered
that a multiply by 72 is a cheap operation  ((n<<3)+(n<<6)) which is likely
the reason that 72 was picked for points.  Since the language gives you a
way around this, (simply change the scaling matrix), it is not one of my
sore points with Adobe.  They picked a reasonable approximation, and then
gave you the ability to override it.  Unfortunaly developers of applications
were not familiar with 72.3 in general, and so did not bother to change the
scaling matrix in thier software like they should.  For most cases it really
does not matter, but in the case where you are working with printers (people)
and other typesetters it is important.

Cheers
Woody