Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!hercules!fernwood!oracle!news From: pnakada@oracle.com (Paul Nakada) Newsgroups: comp.windows.x Subject: Re: what's most important to you for R5? Message-ID: Date: 29 Jun 90 04:25:18 GMT References: <9006222202.AA17654@expire.lcs.mit.edu> <1990Jun28.081549.22442@Neon.Stanford.EDU> Sender: news@oracle.com Organization: Oracle Corporation, Belmont, CA Lines: 43 In article <1990Jun28.081549.22442@Neon.Stanford.EDU> ramani@charity.Stanford.EDU (Ramani Pichumani) writes: > > I'd love to see somebody contribute a Display PostScript extension > (perhaps DEC or Adobe would be so kind). > ... > > George D. Drapeau > Academic Information Resources > Stanford University The usefulness of a real PostScript Interpreter cannot be overstated. I would rank this as one of the most important possible features for X11R5. Needless to say, PostScript is not a trivial language to implement properly. Because PostScript is more than just a language (it is also a rich set of fonts and font technologies), it is perhaps the most underestimated language to implement. Anyone who has used NeWS, GhostScript, xps, etc, would attest to this fact. I would be ecstatic if X could incorporate Display PostScript into it's server but I also realize that Adode is earning its income for good reason. Great suggestion nonetheless George! The reason for incorporating something like Display PostScript into X is to remove any dependence on the display resolution. X tries to allow for device independence by providng the display resolution to the client, letting the client render device independently. This approach works well, except for rendered text, which is not easily scaled. I see Adobe Type Manager as a good compromise. This would eliminate a huge portion of a Full PostScript interpreter, while still giving device independence. Adobe may even consider donating ATM, giving them a huge new market for outline font sales. -Paul Nakada -- Paul Nakada | Oracle Corporation | pnakada@oracle.com