Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!morganucodon.cis.ohio-state.edu!jgreely From: jgreely@morganucodon.cis.ohio-state.edu (J Greely) Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript Subject: Re: How can I tell if a file is "postscript" Summary: not so fast to you too, bub Message-ID: Date: 5 Mar 91 15:06:14 GMT References: <7647@uceng.UC.EDU> <1991Mar4.075212.12828@lth.se> <1894@chinacat.Unicom.COM> Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Reply-To: J Greely Organization: Ohio State University Computer and Information Science Lines: 31 In-reply-to: woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM's message of 5 Mar 91 05:26:26 GMT In article <1894@chinacat.Unicom.COM> woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) writes: >NONE of my files use the %!. It is merely a commenting >structure having to do with EPS. (Encapsulated postscript). You're either oversimplifying for this novice, or you've never learned the difference between the Document Structuring Conventions and the Encapsulated PostScript specifications. "%!" is a magic cookie that identifies any PostScript file, usually for the convenience of a spooler (even if you don't need it, it's nice to put it in if you distribute your PostScript code). The stricter form "%!PS-Adobe-a.b" claims conformance with version a.b of the DSC, and the bondage-and-discipline form "%!PS-Adobe-a.b EPSF-c.d" claims that it conforms to the stricter rules of version c.d of the EPS specifications. All in the name of clarity, of course. Both of them are quite useful to anyone who doesn't live in a single-user world, or makes regular use of good text-processing software. Try making an arbitrary PS file print out two-up, double-sided, in signature order. >EPS has been defined by Adobe, but it has wound up being a real rats nest >of complexity. Nope. The specifications (both DSC and EPS) are pretty clear. Each revision is better than the previous one, and usually special-cases common mistakes that have found their way into the marketplace. The problem is usually programs that generate bad code and refuse to accept anything that isn't broken the same way. -- J Greely (jgreely@cis.ohio-state.edu; osu-cis!jgreely)