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From: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: How can I tell if a file is "postscript"
Message-ID: <1461@vidiot.UUCP>
Date: 7 Mar 91 18:12:19 GMT
References: <7647@uceng.UC.EDU> <1991Mar4.075212.12828@lth.se> <1448@vidiot.UUCP> <487@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM>
Reply-To: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Organization: Vidiot's Hangout
Lines: 47

In article <487@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM> henry@angel.Eng.Sun.COM (Henry McGilton) writes:
<In article <1448@vidiot.UUCP>, brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes:
<
<    *  %! on the first line is required by LaserWriter printers and compatibles.
<In my opinion, this statement is false.  The  %!  serves to identify
<a file as PostScript to utilities such as the UNIX  file  command,
<and for utility packages such as TranScript to do the Correct Thing
<with the file.  To the very best of my knowledge,  %!  is a
<PostScript comment that is ignored by the printer's PostScript
<interpreter.  I am willing to admit I am wrong if somebody out there
<can come up with a definitive test case to prove otherwise.

See previous posting.

<    *  It is NOT part of the definition for EPSF or EPSI.

Sorry, I should have added more to that statement.  The %! by itself is not
part of EPSF ot EPSI.

<From Encapsulated PostScript File Format--Version 3.0, section 2.1:
<
<	    The two required DSC Header comments are:
<		    %!PS-Adobe-3.0 EPSF-3.0
<		    %%BoundingBox: llx lly urx ury

But, as you point out here, the %! with the rest of the line is.  I should
have said that it takes more than just %! for these formats.  I knew that,
but I just didn't say that.

<    *  If that special comment line is missing, the LaserWriter series
<    *  printers will change to Diablo emulation mode and the PostScript
<    *  program will print out as a source listing, i.e., the PostScript
<    *  code will print as normal text and the program will not run.
<TranScript software makes the decision to print a PostScript lacking
<%!  as simple text via a program called pstext which sends the
<contents of the text file to the printer in 11-point Courier.
<TranScript DOES NOT switch the printer to Diablo emulation mode.

I don't have the source on this system, the other person has TranScript
source.  So, he missed how it worked and I was miss-informed.  I guess that
I should have read the TranScript(8) man page, as it does tell all.

I should have known better :-(
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