Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!caen!uflorida!gatech!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!falcon!tfabian From: tfabian@falcon.lerc.nasa.gov (Teddy Fabian) Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript Subject: Re: How can I tell if a file is "postscript" Message-ID: <1991Mar13.051714.1461@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov> Date: 13 Mar 91 05:17:14 GMT References: <7647@uceng.UC.EDU> <1991Mar4.075212.12828@lth.se> <1448@vidiot.UUCP> <487@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM> Sender: news@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov Reply-To: tfabian@falcon.lerc.nasa.gov (Teddy Fabian) Organization: NASA/Lewis Research Center, Cleveland Lines: 70 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. > based on what was taught at the Intro and Advanced Postscript classes last week in Burlington Mass. at the Adobe office there, I agree with you.. the %! is ignored by the interpreter.. it's a simple comment.. > * It is NOT part of the definition for EPSF or 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 this was confirmed in the class as well... these statements define the page area to other application packages that may want to "grab" the EPS file for use as an insert... or more directly, they define the boundries on the page that'll be used by the EPS file if it's included... > > * 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. no idea about this since we don't have LaserWriters... however, I tend to think that the printer would not be intellegent enough to determine what format the file is in... >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. no comment. > > ........ Henry ---------------------------------------------------- Thanks, Ted Fabian NASA Lewis Research Center tfabian@falcon.lerc.nasa.gov *my opinions tfabian@mars.lerc.nasa.gov *are my own.. -- ---------------------------------------------------- Thanks, Ted Fabian NASA Lewis Research Center tfabian@falcon.lerc.nasa.gov *my opinions tfabian@mars.lerc.nasa.gov *are my own..