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From: gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>)
Newsgroups: net.unix
Subject: Re: Full text of YASC (n/troff stuff)
Message-ID: <7573@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 20-Jan-85 07:57:51 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.7573
Posted: Sun Jan 20 07:57:51 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 23-Jan-85 05:39:55 EST
References: <214@usl.UUCP>
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab
Lines: 13

> I think the real mistake lies in the attempt to specify line length
> in INCHES (You ethnocentrist Americans :-)), rather than, the most 
> reasonable CHARACTERS. I have been using Honeywell's "runoff" text   
> processing system on a 68/80 Multics for a long time and all arguments
> are in number of characters or line. Same thing on the WORDIX word processing
> system on the IBM PC/XT. The documentation IS cryptic, and 
> No one says that you have to use the little "i". I got it all OK 
> now, but I guess I'm going to implement macros for Multics runoff.
> It's a pity, n/troff has such a potential but screwy docs....

Uh-huh.  How big IS a "character", anyway?  My printer and typesetters
have several character widths, even at the same point size.  I bet those
Brand-X word processors you like so much would have fun with these devices.