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From: bzs@bu-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.text
Subject: Re: Why troff?
Message-ID: <3867@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: Fri, 30-Jan-87 21:25:42 EST
Article-I.D.: bu-cs.3867
Posted: Fri Jan 30 21:25:42 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Jan-87 08:59:23 EST
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 32


I use troff with the MS macros and, if I can't avoid it, tbl (eqn on
very rare occasion, last time I should have I just typed it all in in
raw troff, a strange form of amusement I don't recommend.)

The documents I am most proud of are those which contain .TL, .AB,
.AE, .AU, .AI, .SH and .PP exclusively, on occasion the mysteries of
.FS/.FE must be invoked and I've had some reasonable results with .IP,
but that's it (tbl means typing .TS and reaching for the manual and
hoping one of the examples will do the trick which almost always works.)

I just wrote a proposal for a heap of $$ without breaking the above
rules, it hadn't really occurred to me whether my ideas may have
been better received in some other WP, I hope I haven't erred. Hmm,
I didn't even use .FS/.FE in that one tho there was one small table
(no rules around the table, that's just asking for trouble.)

I've looked at TeX and even installed it, as a programmer I feel queasy
putting anything through a 10K line monolithic program which considers
Pascal to be its assembler, but you can do what you like, you're adults
I presume.

I do remember an ancient time when typing of papers and memos was
something done by specialized co-workers who mumbled things like
"white-out" and "Courier 12 ball". Back then I usually used a legal
pad and pencil. Can't say my prose has improved much for the change
tho it's nice to discuss serifs and kerning with colleagues, we have
so little else in common.

Cheers.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University