Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!ucla-cs!zen!hoser.berkeley.edu!bryce
From: bryce@hoser.berkeley.edu (Bryce Nesbitt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: looking for Amiga fonts
Message-ID: <3706@zen.berkeley.edu>
Date: Sat, 12-Sep-87 10:21:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: zen.3706
Posted: Sat Sep 12 10:21:38 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 13-Sep-87 09:41:24 EDT
References: <1106@vu-vlsi.UUCP> <633@sugar.UUCP> <1448@gryphon.CTS.COM> <852@cadnetix.UUCP>
Sender: news@zen.berkeley.edu
Reply-To: bryce@hoser.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Bryce Nesbitt)
Organization: Tubular Transport Devices, Ltd.
Lines: 57
Keywords: point, pica, font, 68000, assembly, AmigaWorld
Summary: Definition of a point.  Amiga assembly

In article <852@cadnetix.UUCP> childs@cadnetix.UUCP (David Childs) writes:
>
> A 'Point' is an inch....
> A one 'point' font fits one character per inch.
> An 8 point font fits 8 characters per inch.

Lets get some definitions straight.  Your statements are not correct.
A "point" is a unit of measurment used by printers.  It has no real
relation to either the English or Metric systems.

There are 12 points is every pica.  There are almost exactly 6 picas in
a non-standard US. inch (the world is metric folks... the inch is non-
standard :-).

6 * 12 = 72 points per inch.  A 8 point font is smaller than a nine
point font.  Point sizes meausure the height of a character, the
width may change from character to character.  (For proportional fonts)

Often an extra point or two of lead is added to a font.  The font I use
on my Amiga is about 8 point, with 9 points of lead.   This means that
the "active" area of the font is 8 ponts tall (1/9 inch) and the space
it takes up is 9 points tall.  (an extra line between rows).


>On an unrelated topic.  Bryce Nesbitt writes "...either the Commodore-Amiga/
>Metacomco assembler or the new Metacomco Macro Assembler is a prerequisite
>for any Amiga assembly work."  (Amiga World - Sept/Oct 1987)

Don't assume just becuase my name is on the article that I had much to say
as to what the editors changed it into.  I mean, really.  1/2 :-)


>Is this true?
>Bryce?  Do these assemblers come with something that the other assemblers
>don't have?  I need to know soon, so I can buy one right away if necessary.

Any assembler should be just fine.
The Commodore version of the Metacomco Assember is older than what
Metacomco sells now.  I've heard good things about the new Metacomco.
(Though I still hate their DOS :-)
You can use the Assembler from the Aztec C disk stand alone... but
last time I looked into that it was painful and increased your file size
by $38? bytes.
Lattice now makes an Assembler.  I know nothing about it.
There are some PD/Shareware assemblers.  Depending on your situation, the
cost of free software may prove to be too high.

Personally, I'd like to upgrade my assembler.  It's the old Metacomco
and is kinda slow.  (Except for ~2 bugs and the speed it's quite solid.)
You do need to set your stack larger to prevent it from tossing its
cookies with too many nested includes.


|\ /|  . Ack! (NAK, EOT, SOH)
{O o} . 
 (")	bryce@hoser.berkeley.EDU -or- ucbvax!hoser!bryce
  U