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From: bill@carpet.WLK.COM (Bill Kennedy)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport
Subject: Laser Jet-II DWB 1.0
Keywords: HP laser printer troff
Message-ID: <75@carpet.WLK.COM>
Date: 30 May 88 20:23:19 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: W.L. Kennedy Jr. & Associates, Pipe Creek, TX
Lines: 32

I have the Microport Text Preparation System for V/AT.  I understand
that it is DWB 1.0.  The DWB 2.0 is supposed to have HP Laser Jet
printer support in it but it is for V/386 only.  The V/AT version will
not run under V/386, Microport confirmed that.

I have written an lp interface script that allows me to select fonts,
point sizes, etc. from the command line and that works OK (I'll post
it if anyone is interested).  I am modifying my printer filter to
correctly handle bold face and italics sent out by nroff (overstrike
and underscore), it works OK for a dot matrix printer now.  Some time
ago a kind soul posted come code on how to enable the HP math
cartridge for n/troff but I didn't know enough about math or the
cartridge to make heads or tails of it.

Has anyone tried to put LJ-II support into the V/AT stuff?  I would
not really object to the 386 package but I am weary of spending more
and more time and money to learn that the first 92% of the job got
done.  The one from Elan appears to be complete but at $900 for the
286 version and $1200 for the 386 version it's clear that they aren't
targeting individuals in my income bracket.

In particular, I'd like to be able to select a symbol set, font, and
point size from within the n/troff source and have it come out as
something the LJ-II can react to (or my filter can catch and tailor).
I'm not sure how to do proportional spaced formatting with nroff
although my lp script will bring up the proportional spaced fonts.
From what little I know and what I hear of Alan Holub's "nr" it's
nroff only and it is so intimately woven into Microsoft C and DOS,
it's not worth the effort to port.  Any suggestions, observations,
or info is appreciated.
-- 
Bill Kennedy  Internet:  bill@ssbn.WLK.COM
                Usenet:  { killer | att-cb | ihnp4!tness7 }!ssbn!bill