Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!AECLCR.BITNET!01659
From: 01659@AECLCR.BITNET (Greg Csullog)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: More on WP dislike
Message-ID: <8904091847.AA08589@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 9 Apr 89 18:36:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 17

WordPerfect (WP) users who use dot matrix printers usually experience few
problems with printing - try using a nonPostScript laser printer and watch the
nightmares begin.

Example, if you have an HP LaserJet you can load soft fonts or plug in ROMs.
Each font has an ASCII and extended ASCII mapping (e.g. for English A=65,
a=97, etc.). For anyone doing straight forward alpha/numeric outputs life is
simple. Watch out when you want math symbols or other nonstandard characters.

Suppose you want an alpha character in your doc. You not only have to find out
its numeric code in the font table in the laser but you also have to map it out
in WP in its ALT character set mapper. Suppose the laser font says alpha is
character 200, you have to chose character 200 for alpha in the WP table. Now,
you have to do this for EACH font in the laser. When you switch fonts remapping
has to be done.

Compared to the Mac or GDOS, which output graphics not alpha, WP is archaic.