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Re: [Groff] Sun's troff now available


From: Ted Harding
Subject: Re: [Groff] Sun's troff now available
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:46:25 +0100 (BST)

On 27-Jun-06 Peter Schaffter wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 26, 2006, Ted Harding wrote:
>> > FWIW, back in the Museum, even though galleys were set from
>> > what amounted to "source files", the workstations had a
>> > continuously updating "status line"
> <snip>
>> > I'm wondering if this is the kind of "pre-output access" you're
>> > envisaging.
> <snip>
>> Sort of, I think -- though it looks as thought you're seeing the
>> status line prior to, or while, the output is still being formatted.
>> The sort of thing I have in mind is targeted right at the line which
>> is about to be output, as follows lines. Suppose you have formatted
>> output lines (say, as you mentioned, in a narrow-column context)
>> like:
>> 
>>    This   formatted   line   needs
>>    smaller spaces.  So track kern-
>>    ing can be used to reduce them.
>> 
>> If you had a "pre-output" macro (just as you can have macros which
>> are sprung by bottom-of-page, so you could have macros sprung by
>> "about to output line")...
> 
> But this is brilliant!  At least, if I understand you.  It sounds
> as if you're talking about an end-of-line trap--something sprung
> at the end of every line rather than having to be set.  If such a
> "trap" existed, macro writers could attack the problem of letter-and
> word-spacing themselves.  This has many advantages over trying to
> implement code in groff to do the same thing, methinks.

That's *exactly* what I mean, Peter!

> Wonder if it's doable?

So do I! I've had a look at the code, but didn't see a hook for it.
(Which doesn't mean it isn't there -- perhaps I'll have another
look).

Best wishes,
Ted.

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Date: 27-Jun-06                                       Time: 09:46:18
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