Re: [Groff] Eric Raymond on groff and TeX

[James K. Lowden]

On Tue, 8 May 2012 00:06:07 -0400
Steve Izma <address@hidden> wrote:

> By the way, using groff as part of a pipeline that includes a
> python script for XML parsing is blindingly fast. On my three- or
> four-year-old computers I can process a 200 page book in a few
> seconds. This means, using vi, for example, that you can make a
> correction in a file, hit a memory key that runs the groff
> pipeline, and have a postscript viewer (I use okular these days)
> watch the file for almost instantaneous updates.

My friend, an electrical engineer, says "what used to be noise is now
signal", meaning that changes that used to be just interference are
now, with increased processing speed, useful.  

In the same way, what used to be batch is online, and what used to be
online is now mobile.  

I idly ponder what it would take to embed troff in, say, Firebird.  At
today's speeds, there's really no reason a .pic file couldn't be
rendered directly in the browser.  Or, at tomorrow's, in the phone.  

--jkl