Re: [bug-enscript] Question on "-2" column fill behaviour..

[uhmgawa]

On 09/18/2012 06:57 PM, Karl Berry wrote:
>     The syntax highlighting however
>     I believe is more accurate and versatile under enscript.
> 
> Do you have a particular test case?

Nothing specific -- it was just a subjective observation.  However
enscript does appear to have considerably better (documented) highlight
coverage and accommodation of various input file formats.

> Anyway, enscript and a2ps (and the lesser-known trueprint) all do
> basically the same job: convert text to PostScript.  It would be ideal
> if there ware one program with the best parts from each.

My thoughts exactly.  But regrettably I wouldn't expect them to become
reconciled anytime soon, if ever.

> Not a simple
> job, I know, but usually GNU has only one package for a given job, so
> effort is not fragmented.  As it has been here, for all the historical
> reasons ...

I hadn't poked at trueprint.  But I see it has a specific option to
generate the output I was after from enscript:

    --two-tall-up     print 2-on-1 at 4-on-1 pointsize

Although it appears to have the same align-next-file-on-next-physical-page
hard wired behavior as does enscript with the "-2" column option.
So a2ps is the only utility which supports this as-is.  However
a2ps seems to overkill the amount of decoration shrouding a page
to my taste.  Perhaps there is some way to tone this down.

> Tim graciously volunteered to keep enscript going, and that is certainly
> much better than staleness, but a different project to combine the
> programs would be very welcome.

Agreed.  Is there a feature list which captures whatever significant,
unique features from a2ps, etc.. exist?  I can't say I've exactly
evaluated the internal structure of enscript vs. a2ps but baring some
internal fiasco it would be most advantageous to pool effort within
a single codebase.