Re: ASCII back end

[Patrick Stickler]

 > From address@hidden Fri Nov 12 04:10:43 1993
 > Resent-Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1993 15:01:38 +1300
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 > To: address@hidden (Jeff Kingston)
 > Cc: address@hidden
 > Subject: Re: ASCII back end 
 > Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1993 15:01:38 +1300
 > From: Aaron Roydhouse <address@hidden>
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 > ...  
 > a sensible idea would to produce text based on SGML.  
 > ...  
 > Aaron.

Using SGML is certainly a sensible idea, but you've got it backwards.
The *original* documents should be in SGML with a filter for
typesetting in lout (or ascii, or TeX, or troff, or FrameMaker, ...)
in one of many different styles, depending on the need.

I'm currently using an SGML/[nt]roff scheme, but plan to try lout as it
seems to be far more "programmer friendly".

Nevertheless, an nroff-like mode for lout would be very welcome, as
many people (including myself) need to generated formatted text-only
documents for on line viewing or printing to traditional line-printers
(and not just raw text-content for proof reading). Being able to use
the same macros/formatting commands for both PostScript and
formatted-text (e.g. as with MM and [nt]roff) is *very* convenient. A
person needing both would then not have to use two entirely different
typesetters (e.g. lout and nroff).

Just my 2 cent's worth...


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  Patrick M. Stickler OH2LUV, KC4YYY      The comments contained herein
  WSOY, Information Systems Division      do not necessarily reflect the
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