RE: [Groff] PostScript question

[Ted Harding]

On 29-Oct-04 Peter Schaffter wrote:
> Hi.
> 
> I had someone write me saying that when they processed a mom
> file with groff 1.18.1 for PostScript output, the letters ACEI
> (both upper and lower) were coming out as ] (i.e. as right square
> brackets).
> 
> Here's the sample mom file:
> 
> ====================================================================
> 
> .AUTHOR       James Scott Hunter
> .DOCTYPE      LETTER
> .PRINTSTYLE   TYPEWRITE
> .START
> .DATE 
> Oct. 29, 2004
> .TO   
> Peter Schaffter
> address@hidden
> Internet, Earth
> .FROM 
> Scott Hunter
> 916 North 5th Street
> Tacoma, WA 98403-1911
> .GREETING 
> Hi Peter
> .PP
> Here is an example of a letter using groff and mom. The next sentense
> contains
> the letters of the alphabet in lowercase. abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz. 
> Here they are again in upper case. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. 
> Thank you, and have a nice day.
> .CLOSING
> Sincerely,
> 
> ====================================================================
> 
> He sent me the .ps file as well, which ends this way:
> 
> ====================================================================
> 
> %%BeginPageSetup
> BP
> %%EndPageSetup
> /F0 12/address@hidden SF<4f5d742e2032392c2032303034>437.4 78 Q
> <505d745d7220535d685d6666745d72>81 114.348 Q
> <7074705d40676f6c645d6e2e6e5d74>81 126.464 Q
> <5d6e745d726e5d742c205d5d727468>81 138.58 Q<535d6f74742048756e745d72>81
> 162.812 Q<393136204e6f72746820357468205374725d5d74>81 174.928 Q
> <545d5d6f6d5d2c20575d2039383430332d31393131>81 187.044 Q
> <485d20505d745d72>81 211.276 Q<485d725d205d73205d6e205d785d6d706c5d206f
> 66205d206c5d74745d722075735d6e672067726f6666205d6e64206d6f6d2e2054685d>
> 117 235.508
> Q<6e5d787420735d6e745d6e735d205d6f6e745d5d6e732074685d206c5d
> 74745d7273206f662074685d205d6c70685d625d74205d6e>81 247.624
> Q<6c6f775d72
> 5d5d735d2e205d625d645d6667685d6a6b6c6d6e6f707172737475767778797a2e>81
> 259.74 Q<485d725d2074685d79205d725d205d675d5d6e205d6e>14.4 E<7570705d72
> 205d5d735d2e205d425d445d4647485d4a4b4c4d4e4f505152535455565758595a2e>81
> 271.856 Q<54685d6e6b20796f752c205d6e6420685d765d205d>14.4 E
> <6e5d5d5d20645d792e>81 283.972 Q<535d6e5d5d725d6c792c>306 320.32 Q
> <4a5d6d5d73>531 380.9 Q 0 Cg EP
> %%Trailer
> end
> %%EOF
> 
> ====================================================================
> 
> When I processed his mom file, the corresponding part of the
> resultant .ps file looked like this:
> 
> ====================================================================
> 
> %%BeginPageSetup
> BP
> %%EndPageSetup
> /F0 12/address@hidden SF(Oct. 29, 2004)437.4 90.116 Q(Peter Schaffter)81
> 126.464 Q(address@hidden)81 138.58 Q(Internet, Earth)81 150.696 Q
> (Scott Hunter)81 174.928 Q(916 North 5th Street)81 187.044 Q
> (Tacoma, WA 98403-1911)81 199.16 Q(Hi Peter)81 223.392 Q
> (Here is an example of a letter using groff and mom. The)117 247.624 Q
> (next sentense contains the letters of the alphabet in)81 259.74 Q
> (lowercase. abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.)81 271.856 Q
> (Here they are again in)14.4 E(upper case. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.)
> 81 283.972 Q(Thank you, and have a)14.4 E(nice day.)81 296.088 Q
> (Sincerely,)306 332.436 Q(James)531 393.016 Q 0 Cg EP
> %%Trailer
> end
> %%EOF
> 
> ====================================================================
> 
> Can someone explain why the .ps file sent to me has the text
> in code, while the file I generated shows the text as text?

Some earlier (but relatively recent) versions of grops did
output text strings as hex-encoded (recognisable by being
encapsulated in angle brackets: "<...>"). Nothing wrong with
this, except that's it's not very human-readable, therefore
irritating at times.

> And
> why ACEI are coming out as brackets?  Is it a font problem,
> a gs problem, or a grops problem?

No idea, from the instance quoted. It looks perfectly normal
as received via the list (see your mail above)!

Ted.


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Date: 29-Oct-04                                       Time: 22:00:25
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