Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site umcp-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!umcp-cs!chris From: chris@umcp-cs.UUCP (Chris Torek) Newsgroups: net.text Subject: Re: DVI question Message-ID: <1671@umcp-cs.UUCP> Date: Thu, 6-Dec-84 21:32:21 EST Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.1671 Posted: Thu Dec 6 21:32:21 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 8-Dec-84 07:05:01 EST References: <256@zinfandel.UUCP> Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD Lines: 22 > Can someone tell me if the .DVI files produced by DiTroff and > the .DVI files produced by TeX are the same or different formats?? They are most emphatically *not* the same. DiTroff's ``device independent'' output is different for each device; I think it's misnamed; it should be called ``device specific'' output. (Don't get me wrong: I think ditroff is quite an improvement over troff.) TeX's output is precisely the same for every device; in fact, TeX itself doesn't care *what* device will eventually be used. The basic approach to device independence is different. Instead of using the ultimate output resolution as internal units, TeX uses ``scaled points'' (sp), where 2**16 sp == 1 point == 1/72.27 in. This comes out to 4,765,777.92 points per inch, which is enough resolution that roundoff errors disappear. (In fact, you'd have to use a powerful microscope to detect a difference of a few sp.) -- (This line accidently left nonblank.) In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (301) 454-7690 UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!chris CSNet: chris@umcp-cs ARPA: chris@maryland