Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!tank!eecae!cps3xx!cpsvax!smithda
From: smithda@cpsvax.cps.msu.edu (J. Daniel Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.text
Subject: Re: DVI files to Postscript (and tools)
Summary: You missed the point
Message-ID: <4793@cps3xx.UUCP>
Date: 29 Sep 89 19:09:00 GMT
References: <860@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu> <4776@cps3xx.UUCP> 
Sender: usenet@cps3xx.UUCP
Reply-To: smithda@cpsvax.UUCP (J. Daniel Smith)
Organization: Michigan State University, Computer Science Department
Lines: 49

In article  spqr@ecs.soton.ac.uk (Sebastian Rahtz) writes:
>the following features were requested in a postscript driver for TeX
>all but 3 and 7 are already in dvitops (not to be confused with
>dvi2ps, dvitps or dvips). Since I started to use it at the start of
>this year, I have seen no reason to return to the mad world of the
>everchanging dvi2ps versions

Since the message about dvi->ps features a few days ago, this is the
third dvi->ps program I've heard about.  The point of my orginal
message was to get rid of all these dvi->ps translators and have just
ONE dvi2ps with all the features that everybody wants.  I listed a few
features that I wanted off the top of my head, but it was not meant to
be an exhaustive list.

I can understand that people have their own favorites of dvi->ps, and
I'm sure I would be very attatched to a particular version if I
developed it.  I think it great that so many people are willing to
work on PS drivers for TeX.  My suggestion is (and I don't think I'm
alone in this---someone else made the orginal posting), is that these
efforts be directed towards ONE SINGLE dvi->ps translator.  The idea
was to stimulate discussion about this---perhaps such a thing can't be
done.  

Thanks for all the info about the various dvi->ps drivers, and I am
still very interested in hearing about the different versions and
their respective features.  But I am more interested in seeing what
can be done about having ONE dvi->ps driver.  (Of course I am talking
about UNIX here, but as I pointed out, I have seen 3 different dvi->ps
converters for UNIX in the past few days.)  I can also state that I am
very thankful to all of those who have the expertise to write such
programs and are willing to share them with all of us.  I just wish a
way could be found to have one dvi->ps programs with all the goodies
that everybody ever wanted in their dvi->ps.

Once again, to all the dvi->ps authors, thanks again for your fine
work.  Please don't take this posting in the wrong way....

A happy and thankful TeX and PS user,
    Dan


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J. Daniel Smith                      Internet: smithda@cpsvax.cps.msu.edu
Michigan State University              BITNET: smithdan@msuegr

People always get what they ask for; the only trouble is that they never
know, until they get it, what they have asked for.
                                    - Aldous Huxley
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