Re: Free PageMaker-style program?

[Ben Pfaff <pfaffben@pilot.msu.edu>]

Jason Gunthorpe <jgg@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca> writes:
> On 20 Nov 1997, Ben Pfaff wrote:
> > That's an idea.  I'm planning to write it this way:
> > 
> >     1. Design a script-like language that can be used to fully specify how
> >     an output page should look.  This will be the equivalent of TeX for
> >     desktop publishing.  This step I am partway through with--but I'm
> >     still seeking ideas.
> 
> Hm, something like that is already done. Look at the DSSSL spec, it can
> completely specifiy the formatting of SGML documents
> (http://www.sil.org/sgml)

I looked at this and I don't think DSSSL is what I want.  Sure, it
describes the contents of a page quite nicely--but it's Turing
complete; it's not suitable for a interactive editing tool.

> >     2. Write a program that translates this output language into
> >     PostScript.  This will be, I think, the easiest part of the whole
> >     project--PostScript is well designed for DTP.
> 
> This isn't done, if you could write a DSSSL engine for postscript you
> would be worshiped as a god :>

I think I will leave the god business to someone with a bigger ego :-)

> Unfortunately the above may not be well suited to an interactive
> formatting system like pagemaker. But if you could design an interactive
> DSSSL generator.. Well, lets just say -very cool- :>

I'll keep the idea in mind but it's not what I was thinking about
originally.  Still, it's intriguing...
-- 
Ben Pfaff <pfaffben@pilot.msu.edu> <blp@gnu.org> <pfaffben@debian.org>


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