Re: [Groff] Possible Difference Between Bell Labs and GNU?

[Werner LEMBERG]

> I noticed that my GNU groff-built version of Bentley's packet
> diagram looks different from his.
> 
> Attached are two PDF files.  belllabspic.pdf is page nine from
> Bentley's CSTR 142 with the text cut away.  gnupic.pdf is the same
> dformat source run through GNU groff.

I've never used dformat, so I can't comment on all issues.

>     Bentley has more space between eqn's sub text than I do, e.g.
>     `Chunk m', and around the - in `Data sub {n-1}'.

groff's eqn is heavily based on TeX, using many features of it to
improve formula handling.  So it is probably a feature to have such
small differences.

>     He has more dashes vertically in the top right box yet the same
>     number and spacing horizontally.
> 
>     The dots used to draw the diagonal lines are bigger in Bentley's.
>     In mine they look a bit washed out.

dformat is a preprocessor which produces pic code, right?  Without
closer examination of this intermediate output I can't tell anything.

> Are we trying to match exactly?

With eqn stuff, no.  With pic stuff, maybe.  This really depends on
the input data -- maybe there is a bug lurking around in GNU pic.

> I'd have thought so, otherwise carefully tailored drawings worsen
> under GNU.

Hmm, the features you mention shouldn't really affect the global
appearance IMHO.


    Werner