Re: [Groff] Werner's Margin Notes

[Jorgen Grahn]

On Fri Jan 21 18:56:24 2005, address@hidden wrote:
,,,
> > I rather suspect that my even seeing the possible need for
> > such a thing comes from the fact that it existed in all the
> > old-style dedicated phototypesetting systems (CompuGraphic,
> > Quadritek, Linotronic, AM, etc) on which I learned and
> > practised my trade.  My thinking has been conditioned by that,
> > I suspect.
> 
> Now I'm intrigued.  I would have supposed "old-style" typesetters
> to be based on ideas borrowed from traditional metal type, and I
> can't see how the idea of a carriage return would be applicable
> there.  (I thought only typewriters had carriages.)  So exactly
> how did these dedicated phototypesetting systems treat the
> aforementioned issues of extra line space, and did these systems
> perhaps employ other concepts which might be useful for groff?
> (After all, most of us usually don't generate new ideas, but only
> apply those to which we have been previously exposed.)

Never heard of them before, but wouldn't they be likely to be based on
runoff or troff, and thus siblings of groff? The Quadritek (see e.g.
http://macpro.freeshell.org/quadritek/q1.html, but look out for the Mac
advocacy) is from 1977.

I would love to hear more about the ancient phototypesetters and how they
related to the world of troff.

/Jörgen

-- 
  // Jörgen Grahn       "Koka lopplummer, bada Ross, loppor borta."
\X/ <address@hidden>                                   -- Jonas