From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v753) In-Reply-To: <78917c48cf5f83c2288c0a1745c38339@quanstro.net> References: <78917c48cf5f83c2288c0a1745c38339@quanstro.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Message-Id: Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Pietro Gagliardi Subject: Re: [9fans] Re: Building GCC Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:09:02 -0500 To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@cse.psu.edu> Topicbox-Message-UUID: 370bb0ae-ead3-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 I wish page(1) would do the same. However, I think page operates via libdraw, and either: - they need to modify libdraw to allow text selection, or - they need to use libcontrol instead and write a rich text system for libcontrol Both of them are as difficult as each other. I've seen code for word processors (tried to contribute to AbiWord, autotools slowed me down) and it's quite big. On Jan 24, 2008, at 1:52 PM, erik quanstrom wrote: >> Unfortunately, we're about 20 years too late. People have Microsoft >> Word and they don't need an operating system with useful features, >> automated backup at no additional cost, and a wealth of >> documentation. I doubt I'll purchase Office:mac 2008 for my iMac, as >> I use troff now. If you disagree, raise your virtual hands. > > it's quite a stretch to go from acme being able to handle layouts > to microsoft word. the oberon system had something like layouts, > but layouts were part of the text module. thus there was no such > thing as plain text. the next station had display postscript. but > that's a quite complicated model. i think text should be text and > images should be images. > > but you just can't do graphics or html layout with just text. > you need something to glue (sorry) things together. it's > fairly annoying that proof text is not selectable and doesn't > work inside acme. > > i realize there are holes around the edges. i don't see how to > edit or select a layout, just the text within layouts. maybe > select skips non-text bits. > > what's so wrong about this idea? > > - erik