* [COFF] Troff usage
@ 2020-01-17 22:09 cym224
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From: cym224 @ 2020-01-17 22:09 UTC (permalink / raw)
Originally, I meant to reply to the Linux-origins thread by pointing to
AST's take on the matter but I failed to find it. So, instead, here is
something to warm the cockles of troff users:
From https://www.cs.vu.nl/~ast/home/faq.html
Q: What typesetting system do you use?
A: All my typesetting is done using troff. I don't have any need to see
what the output will look like. I am quite convinced that troff will
follow my instructions dutifully. If I give it the macro to insert a
second-level heading, it will do that in the correct font and size, with
the correct spacing, adding extra space to align facing pages down to
the pixel if need be. Why should I worry about that? WYSIWYG is a step
backwards. Human labor is used to do that which the computer can do
better. Also, using troff means that the text is in ASCII, and I have a
bunch of shell scripts that operate on files (whole chapters) to do
things like produce a histogram by year of all the references. That
would be much harder and slower if the text were kept in some
manufacturer's proprietary format.
Q: What's wrong with LaTeX?
A: Nothing, but real authors use troff.
N.
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