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To: "Rodney W. Grimes" <rgrimes@gndrsh.aac.dev.com>
cc: nate@trout.sri.mt.net (Nate Williams), jkh@freefall.cdrom.com,
        current@freefall.cdrom.com
Subject: Re: TeX support in bsd.doc.mk? 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Tue, 25 Apr 95 10:19:57 PDT."
             <199504251719.KAA10286@gndrsh.aac.dev.com> 
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 95 12:01:26 -0700
From: Bakul Shah <bakul@netcom.com>
Sender: current-owner@FreeBSD.org
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> > Ahh, gotcha.  Do you want to go all the way to PS files, or just to .dvi
> > files?  Generally xdvi is installed, and there are lots of dvi->misc
> > converters which do a better job than the dvi->PS->misc conversion.
>
> The resulting file type should depend on what ${PRINTER} is set to,
> see 4.4 Lite bsd.doc.mk.

IMHO .dvi being printer and resolution independent makes a
better target because

- if you have more than one printer or a PS/PCL printer or a
  printer and a fax modem, you can setup your print filters
  appropriately to translate dvi to the correct PDL (page
  descr. language), resolution, and any other printer
  peculiarities.

- typically .dvi files are about 60% of the eventual .ps
  files.

- if you are using metafont based fonts, xdvi output is far
  superior to what you can get with ghostscript/ghostview.
  This is partly because xdvi uses antialiased fonts. xdvi
  is also much faster and less of a resource hog compared to
  gs/ghostview.  And BTW, it can deal with .eps just fine.

Since xdvi output is so superior (and so much easier on
eyes) and since .dvi files are only about 10% bigger on
average than nroffed output, I use xdvi as my man page
reader!

Then there is hyperTeX and xhdvi.  With suitable macros you
can convert an ordinary latex file into a .dvi file with
hyperlinks.  With xhdvi you can follow any cross-references
in an .dvi file by click of a button.  Though, support for
external URLs is not so well integrated.  If groff tools (&
man macros) are similarly enhanced, one can follow x-refs of
``see fcntl(2)'' style far more easily. xhdvi with such man
macros would make a far better help tool than xman.  Since
it can also deal with .dvi from texinfo files, it has the
potential of being one unified help tool.  If interested,
follow the links from http://xxx.lanl.gov/hypertex/

--bakul