NAME
pscat - convert C/A/T files to POSTSCRIPT format
SYNOPSIS
pscat [ -Ffonttable ] [ -iprologuefile ] [ -lpaperlength ] [ -xxoffset ] [ -yyoffset ] [ file ]
DESCRIPTION
pscat converts C/A/T format file (i.e., as produced by the original [o]troff(1)), to POSTSCRIPT format on the standard output. If no file argument is given, the standard input is used. The average user will probably be happy using ptroff(1), but explicit use of pscat gives more control. Page offset distances and the page length are specified by giving a fixed-point real number optionally followed by a units measure. For example, 1in means one inch, 15mm means fifteen millimeters. If no units are indicated, points (72 to the inch) are used. The options are:
- -F fonttable
- specifies a font correspondence table for use by the converter. (The default is usually Times.ct where the mounted fonts are: R=Times-Roman, I=Times-Italic, B=Times-Bold, and S=Symbol. Note that troff should be invoked with an appropriate -F switch and explicit ``.fp'' commands.)
- -i prologuefile
- specifies a file to be incorporated as the POSTSCRIPT prologue, otherwise the default prologue will be used (see below).
- -l pagelength
- specifies the page length to use when splitting the C/A/T file into POSTSCRIPT pages. The default is 11in.
- -x xoffset
- moves the output xoffset to the right on the paper. The default is 0.
- -y yoffset
- moves the output yoffset downward on the paper. The default is 0. Different versions of troff seem to have different notions of where the top edge of the paper really is, so careful setting of the -y switch may be necessary.
ENVIRONMENT
- PSLIBDIR
- path name of a directory to use instead of /usr/local/lib/ps for pscat prologue and font metric files.
FILES
- /usr/local/lib/ps/troff.font/*.ct
- character correspondence tables (built by pscatmap(8)) mapping C/A/T codes to POSTSCRIPT fonts and characters or other actions.
- /usr/local/lib/ps/pscat.pro
- default POSTSCRIPT prologue.
SEE ALSO
ptroff(1), pscatmap(8).
4.2bsd: troff(1).
System V: otroff(1), Documenter's Workbench.
AUTHOR
Adobe Systems Incorporated
BUGS
Because of the character mapping tables used, arbitrary use of the ``.fp'' troff directive in will usually produce the wrong results. The family.head files which ptroff feeds to troff contain ``.fp'' commands appropriate for a given font family. Users must build and reference correct tables with pscatmap(8) for non-standard ``.fp'' combinations to work.
Distance computations are not checked for overflow.
The mapping from the default troff fonts to Adobe's Times-Roman will not look good. POSTSCRIPT font width tables (and ``.fp'' commands) should be used explicitly in troff.
pscat determines where page breaks occur by assuming that each page is exactly the specified length. There is no indication of page boundaries in the C/A/T file, so improper use of the -l option will lead to undesirable results. Some troff macro packages generate cut-marks at logical edges of the page which may or may not get imaged on a POSTSCRIPT device. Careful use of the -x and -y options may help.
NOTES
POSTSCRIPT is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Times is a registered trademark of Allied Corporation.
Documenter's Workbench is a trademark of AT&T Technologies.