troff & nroff

[Rick Richardson]

In article <11381 at bsu-cs.bsu.edu> jbwaters at bsu-cs.bsu.edu (J. Brian Waters) writes:

>would be the best source to get these?  I would want troff to be able to print
>to a HP LaserJet III.  Since I have SCO Unix I looked at a price list I had
>and could only find these programs for Xenix... I assume these would work?

Since nobody else responded, here are some options.  On SVR3.2, you
can mix and match your vendors:

	- Get INTERACTIVE Text Processing Workbench (stock AT&T DWB 2.x)
	  and add our own JetRoff LJ Postprocessor.  Last I checked, ISC
	  was selling DWB for $195 (1-2 user), and we sell JetRoff for
	  $69 or $119, depending on whether you are a commercial user.
	  The latest release of JetRoff has a previewer for EGA/VGA
	  displays that can preview any LJ PCL Level 4, not just troff.
	  I expect an X-windows version will be available in the future.
	  (213) 453-8649 for ISC, (201) 389-8963 for PC Research.

	- Get Urban Applied Science Leverage, which includes stock AT&T
	  Documenter's Workbench (DWB) 2.x and a slightly older JetRoff
	  Postprocessor for $175.  (201) 242-7230.

	- Get SCO Eroff for $895. (408) 425-7222.
	  I've heard that Eroff's support for LJ's isn't great, and you
	  might want to add JetRoff.  On the plus side, Eroff does
	  play with 3rd party device postprocessors.  I've heard mixed
	  reviews of their X windows previewer.  Seems to be a love/hate
	  thing, no in between.  They say that Eroff has many of the
	  stock AT&T DWB bugs fixed.  In practice, you are unlikely
	  to find them unless you are exploring the limits of troff.

	- Get Textware's system.  Sorry, I can't find any advertising
	  for them anymore.  I think they are in Cambridge, MA.

	- Get Image Network's xroff.  Sorry, I don't have a price.
	  (415) 967-0542.  I have reports that it may be difficult
	  or impossible to use alternate device postprocessors with
	  xroff.  They have an X-windows previewer.

	- Get SoftQuad's sqtroff system.  Sorry, I can't find any
	  advertising for them.  I think they are in Toronto, Canada.
	  They have extended the troff input language considerably
	  (which is welcome).  However, they have changed the
	  postprocessor intermediate language (which is not welcome).
	  They claim that they have a filter which will allow use with
	  postprocessors expecting the classic input.  I can't be sure.

If someone can fill me in on the details I'm missing, I'd appreciate it.

There's no way to tell you which is best without knowing what
the criteria are.  I'd say UAS has got everybody beat if price
is the most important consideration.  Eroff seems to be a good
choice for bug fixes and compatibility, and the security of a
name brand behind it (whatever that's good for).

-Rick

-- 
Rick Richardson | Looking for FAX software for UNIX/386 ??? Ask About: |Mention
PC Research,Inc.| FaxiX - UNIX Facsimile System (tm)                   |FAX# for
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(201) 389-8963  | JetRoff - troff postprocessor for HP LaserJet and FAX|Output