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Postscript conversions, print symbiont abilities?

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The Question is:

 
        In our OpenVMS systems, we need to convert text files to PostScript
format.  We do this by using the print symbiont "MSAP$SYMBIONT" from
PathWorks for Mac.  However, PathWorks for Mac. is no longer supported and
it is not guranteed to be Y2K compliant.  Therefore, we port the Unix public
domain software "Enscript 1.6.1" to OpenVMS to do the text to PostScript
convertion recently.
 
        We notice that "MSAP$SYMBIONT" and "Enscript" handle the formfeed
character <FF> differently:
 
   When <FF> appears at the beginning of the first line of a page, no
   formfeed will be sent out by "MSAP$SYMBIONT" (i.e. a blank page won't
   be ejected).  However, "Enscript" still generates a formfeed and thus
   a blank page is ejected.
 
        Is this a special feature of "MSAP$SYMBIONT" which ignores the <FF>
characters intelligently?  Do other print symbionts have the same behaviour?

The Answer is :

 
  Also consider the Ghostscript and DCPS packages.
 
  The print symbiont has full control over all printing operations.
 

  
     
     answer written or last revised on ( 21-MAY-1999 )
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