RE: [Groff] [off] micro-typography

[Sigfrid Lundberg, NetLab]

On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, P. Alejandro Lopez-Valencia wrote:

...

> I was honestly thinking about python, ruby, scheme(whatever flavor,
> probably guile) and perl in that particular order. Someone did mention
> INTERCAL...

Well, I think I started this extension language thread. It is an
interesting issue, but I suppose that there are other things that are more
important. Anyway.

I think that there are quite good arguments for scheme/guile.

First and formost we have DSSSL, Document Style Semantics and
Specification Language, which is the SGML style backend. Our great
leader in the past has implemented that in jade. I don't say that we
should use DSSSL as backend for groff, but there must have been some
interesting typographical problems that has been solved (do not know
if they are the right problems, though) in that language which could be
a source of inspiration.

        http://www.jclark.com/dsssl/

Second, quile is used as an extension language in at least one type
setting language, namely lilypond for musical type setting.

        http://lilypond.org/stable/

Third, as far as graphics goes, the gimp is using guile for backend
programming. As far as I know they've been quite successful in that.

Fourth, I don't know scheme, since I've had no real reason to spend
some time on it, but would like to ;) (this said to admit that my
knowledge is wanting, and that you should not trust my judgment in
this issue at all.)


Yours

Sigge