On Sun, 2006-02-12 at 01:37, Nimit Dhulekar wrote: > > > I had a query regarding ps files and their generation from tex > > > files. The ps file has a whole bunch of numbers and alphabets > > > between the text like for the line "This is an abstract" we > > > have something like > > > > > > Fn(This)p 172 1761 26 4 v 196 > > > 1761 56 4 v 26 w(is)p 249 1761 26 4 v 273 1761 86 4 v > > > 26 w(an)p 356 1761 26 4 v 380 1761 86 4 v 26 w(ab)p 461 > > > 1761 197 4 v(stract)-92 1828 y(.)j > > > > > > These kind of seemingly random numbers prop up for any ps > > > file. Could anyone tell me what these numbers and alphabets > > > signify ie basically what kind of translation takes place when > > > tex file gets converted to ps. > > > > PostScript is a programming language. A DVI file generated by TeX > > is converted into a PostScript program, and executing that > > program creates the graphics output. The numbers and alpahabets > > are function calls and their parameters. The functions are > > defined somewhere in the beginning of the program. > Could you be a bit more specific about the positioning of these > functions and what do the parameters passed to them signify? Postscript is a stack oriented language like forth. Numbers that appear before a function name are pushed on the stack. The function can pop off and push back whatever it wants. -- Les Mikesell lesmikesell@xxxxxxxxx
