NAME

pscat − convert C/A/T files to POSTSCRIPT format

SYNOPSIS

pscat [ −Ffonttable ] [ −iprologuefile ] [ −lpaperlength ] [ −xxoffset ] [ −yyoffset ] [ files ]

DESCRIPTION

pscat converts C/A/T format file (i.e., as produced by the original troff), to POSTSCRIPT format on the standard output.  If no file argument is given, the standard input is used.  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/lib/ps for pscat prologue and font metric files. 

FILES

/usr/lib/ps/troff.font/*.ct character correspondence tables mapping C/A/T codes to POSTSCRIPT fonts and characters or other actions. 

/usr/lib/ps/pscat.pro default POSTSCRIPT prologue. 

SEE ALSO

troff(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. 
 
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.

Version 3.6  —  December 20, 1987