From walt@netcom.com Tue Aug 25 18:40:05 1992
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Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 09:39:07 PDT
From: walt@netcom.com (Walt Brainerd)
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To: SC22WG5@dkuug.dk
Subject: Processing words
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Re: Jerry's request for comments about the word processing system.
> So I need to know two things from you:
> 
>   (1) do you have any strong opinions (or "show stoppers") on any of these? 
> 
>   (2) if we go the Frame route, who would need a copy and on what platform?
> 
> I'll let you know how this "poll" goes, and we'll see where we go from there.
> 
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Jerry

As you are "voting" on this, here are some things to keep in mind.  Some of
these may be more important to some than others--you must do the evaluation.

1.  Should the system be able to produce PostScript output and ascii versions
    that correspond, line for line, with the PS version?  Is either one
    without the other sufficient?  Or must every reader have the system to
    process the document (e.g., Frame or Word or TEX)?

2.  What are people not responsible for maintenance of the document expected
    to be able to do with it?  Certainly they should be able to read it to
    find anything they want in it and use it to prepare proposals.  Are
    they expected to put proposals in a form that can be incorporated directy
    into the document?  Must every proposer have the system to process the
    document (e.g., Frame or Word or TEX)?

3.  Is it possible and reasonable to create simple tools to process the
    source text (for example, to extract the syntax rules and create
    the cross reference in Annex D)?

4.  Does the system must have powerful and flexible tools for creating
    tables, equations, and possibly figures?  It must be a system designed
    to provide complete typographic control to the user (some test cases
    might be to change the hyphenation of a particular word or slant the
    third letter of some word 7 degrees left and set it in one point smaller
    type).

5.  Do we want to get involved with a proprietary system (even if some of
    the systems are provided free) in this era of "open systems" and
    standards?

To summarize, there are two aspects of this question: what is good for
the document production and maintenance AND/OR what does the rest of the
committee (and the rest of the world) need?

It seems to me that we need to first establish the "outside" requirements
(questions 1 and 2), then let the editorial committee make a recommendation
about a system that will meet these requirements and their own (3 and 4).

I look forward to reading your opinions.