Subject: [[email-masked]: Extensions for "documetnation graphics"]

From: Don Hopkins <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 87 02:33:48 EST

Date: Sat 12 Dec 1987 17:01:36 EST
From: David Rosenthal <[email-masked]>
Subject: Extensions for "documetnation graphics"
To: [email-masked], [email-masked]

There has been some discussion recently of the need to extend X11
to support ``documentation graphics''.  I believe that what people
need is,  in effect,  access to both the X11 and the PostScript
(TM Adobe Systems) language imag
ng models.

The implications of the recent deal between Sun and AT&T are
relevant to this debate.  As part of the deal,  Sun will be
supplying to AT&T,  and AT&T including in their Unix source
licensing program,  a merged server supporting both X11 and
NeWS protocols.  If you are a Unix licensee,  you will be getting
this code as part of the normal AT&T source distributions,  and
it will,  therefore,  be a part of "standard Unix".  No license
with Sun will be required.

Robin Schaufler will discuss the details of the implementation of
the merged server at the X conference at MIT in January.  Briefly,
it will support:

-	Vanilla X11 clients
-	Vanilla NeWS clients
-	A single window tree accessible to both
-	A single event distribution mechanism accessible to both
-	The use of PostScript programs and operators to image onto
	X11 windows.

The C source code will include:

-	X11 protocol interpreter
-	PostScript language interpreter,  with NeWS extensions
-	Window tree and event management core shared by both
-	A complete implementation of the high-performance
	imaging library that supports them both,  for memory
	framebuffers.  (This is an improved version of the
	imaging library that currently supports the NeWS product)

The intention behind this arrangement is to ensure that those who
need the PostScript language imaging model will have it available.
There will be no reason not to support this capability for
those who are Unix licensees,  since they will be getting it,
already integrated with X11,  as part of their Unix source
distribution.  Almost all significant companies in the computer
industry are Unix licensees.

I hope that this will reassure those who need ``documentation graphics''
that the X11 servers they talk to are likely to support the capabilities
they need,  and that there is no need to design new extensions to address
this area.

	David.