[R] Two questions

[(Ted Harding)]

... and one answer ...

On 02-Apr-03 Peter Dunn wrote:
> Hi all
> 
> Two questions:
> 
> 1. I note that help for the postscript device claims "The 
> postscript produced by R is EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
> compatible...".  It does not say it is EPS *compliant*.  
> Indeed, the EPS produced by R includes a \showpage command 
> which I believe (not that I'm an expert!) non-standard EPS.  
> My question:  Is there any reason why it is EPS compatible,
> but not compliant?  (I ask because the \showpage caused me
> a minor trouble once.)

Nothing whatever wrong with this, and it is perfectly standard
and "compliant" and indeed is covered in the PostScript Language
Reference Manual.

Using 'showpage' allows the file to be displayed directly on
any PS device, while the file can be embedded in another document
PROVIDED the embedding PS code redefines 'showpage' to be null
(i.e. /showpage {} def) for the duration of the wrapper.

Some document-generating software, however, can be sloppy about
this, in which case you will indeed have trouble. But that is
the fault of the software, not of the fact that 'showpage' is
present in the file.

Ted.


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Date: 03-Apr-03                                       Time: 14:03:33
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