3 ms·
PDF is based on PostScript, which is a Page Description Language (PDL) also from Adobe. The first PostScript printer, the Apple LaserWriter, launched the deskto
by interlocutor 7y ago
PDF is based on PostScript, which is a Page Description Language (PDL) also from Adobe. The first PostScript printer, the Apple LaserWriter, launched the desktop publishing revolution. The interesting thing about PostScript is that it is a full programming language, with loops and conditionals and so on. When Adobe designed PDF, they kept the same imaging model as PostScript, but stripped out the programming language. Thus they ended up with a dynamic page description language (PostScript) for media (printers) that cannot fully take advantage of a dynamic PDL, and a static PDL (PDF) for media (i.e., computer screens) that could have benefited from a full programming language!
- srean 7y agoPostscript is a pretty interesting stack based language on its own. Its size is intimidating though. If I remember correctly there was a toy web-server written in postscript just to show that it is possible.
- agumonkey 7y agosomeone made a submission to ICFP contest which was a self drawing post script solution
- username223 7y ago> When Adobe designed PDF, they kept the same imaging model as PostScript, but stripped out the programming language. And then they added JavaScript to it: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.html The small subset that displays text and images is fine, but PDF is a nightmare.