Le GNU a2ps

GNU a2ps 4.12

GNU a2ps 4.12 is about to be released. But before releasing it, we need interaction from people who are ready to test it. The test version is 4.10.4k, and is available in the download zone, directory experimemtal.

For it to be a success, we need you to try it. There are major new features we think you'd like to try. Here are the differences between 4.10.4 and 4.12 :

Version 4.10.4k
 * Configuration Files:
   - `Printer:' can specify a PPD only, in which case the `UnknownPrinter:'
     command is used.
 * PPD files.
   Implemented support for *Include:.
 * Options:
   - --file-align.
     + I prefer `virtual' instead of `fill', which is reserved for
       future extensions.

Version 4.10.4j
 * Contributions:
   - psset
     If a file seems really very very bad, asks gs a full rewrite.
     Therefore there should no longer be *any* (valid) PostScript file
     refused by a2ps for delegations.
 * Configuration:
   - configure allows --disable-extensions
     Install a small a2ps (fewer library files).  Discouraged for non
     ASCII or Latin 1 users.
 * Configuration Files:
   - `Options:' entries now report the file and line where the error occured.
   - Use etc/a2ps-local.cfg instead of etc/a2ps-printers.cfg
   - Define a variable #{lp} in a2ps.cfg that is system dependent, but
     allows for system independent definition of printers in a2ps-local.cfg.
 * Options:
   - -s, --sides
     Now admits 1, 2, simplex, duplex, and tumble.  Removed the predefined
     user option `tumble'.
   - --file-align=MODE
     Replaces (generalizes) --compact.  MODE can be:
       + `fill', put as many files per sheet as possible
       + `rank', never allow two files on the same row (or column)
       + `page', never allow two files on the same page
       + `sheet', never allow two files on the same sheet
       + an integer NUM, specify that files must be aligned on NUM
   - -A
     is now exactely the short option for --file-align.
   - Predefined user option `-=book'.
     This is experimental.  Allows for printing booklet on *printers*
     only (no way to save as a file).
 * Sheets:
   - Fortran
     Major clean up thanks to Alexander Mai.
     + fortran.ssh remains the generic style sheet for unqualified
       Fortran.
     + (for77|for90)-(fixed|free).ssh for more specific dialects.
   - REXX scripts, thanks to Alexander Mai.
   - dc_shell, thanks to Philippe Le Van.

Version 4.10.4i
 * Fixed a bug in user options handling
 * Style Sheets:
   - for-fixed is Fortran Fixed form.
   - for-free  is Fortran Free  form.
   - fortran   still tries to support both (fails on pathological cases).

Version 4.10.4h
 * Delegations:
   - Now outputs the setpagedevice requests in delegated jobs.  It is now
     OK to run
        a2ps foo.dvi -s2 -P duplex-printer
 * Predefined User Options:
   - `manual' for -SManualFeed:true
   - `tumble' for -s2 -STumble:true

Version 4.10.4g
 * Options:
   - Reimplemented the handling of user options.
     Algorithm suggested by Tristan Gingold.

Version 4.10.4f
 * Contributions:
   - psset inserts PostScript requests for special features (ManualFeed,
     Duplex, DuplexTumble etc.).
   - psmandup
     + Now uses psset
     + New options --back and --front.  --back gives another chance of
       printing the second half if the time out expired.
 * Bug Fixes:
   - Temporary files are correctly removed even under abnormal conditions
     (broken pipe, C-c etc.).
 * Configuration Files:
   - `Include:' includes another configuration file.
   - a2ps.cfg now includes `a2ps-printers.cfg' which allows easier
     upgrades of a2ps without loosing previous configurations.
   - Now parsed using gperf.
     No speed up really noticeable :(, but cleaner :).
 * Error Signaling
   Now a2ps makes visible the invisible characters when reporting an
   error (it helps a lot!).
 * By default liba2ps is built static only.
 * Mixed Style Sheets.
   Mixed sheets are sheets defined by ancestors only.  To build a
   mixed sheet, just specify a comma separated list of ancestors
   anywhere a style sheet key can be given (-E, sheets.map etc.).

Version 4.10.4e
 * Environment Variables:
   - A2PS_VERBOSITY is equivalent to --verbose, but is consulted
     since startup (long before command line is read).
 * Options:
   - -S formerly --statusdict is now --setpagedevice
   - -D formerly --setpagedevice is now --define.
   - --toc with no argument uses the default Table of Contents layout
     (#{toc}).
 * Variables:
   - user.login, user.name, user.home, user.host, user.comments
     are now predefined and, of course, can be change as regular variables.
     Weird escapes such as
       `%a{USERNAME}'
         the localized equivalent for `Printed by USERNAME'
       `%A{USERNAME@HOSTNAME}'
         the localized equivalent for `Printed by USERNAME from HOSTNAME'.
     are no longer needed, and therefore removed.
 * Fonts:
   - .gsf fonts supported.
   - At configuration, a2ps looks for ghostscript fonts
   - PC Line Drawing fonts is fixed.
   - Russian fonts/afms are no longer distributed in the core of the
     package.

Version 4.10.4d
 * Style Sheets:
   - Visual Tcl, thanks to Phil Hollenback.
   - Extended Tcl, thanks to Phil Hollenback.
 * Delegations:
   - LaTeX.
     Needed calls to makeindex, bibtex and latex are run.
 * Bug fixes:
   - Version control works also for to-file printers (e.g., -P file).
 * Options:
   - Output of --list=features is much more pleasant to read.

Version 4.10.4c
 * Translations:
   - Norwegian, thanks to Jon Ross.
 * Configuration files:
   - Quotation is fixed, and works as in a shell.  It is no longer
     required to write:
         Options: '--stdin=A Title With Spaces'
     since one can write:
         Options: --stdin='A Title With Spaces'
 * Options:
   - the long standing bug of user options (user options could not
     be used *after* an argument) is fixed.  Now it is safe to run
        a2ps file1 -=lp file2
     (before, only file2 was printed).
   - --medium supports case insensitive matches.
 * Support of libpaper.
   the special medium `--medium=libpaper' let a2ps pick up the choice
   given to libpaper.  Disabled if libpaper was not available at
   configuration.

Version 4.10.4a
 * Bugs and portability fixes