Re: [Gnuplot-bugs] gnuplot 4.0.0, PDFlib and term/pdf.tfm

[Hans-Bernhard B. <br...@ph...>]

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004, Harald Koenig wrote:

> 1) PDFlib-6.0.0 is missing PDF_open_fp()

This is known, and already taken care of in the CVS version.

> 2) sequence of "png.trm" and "pdf.trm" in src/term.h:
> 
> on some Linux boxes compilation bombs because of the following code 
> in pngconf.h of my copy of libpng sources:
[...]
> 	#    ifdef _SETJMP_H
> ==>	      __png.h__ already includes setjmp.h;
> ==>	      __dont__ include it again.;

I consider this fragment a case of raging insanity on libpng's side.  
It's none of their business to tell other people's source which ANSI/ISO
standard library headers it's allowed to include and which not.

> changing the ordering in term.h (png before pdf) seems to be the
> most portable solution to me (see src/term.h diff below).

The solution, if any, has to be achieved elsewhere.  Gnuplot's source can
at best implement a workaround, and I don't see why we should modify
perfectly nice code to accomodate such utter silliness in other people's
works.

> 3) "char" argument and pre-ANSI-C (K&R) functions without prototypes:

Known and taken care of in CVS sources.

> 4) PDF output and acroread
> 
> maybe you can remember my mail
[...]
> about landscape vs. portrait printing of gnuplot-PDF files with acroread ?

Dimly --- I think I threw it in the TODO jar back then because nobody
seemed to know how to fix that one.  Now that you found out, we can do
something about it.  Thanks.

> (5) whish list:: PDF vs. postscript/X11 driver output "compatibility"
> 
> it would be great, if at least the X11, postscript and PDF drivers would
> generate similar/compatible output for the same gnuplot command file
> and try match the visual appearence.  that is, they use
> 
> - same color sequuence for line types

Supposed to already be the case, to a large extent.  And then there's the
issue of X11 colours being overridable by the user --- with no effect
to PS and PDF, or any other terminals for that matter.

> - same symbol shape sequuence

That's going to be hard or impossible.  PS has a lot more point symbols,
some of which (the opaque ones) may note even be portable to X11.

> - same line hashes 
> - same page/plot size

What could 'page size' possibly mean to X11?

I personally don't see much to gain by making the colour sequences exactly
equal --- that'd be a pointless exercise anyway unless we were to integrate
a calibrated color managment system.

-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (br...@ph...)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.