groff: What Is groff?
1.1 What Is 'groff'?
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'groff' belongs to an older generation of document preparation systems,
which operate more like compilers than the more recent interactive
WYSIWYG(1) (⇒What Is groff?-Footnote-1) systems. 'groff' and its
contemporary counterpart, TeX, both work using a "batch" paradigm: The
input (or "source") files are normal text files with embedded formatting
commands. These files can then be processed by 'groff' to produce a
typeset document on a variety of devices.
'groff' should not be confused with a "word processor", an integrated
system of editor and text formatter. Also, many word processors follow
the WYSIWYG paradigm discussed earlier.
Although WYSIWYG systems may be easier to use, they have a number of
disadvantages compared to 'troff':
* They must be used on a graphics display to work on a document.
* Most of the WYSIWYG systems are either non-free or are not very
portable.
* 'troff' is firmly entrenched in all Unix systems.
* It is difficult to have a wide range of capabilities within the
confines of a GUI/window system.
* It is more difficult to make global changes to a document.
"GUIs normally make it simple to accomplish simple actions and
impossible to accomplish complex actions." -Doug Gwyn (22/Jun/91
in 'comp.unix.wizards')
Info Catalog
groff: Introduction
groff: Introduction
groff: History