BUILDTABLES(1)

NAME
buildtables - build troff tables on a PostScript printer

SYNOPSIS
buildtables [ options []] [ name []]

DESCRIPTION
buildtables builds font width tables or the typesetter description file on a PostScript printer. No arguments means build a default set of tables; usually a superset of the LaserWriter Plus collection. The following options are understood:

[-b speed]
Transmit data over
    line at baud rate speed. Recognized baud rates are 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, and 19200. The default speed is 9600 baud.

    [-l line]
Build the tables on the PostScript printer attached to
    line. There is no default.

    [-t name]
Use name as the template for fonts not in the default set. Choose for proportionally spaced fonts and for fixed width fonts. Try (ZapfDingbats) if the font has a non-standard character set. The default is R(.)

    [-C file]
Copy
    file into each PostScript table program; file must contain legitimate PostScript.

    [-H hostdir]
Use hostdir as the host-resident font directory. A file in hostdir that matches the name of the troff font is assumed to be a host-resident font program and is included in the PostScript width table program. There is no default.

    [-S file]
Use file as the shell library file. Overrides the choice made with the [-T] option.

    [-T name]
Set the target device to
    name.
    Device name means is the shell library file. There is no default.

If [-l] is omitted output files are the PostScript programs that build the tables, rather than the tables themselves. One of [-T] or [-S] is required. If both are given [-S] wins. Although [-H] is the preferred mechanism for including host-resident font files, [-C] makes sense when only one width table is built.

The shell library file defines a collection of functions used to build troff(1) tables. The default set of tables is the list of names returned by the function. Changes to the default list can be made by updating the function.

Each buildtables argument must be a default table name, or a pair of names enclosed in quotes. If the argument is a pair, the first name is the troff font and the second is the full PostScript font name. Tables are created in the current directory. Each is assigned a name that matches the troff table name.

The PostScript table programs created by trofftable(1) are written to files that have appended to the troff table name. The file is deleted after the table is built. Options not listed above are passed to trofftable. The PostScript table programs return data to the host computer using PostScript's operator. See hardcopy(1) if you do not have access to the printer's serial port.

EXAMPLES

Build the default collection of devpost tables on the printer connected to (no font name arguments):
    buildtables -l/dev/tty00 -Tpost
To do the same and to restrict the tables that are built, Add troff font names (or DESC()) to restrict the tables built on the printer connected to /dev/tty00(:)
    buildtables -l/dev/tty00 -Tpost R I B BI DESC S
Enclose the troff and PostScript font names in quotes to build the width table for a font not in the default set (also on the printer connected to /dev/tty00():)
    buildtables -l/dev/tty00 -TLatin1 "GL Garamond-Light"
A font must be available on the printer when the table is built. Use [-H] or [-C] to include host-resident fonts.

WARNINGS

A width table will not build properly if the printer cannot access the PostScript font.

The [-TLatin1] option only works on PostScript printers that support the full ISO Latin-1 character set. The error message from older printers will likely indicate a missing array.

FILES

SEE ALSO
dpost(1), hardcopy(1), postio(1), troff(1), trofftable(1), font(5)