On 4/13/2013 11:53 AM, "H. Özoguz" wrote:
100 % automated typesetting with 100 % perfect results is impossible
Hans, I dont think so. Manual typesetting is not "100 % perfect", too. Why automated typesetting shouldn't be able to obtain the same results, like men – some day. Of course that needs much more than just typesetting-rules, e.g. some times one has to rephrase some sentences to get a good result, but this will be possible for programms in future, too. For typesetting alorithms it holds the same, like for chess programms in the past, now fulfilled: They will get to the men-level, and even (far) beyond that.
Chess has quite precise rules (and I wonder if a chess program will choose an nice but risky step over a winning one) while typesetting also involves esthetics and therefore only a simulation of what goes on into someones head can help out. It will probably take some years to reach the point where we have hard/software that can match or bypass human brains in that area but at that point there might be no reason for typesetting any more as we then can as well render (given proper sources) realtime using implants and directly project on our retina or even skip that step of rendering altogether and consume raw data. Also, given that in education currently we struggle with the fact that kids have a small attention span and get difficulties with reading texts longer than a tweet (I have to admit I never twet myself) we might as well start thinking simple and small: ragged right, not hyphenated, etc. the fashion in dutch education already for years (thanks to professional dtp systems not capable of doing flushed properly so that designers entered 'no risk mode'). http://www.fontaineuitgevers.nl/wp/kleine-twittercursus-van-het-heelal/ So, what remains of typesetting is the craft and somewhat manual aspect: liking 'this' more that 'that' and messing a bit around. Hans ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | voip: 087 875 68 74 | www.pragma-ade.com | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------