From: garylscott@sbcglobal.net   
      
   On 10/5/2024 8:58 PM, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:   
   > On Sat, 5 Oct 2024 19:39:31 -0500, Gary Scott wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 10/5/2024 6:07 PM, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On Sat, 5 Oct 2024 13:52:01 -0500, Gary Scott wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> I really liked the flexibility of string/text processing of IBM's   
   >>>> DCF/Script/GML.  How that was powerful string handling.   
   >>>   
   >>> As good as Perl?   
   >>   
   >> vastly better, but it was specifically a text (document) processor,   
   >> vastly different purpose.   
   >   
   > How could it have been better without regular expressions?   
   Extremely powerful substitution, full control of fonts, code points,   
   code pages, dynamically controlled overprinting, image handling,   
   direct/binary datastream writing/editing, formatting page columns,   
   gutters, running headings/footings, tables, lists (order, unordered,   
   etc.), full support for foreign languages, double byte character sets   
   decades before unicode, programmed symbol sets to devices.  Directly   
   define your own gml (predecessor to html) tags.  Full support for   
   numerical conversions, special/math symbol support, character   
   substitution, font substitution tables based upon device   
   capabilities...just to scratch the surface...   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)