ABSTRACT
Electronic documents are one more application of an information technology that has proved immensely successful in supporting tasks as diverse as flying an aircraft and handling financial transactions. The computer has expanded beyond its initial remit as a number cruncher for scientists and become a storer, manipulator and presenter (and even a supposedly ‘intelligent’ analyser) of all kinds of information. What really could be more appropriate for a so-called ‘information technology’ than to store, manipulate and present text for readers?
