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author | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
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committer | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
commit | e0c6872cf40896c7be36b11dcc744620f10adf1d (patch) | |
tree | 60335e10d2f4354b0674ec22d7b53f0f8abee672 /info/digests/texline/no11/roger.tex |
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diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no11/roger.tex b/info/digests/texline/no11/roger.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..fecdb67098 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no11/roger.tex @@ -0,0 +1,330 @@ + +% Roger Horne. 29 August 1990. +% 7 New Square +% Lincoln's Inn +% London WC2A 3QS +% Tel: 071 405 1266 +% email rhorne@compulink.co.uk +% +% The following macros are extracted from my normal macro files +% Probably large numbers of them are not needed. +% The file is at present set at 10 point on a 11pt base +% +% NOTE that the manmac convention of | as meaning \ttverbatim, +% ie *all* characters printed in \tt, is used +% +\font\sansit=cmssi10 +%\font\tenu=cmu10 +% +% These are not the "official" versions of the logos +% +\def\at{{\sansit Arch\i\-\kern-.1em\TeX\/}\maybespace} +\def\am{{\it ArMa\kern-.1em TuReS\/}\maybespace} +\def\atmf{{\sansit Arc-}\MF\maybespace} +% +% +\hyphenation{adop-ted edu-c-a-t-ional scale-able} +% +\catcode`\@=11 +%\def\quid{{\it\$}} +% The poundsign and size-changing macros +% +% +% Other macros that may (or may not) be used +% +\def\bo{\def\on{\unskip\/\ {\rm on }}\begingroup\sl\frenchspacing} +\def\ok{\unskip\/\endgroup\maybespace} +\def\maybespace{% +\futurelet\next\testforother} +\def\testforother{% \noexpand is required to avoid \ref being expanded +\if\noexpand\next[\let\next=\space % if [ add space +\else\if\noexpand\next(\let\next=\space % if ( add space +\else\ifcat\noexpand\next.\let\next=\empty % if . no space +%\else\ifcat\noexpand\next\noexpand\\next=\empty % if \ no space +% Don't use. It could cause problems if \space followed \ok or \se +% It is not required for \ref +\else\let\next=\space +%\fi % relates to \ifcat\\ +\fi\fi\fi\next}% Note that \ref still generates a space-then eats it +\def\ref{\unskip\footnote} % Remove space from \se if necessary +\def\uc-{\discretionary{\raise.25ex\hbox{-}}{}{\raise.25ex\hbox{-}}} +% + +\catcode`\@=12 +% +% End of macros +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% + +\centerline{\bf \TeX\ and the Archimedes} +\smallskip +\noindent The Acorn Archimedes is a 32-bit RISC Computer and as a result is +fairly fast. Like a number of other machines produced by comparatively small +manufacturers it suffered for a time from a lack of software, but things are +changing and there are now two complete versions of \TeX\ available for it. +The first of these is \at, produced by TooLs GmbH of Bonn. The second is \am +produced by Graham Toal of London. While the former product is a commercial +program the latter is public domain and so at first sight it might seem that +there was no contest; no-one likes spending money unless it is absolutely +essential. + +The choice is not, however, quite so simple since the two products vary in +many ways. The first difference is one that results from the Archimedes' +filing system, RISC~OS, which does not recognise file extensions and also +uses the full stop character as a directory separator. This is not normally a +limitation since the Archimedes uses the concept of file types to enable it +to load files into the appropriate program, if necessary first loading the +program itself; for example a {\tt dvi} file has the file type {\tt CE4} and +the Archimedes can be set up to recognise a file of this type as being one +that is loaded into a previewer. However it obviously gives rise to problems +in connection with \TeX. + +\at solves the problem in the same way that Acorn does in relation to the +C language, that is to say that it automatically turns the file-name +round. In the case of C the file {\tt stdio.c} is actually stored as the +file {\tt stdio} in the directory {\tt c}, or as {\tt c.stdio}. Similarly \at +stores the file {\tt paper.tex} as {\tt tex.paper}, {\tt paper.dvi} as {\tt +dvi.paper} and so on. In other words all {\tt tex} files are stored in the +directory {\tt tex}, all {\tt dvi} files are stored in the directory {\tt +dvi} and so on. The conversion is automatic and invisible to normal macro +packages. + +This system has one disadvantage in relation to \TeX\ and that is that many +macro packages produce large numbers of auxiliary files and \at will not +create a new directory if the appropriate one does not exist. This is no +problem if one tends to use a macro package which writes out three or four +auxiliary files using the same extension each time but problems can arise in +connection with packages such as John Lavagnino and Dominik Wujastyk's {\tt +EDMAC} macros for producing critical editions which can, if pressed, write +out an unlimited number of auxiliary files. + +The alternative solution which is adopted by \am is to store each file in its +own directory so that {\tt paper.tex} and {\tt paper.dvi} are actually the +files {\tt tex} and {\tt dvi} in the directory {\tt paper}. This system gets +round the problem of auxiliary files (although RISC OS does impose a limit of +80 objects to a directory) but it has its own disadvantage in that +directories take up a certain amount of space. It is also more difficult to +``clean up'' since instead of simply deleting the contents of the {\tt dvi} +directory it is necessary to delete the {\tt dvi} file from each of a number +of separate directories. + +So far as \TeX\ itself is concerned, there is not a lot of difference between +the two programs at present. Each of them is a C version of \TeX\ and +they both run at roughly the same speed, that is to say, fast. It is +interesting to note, however, that the way in which \TeX\ is run can make a +difference to its speed on the Archimedes. RISC OS permits a program such as +\TeX\ to be run in three different ways. The first is from the command line +prompt (which for \TeX ies is somewhat confusingly an asterix). The second is +as a single-tasking task from the Archimedes Desktop (the +Archimedes' WIMP system). The third is as a multi-tasking program from the +Desktop. + +To \TeX\ |tex.tex|, that is to say, \bo \TeX\ the Program\ok, takes roughly +18 minutes when \TeX\ is called from the command line, about 24 minutes when +single tasking under the Desktop and about 27 minutes when it is +multi-tasking with one other small program -- a digital clock -- running at the +same time. (These figures are for the \am version. Using \at from the +command line produces a similar result and its single tasking version is +likely to produce a comparable time; there is not as yet a multi-tasking +version of \at although that will no doubt arrive shortly.) A Company called +{\it Aleph1\/} produces a go faster board for the Archimedes based on Acorn's +ARM3 chip; although I have not tried it, Graham tells me that it speeds up +\TeX\ by a factor of two. + +% MALCOLM --- I am not a mathematician. Is the last sentence correct? + +% ie it takes half as long with an arm3. + +There is one difference between the two versions of \TeX\ and that is that +while \at claims to have passed the {\tt TRIP} test, \am has not as yet taken +it (which is why it does not have \TeX\ in its name). However the output of +the two programs appears to me to be identical. + +There is likely to be a more significant difference between the two versions +of \TeX\ in the near future. \at is about to be released using Version~3 of +\TeX. Graham has said that he is no hurry to produce Version~3 for \am unless +he is pushed hard, claiming that he is not convinced of the merits of this +new Version. + +\at can be used on the Archimedes 310 with only one megabyte of memory and +can, I understand, be run without a hard disc (although I have not tried to +do this). As a result some compromises have had to be made with \TeX's +parameters. For example, the main memory in Ini\TeX\ is only 20 kilobytes +and so it may not be possible to produce format files from large macro +packages. TooLs GmbH have, however, told me that they are happy to produce +larger versions of \TeX\ for their customers on request for a nominal +handling charge. \am is intended to run on a machine with more than one +megabyte of memory and so these compromises have not had to be made +(although I believe that it can be run on a smaller machine). Since the +source code is provided a user who has access to Acorn's C compiler can +modify \TeX's parameters in whatever way he wishes. + + +Both \at and \am come with a screen previewer. These are, however, very +\hbox{different}. The former is a `traditional' \TeX\ previewer, that is to say, +it uses a low-resolution version of the Computer Modern fonts to produce its +output. The resolution supplied with the program is 95\,dpi although the +previewer can use any resolution if this is required provided that the +appropriate fonts are available in the chosen resolution. (The choice of +95\,dpi was made because it permits the full width of an A4 page to be +displayed across the screen.) If a font cannot be found because, for +example, it is not available in the correct resolution, the previewer will +try to use the same font at a different resolution; if it cannot find even +this it will politely refuse to continue. + +Computer Modern fonts do seem to suffer when reproduced at low-resolution and +I sometimes find on the \at previewer that the spacing between words looks +wrong. I assume that this is caused by an unlucky combination of +approximations. Slanted and italic letters also suffer badly from the low +resolution although they remain perfectly readable. + +The \am previewer uses fonts that are based on the Computer Modern fonts but +have been converted to Archimedes outline fonts. These are scaleable fonts and +use anti-aliasing in order to improve their appearance on the screen. The +result is astonishingly good, especially in the $640 \times 512$ multi-sync +modes. The initial size chosen produces a width approximately equal to a +sheet of A4 paper on the screen. However it is possible to magnify this by +anything from |\magstephalf| to |\magstep5|. (These magnifications are in +addition to any already used in the text). It is apparently intended that a +future release will also permit a reduction in size so as to show a full page +on a normal screen. (The \at previewer already does this.) + +There are disadvantages. The previewer is substantially slower than the \at +version, although both are many times faster than anything I have seen on an +IBM machine. (Its speed increases after a period of use since it stores fonts +that it has already used in memory.) It can also use a considerable amount of +memory, especially when displaying magnified fonts. I have managed to run +out of memory on a four megabyte machine (although I did have to try quite +hard to do it). But even a comparatively small file can use a couple of +megabytes if it is displayed at |\magstep5|. + +Another disadvantage which the \at previewer does not suffer from is that at +present the \am previewer is restricted to the standard Computer Modern, +\AmSTeX\ and \LaTeX\ fonts; it is not possible to display any new fonts that +have been produced using \MF\ (although I understand that this may change in +a future release). + +If it cannot find a font the \am previewer will try to find the {\tt tfm} +file for the missing font and will then leave an appropriate space. If even +the {\tt tfm} file is missing it will crash; since the latter file would have +been required by \TeX\ itself this is unlikely to happen often. Since it uses +scaleable fonts it is not necessary for it to find a font at any particular +size. If, for example, |paper.tex| uses |cmr10 at 13pt| the previewer will +generate the font at that size itself. + +A feature added to the \am previewer comparatively recently is the ability to +save a page as a {\tt !Draw} file or as a {\tt Sprite} which can then be +read into the Archimedes' drawing and painting programs. This enables the +text to be manipulated in various ways. However it may be that the most +useful function of this is to permit the testing of |cmr| fonts at different +magnifications without creating them using \MF. The files can be printed +without the use of a |dvi| driver, although this is far from quick. + + +The final stage in the \TeX\ process is printing the file. Again there is a +difference between the two systems. The \at printer drivers are part of the +previewer; it is not necessary to run a separate program to print your file +after previewing it. Drivers are provided for most common matrix printers, +such as those produced by Epson, NEC, Prism, Oki and Microline, and for the +HP LaserJet. \am on the other hand uses an adaption of the Beebe drivers and +at present is only available for the Apple Laser Writer and the HP LaserJet +(although it is claimed that to adapt the implementation for use with any +other printer supported by the Beebe programs would be very easy: the +LaserJet version was not even tested on a LaserJet before being despatched to +the first user of it). + +% Preview % Back/forward % More options % Memory size etc + +There are further differences between the two systems in the way that the +drivers work. While the \at version sends its output direct to the printer, +the \am version sends it to a file which is subsequently printed using an +Acorn multi-tasking utility. As usual, both systems have advantages and +disadvantages. With a short file it is nice to be able to print it +immediately without having to go through the two-stage operation involved +with \am. + +The method of printing used by the \at version however suffers from the +problem that it is apparently difficult to download CM fonts to a LaserJet +and it is accordingly necessary, at least on a machine with a small amount of +memory, to process the file in several passes in order to print direct to +the printer; if not enough passes are used the program crashes and it is +necessary to start again. The appropriate setting of the parameters is, +however, soon discovered and can be stored in a file which is loaded every +time the program is run. +Processing the file in this way does, +however, take a long time and although +the program is multi-tasking, +it gets frustrating waiting for a long file to be printed. +The \am driver will process the same file at a rate of +more than a page a second and +then print it comparatively quickly as a background task. + +Neither \at nor \am is supplied with a great deal of documentation, although +not surprisingly the amount which comes with the former is substantially +more that which is supplied with the latter. It would be essential for the +user of either system to acquire \bo the \TeX book\ok. + + +% conclusions + +If you have a one-megabyte Archimedes and want to run \TeX, or you have never +used \TeX\ before, or you are not quite sure how your Archimedes works, or +you need \TeX~3 soon, or you use non-standard fonts, splash out on the \at +version. You will not be disappointed; I have used it to produce all my +written work for the last nine months (although I have normally used Personal +\TeX's PTI~HP on an IBM Compatible to print it on a LaserJet since I do not +have my own printer). + +If, however, you want to be able to compile an unusual sized version of \TeX\ +quickly (and know what you are doing), or you want the best previewer going, +or you are skinny broke, get hold of \am. Alternatively, if you have plenty +of disc space, do as I have done and have your cake and eat it; get them +both. + +% Addresses + +\at is available from: +{\obeylines +TooLs GmbH +Kessincher Str.~108 +D\uc-5300 Bonn 1 +Federal Republic of Germany + +email: {\tt tex@tools.uucp} +\par} + +\noindent +It costs \quid99 (`educational users' pay \quid69) plus \quid6 +p.~\&~p.\ and VAT at the unusual rate of 14\%. \LaTeX\ and \BibTeX\ together +cost a further \quid39 (\quid29 for educational users). A set of fonts +for the screen previewer and one printer driver is included in the cost; +fonts for other drivers are available at a nominal price. Alternatively +generate your own using \atmf, which costs the same as \at (and is a very +nice implementation of the program). + +\am is available from: + +{\obeylines +Graham Toal +76 Clare Court +Judd Street +London WC1H 9QW + +email {\tt gtoal@ed.ac.uk} +\par} + +\noindent +Graham does not charge for his current release of \am but you must send him +25 {\it formatted\/} discs together with the return postage and be prepared +to wait for him to have the time to copy them; he does this in his spare +time and each set takes several hours to do. The distribution may soon be +available from Aston. Since it is 15 megabytes this will + be an expensive way of +acquiring it if you are commercial user of {\sc janet} and have +to pay for the connection. +The distribution includes the source code for \TeX\ and the +Beebe drivers and a full set of 300\,dpi fonts. \LaTeX\ and \BiBTeX\ are also +included. Letters to Graham take some time to be answered; email produces a +quicker result. +\author{Roger Horne} +\endinput + |