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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/no6 |
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Diffstat (limited to 'info/digests/texline/no6')
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diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/abbey.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/abbey.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..c2890563d7 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/abbey.tex @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ +\centerline{\bf\TeX\ typesetting service}\medskip +\noindent +One of the problems that \TeX\ users in the UK face is +the +lack of typesetting facilities. While laser printers offer +adequate quality for proofing and short-run publications, +higher quality is required for well-produced printed +publications. Typesetting provides this +higher quality, and, for users who have limited typefaces, +a wider range of options to improve the appearance +of their work. + +Having encountered the problem of typesetting from +\TeX, Abbey Information Systems has recently installed +a Linotronic 100 with PostScript RIP, software and +interface devices. This means Abbey can typeset +PostScript files from \TeX\ PostScript drivers, and +can also accept \dvi\ files for processing through a PostScript driver for +subsequent typesetting. Abbey is currently using \TeX\ and the Linotronic to +produce a 2000-page directory created on a database running on +a VAX 11/750. + +Abbey Information Systems is now offering a typesetting service +for all \TeX\ users whether or not they have a PostScript +driver. Part of the service of special interest to +\TeX\ users who are using mainframe and minicomputers +is that half-inch nine-track magnetic tape +can be read as well as floppy discs from {\sc IBM} pcs and +compatibles. Other media will also be accepted. +A direct dial-up service is also available. + +For more information, contact: +{\obeylines\parindent2em +Jon Maslin, +Abbey Information Systems Ltd, +Cochrane House, +Church Road, +Bookham, +Leatherhead, +Surrey KT23 3JP +tel: 0372 59577} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/bart.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/bart.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..4df72bae39 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/bart.tex @@ -0,0 +1,185 @@ +\def\mwc{{\sc mwc}}\def\bc{{\sc bc}} +\centerline{\bf The Pres says\dots} +\medskip +\noindent +One of the advantages of the Exeter `Advanced' course +was the presence of the current TUG President, +Bart Childs. Bart is from the Computer Science +Department at Texas A\&M (Aggies and Mechs) University. +One of the areas that \TeX\ and TUG are rather +weak in is that of background. The tiny bits of +real `people-information' which sneaks into TUGboat, +or the flyleaf of one of the books is slight. Perhaps +{\it email} goes closest to revealing what goes on +beneath the academic fa\c cade. As a very first attempt +to put a little more flesh on the bones of \TeX, TUG +and TUG's President, this is the contents of an +interview with Bart (rather late one evening, and +after a few beers). It would be great to think it +is the first of many such interviews, but that all +depends. This particular interview +touches briefly on the events which led to +Bart becoming President, and gives a view +from the President's desk (or rather, his +Data General laptop microcomputer --- running +pc\TeX\ and a preview). One last note: you may +notice that Bart sounds a bit like me here. I +haven't been able to transfer the Texan drawl. +The content is faithful in spirit to what was said, although +the accent and delivery have been transmuted. +It is therefore closer to a meta-interview. +\smallskip +\noindent \mwc: How did you get into this? + +\noindent \bc: We had a simple word processing system, for which +I had drawn up +the specification, and since we also had the source code, I had +modified it to handle some extensions into more mathematical work. +I thought it was really neat, but Norman Naugle said +``hold everything --- +have you seen \TeX?'' So I held everything and saw \TeX. +This was in +'78. I was impressed, threw away all the +stuff I had been doing, and we decided to implement \TeX, +from the SAIL version which was currently +available. But before we started we sent a grad student to Stanford +to the TUG meeting that fall and he came back saying +``hold everything --- +wait until the {\tt WEB} release!'' +So we waited a while for the {\tt WEB} +release. I actually started with version 0.6, +and had slowly begun to make some +progress with it, building tangle and the tangle.change when +version 0.9 arrived. We started with it on a Thursday afternoon, +and by the Saturday +night it had all been created. From there we went on to +develop the QMS Lasergrafix driver. +At the next TUG meeting Norman +Naugle volunteered Texas A\&M to be the Prime and DG distributors +for \TeX. Fairly soon after, +John Crawford of Ohio State University +took over the Prime distribution and we concentrated +on the DG. +We are still doing \TeX\ implementations: +currently I'm working on a Cray version, under CTSS. + + +Norman was still busy volunteering of course, +and at another TUG meeting, +Norman volunteered me for President. + +As President, I feel it is important for \TeX\ and TUG to be as +public domain as possible, which helps to explain our +dependence on ``academics'' in the major office bearing jobs. +But much of the success of TUG (and \TeX) lies in the good +support it has had from commercial organisations, +like Addison-Wesley, Personal \TeX, Kellerman \& Smith, and ArborText. +\smallskip +\noindent \mwc: What of the future? + +\noindent \bc: Systems like NBI, Interleaf and Ventura may well +adopt \TeX\ and SGML for the layout and structure +functions of documents. +ArborText's Publisher is a notable step in this direction, +incorporating both \TeX\ and \SGML. The advantage of \TeX, as +Don Knuth noted, is its quality, and, no less important, +its archival capabilities. It is available on a huge +range of systems, and in 20 years the same document +will still produce the same end results. +\smallskip +\noindent \mwc: Will \TeX\ be unchanged in 20 years? + +\noindent \bc: No, but the changes will be to the front end --- the face +that \TeX\ presents, and there will be extensions through the +use of `specials' to colour and graphics. +\TeX\ itself will remain the same. + +As an example of `front-ends', we have a \TeX\ system on +our local Data General machine, Kinder\TeX. This provides +a menu-driven front end, which, among other things, provides +tailored editing functions, so that the function keys +can be used for standard \TeX\ control sequences. We have +tried to tie things together so that the interface is +consistent, and we hope, fairly intuitive. + +One of the issues which I am keen for TUG (and all \TeX\ users) +to debate is that of standards --- notably standards for specials. +For example, how to handle the arguments. I am currently working with +an approach through QUIC (the QMS laser printer language) +and a device neutral +meta file to a graphics dvi which would allow output to +QMS, naked Canon, ATI, and later, PostScript. +\smallskip +\noindent \mwc: What is TUG's role? + + \noindent \bc: TUG will have a major +role to play in establishing standards for \TeX\ distribution. +The public domain releases should include, at the least, +\TeX, Metafont and the Computer Modern fonts. Standards should be +created for the smaller versions, like the commercial +micro releases, where there is obviously +a constraint on the amount of material you can include. +Driver standards need to be established (to include +features like graphics, landscape and portrait mode etc.), +and to be verified +by a trip test. + +Education is needed to ensure that driver writers are +incorporating the `position correction' for pixel boundaries, +to ensure that +dvi really is device independent. The font scaling problem in +\LaTeX\ and \SliTeX\ needs +to be addressed, and the solution made available. +The distribution of this +sort of information must not depend on academic networks. + +The continued financial strength of TUG will enable us to +initiate new services, like +a \TeX +\break +\noindent `helpdesk': this requires some +staff increase at TUG, which should have +happened by now. There will be greater separation from the AMS, +another reflection of the strength and autonomy of TUG. +\smallskip +\noindent \mwc: Any crystal ball forecasts? + +\noindent \bc: \TeX\ already exists in Pascal and C realisations. +It is likely that other languages will be used, like Ada and Lisp. +But far more likely, and more useful to individual \TeX\ users +will be the more general and widespread adoption of +\TeX\ `environments', +where \TeX\ can be given a far friendlier face, with menu driven +options, the use of function keys, icons, \SGML\ tags, +and exploitation of the underlying operating system, for example to +allow the user the capability of exiting to command mode level +(particularly useful if you get the `file not found message'), or +to have +the ability to fork off other processes while \TeX\ is running. +For example, there is no real reason why a preview could not +be running together with \TeX, so that once a page has been +through \TeX\ and a dvi produced, the preview driver couldn't +pick up that first page and display it. In general, proofing +a preview page takes much longer than producing the dvi, so +\TeX\ would always be ahead of you, once the first page had +been produced. +We may also expect to see \TeX\ in a distributed environment, +where a `mainframe' handles the \TeX ing, but features +like editing, preview, etc, are handled locally on +a workstation. Preview itself should improve, with large high resolution +(say 300dpi) screens. + +The use of colour is inevitable, and also mixed media. +And looking to another fashionable area, +we will probably see \TeX\ incorporated into hypertext applications. +There is no reason why film shouldn't run from within \TeX, +so that text viewed on a screen could include a diagram +of an object which rotated, or a manual +could have `exploded' views which really +did seem to explode! + +Lastly, we should not ignore \MF. +\MF\ is becoming a more mature piece of software, +and we should begin to see +more tools available for it, in particular +to allow pixel editing in order to tune fonts. diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/bcsep.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/bcsep.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..ca0bf12405 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/bcsep.tex @@ -0,0 +1,174 @@ +% BCS Electronic Publishing specialist group conference, 23 Sep 1987 +% +% review by David Osborne, Cripps Computing Centre, Univ of Nottingham +% [ JANET: cczdao@uk.ac.nott.vaxa ] 3-5 Oct, 1987 +% +\def\quid{{\it\$}} % credit to Malcolm Clark for this! +\centerline{\bf BCS Electronic Publishing conference} +\centerline{\bf 23rd September} +\centerline{\bf Storage Technology in EP} +\medskip +\noindent +This was the first meeting of the BCS EP group I had attended, +though the advance programme described it as the fourth full day +meeting of what is now the third year of the group's existence. +The meeting was held at the School of Oriental and African Studies +in London, and was well-attended by representatives of both +commercial and academic organisations. + +In the absence of the scheduled speaker from Hatfield Polytechnic, +Ken~Jamieson of Microrite (chairman of the EP group) gave the first +presentation on an Overview of Relevant Storage Technology, setting in +context the theme of the meeting. He reviewed both the familiar and +unfamiliar media available for storage of text and fonts, leading on to +the new technologies of CD-ROM and WORM which were to be described more +fully later in the day. His description of exchangeable 15.6Mb hard +disks for PCs enlightened many of those present who, like myself, had +not come across these devices. Leading on from this, he contrasted the +amount of storage needed for an average A4 page of text, at about 0.5Mb, +with that of raster images which are increasingly demanded in documents +including both text and graphics; eight quarter-page graphic images to +be rendered at 300 dots-per-inch would require about 2Mb of storage. + +Andrew~James, Ventura Product Manager at Rank-Xerox, then led a +discussion on the storage problems experienced by those in the audience. +Andrew has written a review of the DTP (desk-top publishing) market +in the September 1987 issue of ``PC~User'' from his involvement with +Ventura, so his interests naturally centre on the special problems +of PC users. As he pointed out, most PC publishing users have access +to greatly restricted resources compared with text-processing users +on minis or mainframes. Shortage of disc space is a common difficulty, +particularly with the growing use of packages using bit-mapped font files +(in the pages of \TeX line, one such immediately springs to mind!) +On a slightly partisan note, he commented that some DTP packages +such as {\it PageMaker\/} exacerbate storage problems by using large, +monolithic document files, whereas others such as {\it Ventura\/} +minimise these by using smaller files collected together. + +Having discussed the problems of storage the meeting then turned to +techniques for rapid capture of text in a pair of presentations on OCR +and desktop scanning. Alan Howard of Kurzweil gave a fascinating +description of the Kurzweil ``Discover'' intelligent scanner. Intended +for use with a PC, this uses a special processor board designed by +Kurzweil which embodies expert systems software to perform pattern +recognition on the scanned material, which may be text or graphics. The +text-mode of scanning seems particularly sophisticated, being able to +ignore graphics and ``noise'' (such as handwritten comments, staple +marks and coffee stains), and to scan an A4 page in about 70 seconds +with a 95\% assurance level of character recognition. The ``format +analysis'' performed by the processor even takes account of the page +layout and indent tabbing. For output, the conversion phase can produce +a file in formats acceptable to most common word-processing packages as +a mixture of text and markup commands. In its graphics mode the scanner +can perform contrast enhancement and can handle continuous-tone +photographs, with output in formats suitable for {\it Ventura\/} +and the {\it Xerox Documenter\/}. + +It was perhaps unfortunate that a traffic incident delayed the arrival +of Sandra Woodley from Sintrom, since this led to her having to speak after +the Kurzweil demonstration --- a difficult `act' to follow. +She described the Datacopy OCR scanner, which uses a different, less +sophisticated recognition technique and is therefore restricted to +coping with a set of 19 fonts, up to 9 different fonts on one page. +There is a ``learning'' mode in which the user can teach the scanner in +about 20 minutes to recognise a new font which can then be +added to the machine's library of pre-defined typefaces +(such as Courier 12 and Times Roman 10 \dots not a Computer Modern +to be seen!) At present, the scanner can only cope with text but will +handle both mono- and proportionally-spaced fonts, though kerning and +ligatures can cause some problems. Again, the scanner is PC-based and +can generate output for a variety of word-processing programs. Its +ability to scan bound volumes without them having to be unbound is +certain (I nearly said ``bound'') to make it popular with librarians. + +In comparison, the decision of which scanner to buy comes down to +``paying your money and taking your choice'', since the Datacopy costs +\quid 1658 for the flatbed scanner and \quid 742 for its software, while +the much more sophisticated Kurzweil is pitched at \quid 8000 for the +package of scanner, processor board and software. + +We then progressed into more high-tech with a presentation on WORM +(Write Once, Read Many) technology from Geoff Pullen of Microscribe. +Unlike CD-ROM, there is no current world standard on formats for +the optical discs used in WORM, and discs are manufactured for +specific drives. The discs themselves are made of either glass +or optical polycarbonate and are now guaranteed by the manufacturers +for 30 years, though there was some discussion as to whether this +included integrity of the data recorded on them. +There are many types of drive available, and capacities of 1 gigabyte per +side have been common since 1983. Three sizes are in use: +14-inch, with 6.8Gb capacity; 12-inch; and 5\frac1/4-inch, offering +115Mb--800Mb per disc. ``Juke box'' storage for up to 200 12-inch discs +is available. +Image data from WORM discs can be retrieved in standard MS-DOS file formats, +allowing their exchange between media, once retrieved. +An entry-level 5\frac1/4-inch system should cost \quid 16-20000, +while top-level systems are much more expensive at \quid 84000 for +the Racal REOS, and \quid 100000 for the Philips Megadoc. +Despite these high prices, the utility of WORM for secure storage +of large volumes of text is clear. + +Contrasted with WORM was the other optical medium, CD-ROM, described in +a talk by a speaker from Saztec Ltd., in the context of their contract +with the British Library for the conversion of the BL's General +Catalogue. This is a huge task, since the catalogue details 4.2 million +volumes deposited with the library, and occupies 360 volumes which take +up 42 feet of shelf space. These contain 176,000 pages, representing +about 1 billion characters. The conversion phase of the contract is +costing about \quid 2M and will occupy about 70 people for 4 +years. The claim that this is an unparalled task was disputed by Lawrie +Newton of OUP, who stated that the computerisation of the Oxford English +Dictionary is of a comparable scale. The opportunity is being taken of +restructuring the catalogue as part of the conversion to optical disc. +The CD-ROM discs are similar to the audio discs familiar to +hi-fi enthusiasts and have an unformatted capacity of 600Mb, giving about +550Mb of storage when formatted and indexed. This means that the +British Library catalogue can be held on merely four discs. CD-ROM is a +suitable publishing medium for unchanging reference data, such as the BL +catalogue, and can hold both text and graphics, offering the ability for +rapid searching and the downloading of selected text for later +processing on a PC, for example. The current high costs of mastering +and production mitigate against their use for rapidly changing data, or +where the production run is small, although the hardware to read them is +relatively cheap, at about \quid 200 per drive. The data preparation for +CD-ROM costs about \quid 9000, with mastering an additional \quid 2000 +and replication costs of \quid 12--\quid 18 per disc. This puts the +cost of a production run of one disc at about \quid 12000, but \quid 25000 +for a run of a thousand. + +Rounding off the meeting, Mike Daines of Signus discussed +``Soft Scanning Techniques for fonts'', with particular reference +to Signus' involvement with the {\it Ikarus\/} system. +Signus specialise in the production of digital typefaces for +various manufacturers, both for typesetters and low-resolution devices +such as laser and dot-matrix printers. Mike noted that ``resolution +independence'' of typefaces can be achieved by storing the font +at a higher resolution than that used by any available device; +this is the method adopted by the {\it Lucida\/} family, by +Bigelow and Holmes (which they described at {\it EP86} in Nottingham). +It is also used by {\it Ikarus\/}, which has a resolution of +15000 dots in {\it x\/} and {\it y\/} for an em-square. +He then noted the advantages of hand digitisation, claiming +a that an effective time of 2.6 minutes per letter could be attained, +once the draft designs had been marked up. Signus digitise to +an accuracy of \frac1/{100}{\it mm\/} for a letter 10{\it cm\/} high. +Almost all digital formats can be calculated from this +hand-digitised base. Soft scanning consists of calculating the +intersections of the Ikarus `DI' format (which uses circles, arcs and +straight lines) with the raster pattern of the display device, +producing scan-lines for output. This method allows later reprocessing +of the fonts to perform any corrections which may be necessary. +Summing up, Mike described what he felt were essential +requirements for digital typesetting: +fonts should have a square raster resolution +(equal in {\it x\/} and {\it y\/}), +a constant database of resolution-independent character definitions +and a common font format; +printers should have a minimum resolution of 600 dots-per-inch, +with fonts downloaded from their host machine rather than printer-resident. +\medskip\noindent +(The next meeting of the EP group is scheduled for November 26th, +to discuss DTP in the printing industry, with speakers including +Pierre Mackay and representatives from OUP and John Wiley). +\medskip +\rightline{\it David Osborne, Nottingham University} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/chemistry.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/chemistry.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..0446926b92 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/chemistry.tex @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +% Definitions and stuff for chemistry, equilibrium symbols : +% \eqbm -- unlabeled equilibrium (longer than harpoons) +% \eqbmlab~#1_#2 -- long equilibrium sign with forward (#1) and backward (#2) +% labels +% \yields -- long right arrow +% \yieldslab~#1 -- `` `` `` with a label above (#1) +% To typeset chemical equations, +% type \rm just after the $ or $$. Also, when using \eq}align or +% \eq}aligno, type \cr\rm wherever you would normally type \cr. +% The labels on \eq}bmlab and \yieldslab come out in italic automatically +% (use \rm to get roman). Elsewhere, italicize variables like K_W or N_0 +% using \cit. +% +\def\cit{\fam=-1} \% Chemistry ITalic +\def\longrharpup{\relbar\joinrel\rightharpoonup} +\def\longlharpdn{\leftharpoondown\joinrel\relbar} +\def\rlPOON#1{\vcenter{\hbox{\ooalign{\raise2.3pt + \hbox{$#1\longrharpup$}\crcr $#1\longlharpdn$}}}} +\def\eqbm{\mathrel{\mathpalette\rlPOON{}}\rm} +\def\eqbmlab#1_#2{\mathrel{\mathop{\eqbm}\limits~{#1}_{#2}}\rm} +\def\yields{\longrightarrow\rm} +\def\yieldslab~#1{\mathrel{\mathop{\longrightarrow}\limits~{#1}} \rm} + + +$$A\eqbm B$$ +$$A\eqbmlab A_B$$ +$$A\yieldslab~x$$ +\bye +\fontdimen16\twelvesymboltext=3.24pt +\fontdimen17\twelvesymboltext=3.24pt +\fontdimen16\twelvesymbolscript=2.65pt +\fontdimen17\twelvesymbolscript=2.65pt diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/contents.lis b/info/digests/texline/no6/contents.lis new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..97db1b866d --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/contents.lis @@ -0,0 +1,15 @@ +% +\tolerance=2000 +\input texline +\input head +\begindoublecolumns +\pageno=2 +\input bart\bigskip +\input mfbook\bigskip +\input markup87\bigskip +\input abbey\bigskip +\input tig.txt\bigskip +\input seattle.txt\bigskip +\input bcsep.txt\bigskip +\enddoublecolumns +\bye diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/copyright.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/copyright.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..6776480f31 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/copyright.tex @@ -0,0 +1,133 @@ +\centerline{\bf Copyright} +\medskip +\noindent +One very recent \hax\ message concerned the +issue of copyright. This struck a chord with me, +since I recently obtained Pat Monardo's C-\TeX\ +(referred to here as CommonTeX), +which contains a rider about copyright. +The message was from Ozan Yigit (as Sebastian +Rahtz said, the names are often unusual to +British ears). Granted that all this is about US copyright law, +I'm sure it still does have relevance to the future +of `\TeX-in-C' at the least. I have abbreviated it +only very slightly. + He (or she) writes: + +{\narrower +\noindent +``I have been following, with great interest, the +recent +chatter surrounding the C implementation (Ctex) of +\TeX. Many institutions may have now discovered that +the copies of +CTeX obtained from Texas A\&M are not (somehow) legal, as indicated by +Tomas Rokiki, who has a copyright notice on Ctex sources. + +I would like to suggest that there has possibly been +an abuse of the US copyright laws, and both Ctex and CommonTeX cannot, +in fact carry anyone else's copyright except that of Don Knuth, +and hence, carry the same distribution rights\slash +restrictions [if any] of the original \TeX. + +Why: If I am not mistaken, US copyright laws suggest +that a translation of an originally copyrighted +work carries the same copyright as the original --- +in other words, mechanical and\slash or hand translation +does not obliterate the original copyright. + +One lawyer, Jordan J. Breslow, did address the issue of +`derivative works' in his most enlightening paper. He indicates +that the translation of, say a copyrighted COBOL +program to BASIC would be the infringement of the copyright +owner's exclusive right to make derivative works. + +Is there something missing? Did Don Knuth drop his +copyright on \TeX? + +Now, it is possible that there exists a license arrangement +between Tomas Rokiki and Don Knuth, which allows +Tomas to claim copyright on Ctex. If such +is the case, I would like to know about it, so that I can +understand a request to flush all binaries and sources +of Ctex obtained from Texas A\&M. The same issue, +of course, applies to the `copyleft' notice of +Pat Monardo, for the CommonTeX implementation.'' +\smallskip} + + +\rightline{\sl Malcolm Clark} +\bigskip +\centerline{\bf News from the other side} +\medskip +\noindent +Not only do we have news from the west coast of the US, +but there is also a resident UK\TeX ie at Harvard --- +\DW. Dominik managed to achieve electronic communication +with |texline@ic.cc.vaxa|, and I have synopsised +some of his messages to give a Harvard-eye view +of the \TeX\ world. + +I quote: +{\narrower ``The latest \TeX\ news I have is that there +is a \MF\ course next month at Radnor, Penn, which costs \$650 +to attend! Run by Doug Henderson, who did the Personal\TeX\ +implementation of \MF. The price is outrageous, and the same +goes for the Protext conference here in Boston. + +Norman Naugle has a new \TeX\ previewer +valled CDVI (or something) which is +extremely good (according to him!): it is +optimised to give very fast screen presentation of a +|dvi| file, and apparently it can do +all sorts of tricks with colour (why?) on an EGA. +He will charge \$175 for it, and is still adding further +graphics systems support to it, such as the Olivetti +6300 $640\times400$ board. + +Frans Velthuis is bringing his work on +Devanagari metafonts towards a conclusion. +He has more or less linished the character set +for Hindi, and is working on the few extra characters +needed for Marathi and Sanskrit, and things like the +numerals.'' +\smallskip} + +Dominik also raves about ``a fantastic little utility +on the PC\TeX\ bulletin board'' which helps +in the creation of CM fonts from the |.mf| files +distributed with pc{\mf MF}. He also notes that +it takes about eight hours to create all 74 CM +fonts at one magnification on an 8 MHz AT. + +And lastly, he reminds me to say something about +the programs Graham Asher and Clwyd Probert of Informat +are writing: + +{\narrower\noindent``They are astounding. One creates gigantic \TeX\ macro files +automatically, from choices you make on a large set of +layered menus. The other, related program reads +a {\it wysiwyg} table, and writes the \TeX\ code +to typeset it! The dividing lines and corners, etc., can +be any characters you choose. Again I was most impressed.'' +\smallskip} +\noindent +There will be something on these new \TeX\ add-on +products at \TeX88. Graham will likely be giving at +least one +paper, and a hands-on demonstration must be +inevitable. It is probably true that Informat is +the most progressive hive of \TeX\ activity +in the UK at present, as Graham's article +in the previous \TeX line, `{\bf\TeX\ and the +Linotron 101}' and the +letter overleaf attests. Graham, Clwyd and the +other programmers at Informat are producing some very powerful +software which will help in increasing the use of +\TeX. Although the menu-driven `front-end' bears +some similarity to systems like {\it Page One}, +it is far more general, without being more +cumbersome or difficult to use. + +\rightline{\sl Malcolm Clark} + diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/editorial.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/editorial.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..beba037c9c --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/editorial.tex @@ -0,0 +1,121 @@ +\centerline{\bf Editorial} +\centerline{\bf\TeX\ considered as the Zahir} +\medskip +\noindent +This seems to have been a good year for \TeX. +Communication and distribution has improved enormously. +The rebirth of \hax, and even more significantly, +its redistribution within the UK has been a boon +to those who are now able to receive it easily +and conveniently over Janet. + +Spurred on by this success (and the large amount +of useful material in \hax), Peter Abbott at Aston +University started a similar scheme in Britain. +This is growing steadily, and proving to be a useful +source of information and communication. + +Peter has also collected together much of the +public domain \TeX\ material, like the \LaTeX\ +style files, and it is possible to pick these +files up electronically from Aston. + +This is fine for the academic community, or at least +parts of it, but less useful to those who are +isolated (or insulated) from ivory towers. The +Unix community, with UUCP can also indulge, so the +picture is not solely one of lofty academic +separation. Bulletin boards can be substitutes, +and as \DW's note demonstrates, those bulletin boards +could be a long way away. + +One of my concerns has always been the isolated \TeX\ +user. I don't feel that he or she is particularly +well-served by {\sl The \TeX book} and a micro +version of \TeX. At the very least you need to +talk to someone else, just to be sure that you +haven't gone completely crazy. TUG and TUGboat +go some way to convincing people that they are not alone, +most particularly through the membership list. But +too few people join. I was looking for the addresses +of some well known \TeX nophiles --- look in the +TUG membership listing I thought: were they there? +Of course not. It could be that their institution +has membership, but\dots + +I realised too that not everyone really gets to know about +TUG. Where is it mentioned in the book? Appendix J +is the only source of information. By the time you +get that far through the book you should be experiencing +terminal brain saturation. It's probably too late by then. +Pick up the \LaTeX\ book: where is {\it any\/} +mention of TUG? (I have to be careful these days +saying anything about \LaTeX, ever since +Phil Taylor and +I were stigmatised +by Sebastian Rahtz as `\LaTeX-haters'). +Spivak mentions TUG on page 5 of `Joy of \TeX', +increasing my admiration for the man. The manuals +which come with the micro versions are even worse +at promoting TUG. Why? Most software vendors work +hard at creating active User Groups. Here there is +one ready made, and the vendors appear to ignore it. +It would be no great problem to include a reply-paid +postcard in each copy of a micro version of \TeX, +entitling the purchaser to one year's free +subscription. How about it Addison-Wesley\slash +Personal \TeX\slash FTL systems\slash $n^2$\slash +Kettler-EDV\slash etc? + +We also need a higher profile in the popular press. +Is there some good reason why an article on \TeX\ +has not yet appeared in New Scientist? or in +the computer pages of one of the `quality' daily +newspapers? Preferably written by someone who knows +what he or she is talking about (i.e.~not a journalist). +It appears that \TeX\ is making some slight headway +in the DTP aware magazines. But to take an example, +at the Desktop Publishing Show run by Pira +a few weeks ago in +Islington, a Yearbook was `given' to each +registrant. \TeX\ in its various guises turns up +a few times, but frankly, the descriptions were +not wholly accurate. If Pira can't get it right, +I can't really expect the press to. I thought +the show was pretty dull anyway --- {\it Pagemaker} +(yawn) and {\it Ventura} (yawn) are not terribly +exciting. Interleaf was as good as ever, especially +now it can do equations (but what a price!). +IBM had their 600 dpi electro-erosion printer +there, besides their new \ps\ (yawn) Ricoh-engined +laser +printer. It could have been worse, IBM might +have adopted \TeX! Anyway, Apple blew them away +as usual --- this time with HyperCard: at last the +potential for electronic publishing is beginning +to be recognised. But by now you know how I feel +about Apple (aren't their {\sc tv} ads dreadful --- +I almost expect to see Mel Smith doing them). + +Another positive step has been the arrival of TUG +courses in Europe. Courses were presented at Exeter +and at Bergen. Unfortunately the projected Groningen +course was not run. \MF\ has become sufficiently +available that TUG is now presenting a course on it, +in the US. + +At last CMR is much more widely available. Personal +\TeX\ recently upgraded to CMR (Addison-Wesley please +note), and took the opportunity to change +to ArborText's |.pk| drivers. While the CMR upgrade +is free (it only affects the format files and the +|tfm|'s), a nominal charge will be made for upgrading the +drivers. Another extra from Personal \TeX\ is +the availability of the Bitstream fonts. I hope +we will have more details on this soon. pc\TeX\ +users should contact Ewart North of Uni\TeX. + +\rightline{\sl Malcolm Clark} + + + diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/extract.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/extract.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..dd16e5b877 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/extract.tex @@ -0,0 +1,411 @@ + +% BEST OF TEXHAX notes for TeXline +% by Sebastian Rahtz +% Malcolm - i am unused to plain TeX, and have quickly hacked together +% some macros. please feel free to redo at will. wish I was back in +% LaTeX..... +%--------------------------------------------------------------------- +% program quoting macros +% +\def\UncatcodeSpecials{\def\do##1{\catcode`##1=12 }\dospecials} +{\begingroup\obeyspaces\catcode`\ =13\endgroup} +% +\def\SetupVerbatim{\tt\def\par{\leavevmode\endgraf}\catcode`\`=\active +\obeylines\UncatcodeSpecials \obeyspaces\catcode`\ =13} +{\catcode`\`=\active \gdef`{\relax\lq}} +% +\def\program{\begingroup\parindent=0em\par +\SetupVerbatim\xprogram} +\begingroup +\catcode`\|=0 \catcode`\\=12 +|obeylines|gdef|xprogram#1\endprogram{#1|endgroup|vskip 10pt|parindent=0em|par} +|endgroup +% +% miscellaneous +\parindent=1em +\def\and{\item{$\bullet$}} +\def\sq{\smallskip\begingroup\leftskip=3em\noindent +\sf\parindent=0em\parskip=2pt} +\def\eq{\smallskip\hrule\smallskip +\parindent=1em\parskip=0pt\leftskip=0em\endgroup} +\def\bs{$\backslash$} +% +% names +\font\sf=cmss10 +\def\texline{\TeX line} +%------------------------------------------- +\centerline{\bf Best of \hax, Summer 87} +\centerline{\it Sebastian Rahtz, Department of Electronics and +Computer Science, University of Southampton} +\medskip\noindent +Those readers of \texline\ who are not daily users of electronic mail, +and/or use \TeX\ primarily on micros, may not be aware of the +existence of the \hax\ mailing list, which exists to share information +around the international \TeX\ community. It is distributed from the +University of Stanford under the editorship of Malcolm Brown, and uses +a digest format; Malcolm stores incoming mail (requests for +information, news of new products, replies to other questions, +`official' communications from TUG in advance of TUGboat) until +it reaches critical mass, then bundles it together with a list of +contents and sends it to everyone on the \hax\ list. Typically, this +happens two or three times a week, and each issue contains about a +dozen contributions, which means that a vast amount of \TeX -related +material is flitting across the networks all the time. The purpose of +this article is to describe the range of \TeX ery covered in \hax, and +to reprint some of the more interesting topics. Readers who wish to +join in this activity (be prepared for a lot of browsing of mail +messages!) must have an account on their local mainframe or mini with +access to network mail (consult your local guru); send mail to +{\tt texhax-request\%uk.ac.ucl.cs} and ask that +your name be put on the list to receive \hax\ (don't forget to tell +them your own mail address). As things stand at the moment, this +international mail will not cost you anything, as one copy is sent to +London and forwarded to you from there. + +\hax\ is read by a very large number of people, to judge by +contributions, from America, Canada, Britain, Europe, Japan, Australia +etc. Leslie Lamport is a regular contributor with answers to \LaTeX\ +problems, Barbara Beeton monitors it for TUG, and even Donald Knuth +adds the occasional note. It is a good place to send an esoteric +question, as usually someone with an unpronounceable name from an +institution you have never heard of will send in an answer. If you +want a more local answer (`who has got a copy of xxx in Britain?'), +there is a UK version of \hax, recently set up by Peter Abbott at +Aston, to bring together specifically UK \TeX xies---mail to {\tt +abbott@uk.ac.aston.mail} to get on that list. + +For the purpose of this article, I have looked at the 36 issues of \hax\ +that reached me between May 22nd and September 6th (an average of +about two a week). There were approximately 480 contributions dealing +with every sort of \TeX\ arcana; just searching the subject fields +(not necessarily a proper reflection of contents), I found 129 pieces +relating to \LaTeX\ (including 22 sets of {\it \LaTeX\ Notes} from +Leslie Lamport), 14 pieces on \BibTeX, 11 on \MF, 6 on +\SliTeX, and just 1 on \AmSTeX. My subjective impression is that +\LaTeX\ matters are an even higher proportion of \hax\ even than +appears from these figures. In general, contributions vary from the +questions about hardware (usually printers), to the private life of +\TeX\ macros, as evinced in the following two excerpts: + +{\narrower\noindent + My order for the IBM 4250 font tapes just came back with + ``I no longer have a font tape for the 4250 printer. The person + who supplied it to me originally has not made another one for version 2 + of TeX." + Where can I get one of these tapes? + What's the difference between V1.01(the one she doesn't have) and 2? + Will they still work? +\smallskip +and +\noindent +Subject: TeX eats l's after fil +\noindent +If an `l' or and `L' follows a unit of glue such as `fil', even separated +by spaces, it is aparently parsed as part of the name of the unit. This +leads to some fairly strange behavior. For example, the following script +will put a `K' and a `M' in the dvi file, but no `L'! + +\program + \def\q#1{\hskip 0 pt plus 0 fil #1} + \q{K}\q{L}\q{M} + \end +\smallskip +\%\% Barbara Beeton responds: + +the ``l"-gobbling you've encountered is legitimate, and easily explained. +the full syntax of \bs hskip is +\program + \hskip<dimen> plus<dimen> minus<dimen> +\endprogram +since your example didn't include a ``minus", tex keeps looking. +since ``fil" is a ``pseudo-dimension" it can continue, up to 3 ``l"s +(if your data had been ``llama", all you would have gotten in the output +would have been ``ama"). similarly, if the data had started with the +word ``minus", not followed by a proper$<$dimen$>$, minus would have been +gobbled and you probably would have gotten a nasty message to the effect +that a$<$dimen$>$ was expected, and 0pt will be assumed. the best way to +avoid this is to put \relax after your skip expression. + this is covered explicitly in the texbook; look it up in the +index (page 469): ``l after fil". + -- barbara beeton +\smallskip} + +Sometimes \hax\ gets onto a general issue---there have been +discussions over the last year on such questions as: + +{\narrower +\and Can University authorities be persuaded to drop their +`double-spaced Courier' thesis requirements for students who have +access to a proper typesetting system like \TeX? +\and What freedom should \LaTeX\ users have to tinker with the layout? +Leslie Lamport feels strongly that only experienced document designers +should be able to alter e.g. the font used in a running head. + +\and Can a consistent set of standards for dvi drivers be put +together? What facilities should they have? How do you handle \bs +specials? This question was +addressed in detail at the TUG meeting in August, and a committee was +set up to look into it. + +\and What is the relationship of \ps\ to \TeX? Lamport suggested +\TeX\ be changed to output pure \ps, others defend their LN03s to the +death. +} + +Usually, of course, \hax\ is question and answer; +here are some random selections of items that should give a general +flavour of what happens on a daily basis: +\program + \def \dolist + {\afterassignment\dodolist + \let\next=} + \def \dodolist + {\ifx \next \endlist \let \next \relax + \else \\ \let\next\dolist + \fi \next} + \def \endlist + {\endlist} + \def \\ + {\next\hfil } + \def \spreadem#1#2{\hbox to #1{\dolist #2\endlist\hfilneg}} + + \spreadem{2.0 in}{spread} + \spreadem{1.5 in}{the} + \spreadem{1.0 in}{word} + + \bye +\endprogram + +These macros were adopted from the macros given as the solution to +problem 11.5 in the TEXbook. The idea is to stick an \bs hfil after every +letter (token) in the word (argument). The glue after the final letter +causes the word to be ``ragged-right" in the box; this is fixed by +canceling the glue with an \bs hfilneg. + +\eq} + +{\sq +Subject: WEB for Ada? + +Is there a version of WEB that accepts the Ada language? + + Thanks, Jack Sharer, JWS@PSUARLC + +\eq} + +{\sq +Subject: Typesetting chemical papers + +Like Th. Kneser, I also needed chemical equilibrium symbols and +came up with the following, which may be useful. Note that these +are for plain TeX and for chemical equations that are being typeset +in Roman. + +\program +% Definitions and stuff for chemistry, equilibrium symbols : +% \eq}bm -- unlabeled equilibrium (longer than harpoons) +% \eq}bmlab~#1_#2 -- long equilibrium sign with forward (#1) and backward (#2) +% labels +% \yields -- long right arrow +% \yieldslab~#1 -- `` `` `` with a label above (#1) +% To typeset chemical equations, +% type \rm just after the $ or $$. Also, when using \eq}align or +% \eq}aligno, type \cr\rm wherever you would normally type \cr. +% The labels on \eq}bmlab and \yieldslab come out in italic automatically +% (use \rm to get roman). Elsewhere, italicize variables like K_W or N_0 +% using \cit. +% +\def\cit{\fam=-1} \% Chemistry ITalic +\def\longrharpup{\relbar\joinrel\rightharpoonup} +\def\longlharpdn{\leftharpoondown\joinrel\relbar} +\def\rlPOON#1{\vcenter{\hbox{\ooalign{\raise2.3pt + \hbox{$#1\longrharpup$}\crcr $#1\longlharpdn$}}}} +\def\eq}bm{\mathrel{\mathpalette\rlPOON{}}\rm} +\def\eq}bmlab~#1_#2{\mathrel{\mathop{\eqbm}\limits~{#1}_{#2}}\rm} +\def\yields{\longrightarrow\rm} +\def\yieldslab~#1{\mathrel{\mathop{\longrightarrow}\limits~{#1}} \rm} +\endprogram + + +To make subscripts come out aligned I have put (for example) +\program +\fontdimen16\twelvesymboltext=3.24pt +\fontdimen17\twelvesymboltext=3.24pt +\fontdimen16\twelvesymbolscript=2.65pt +\fontdimen17\twelvesymbolscript=2.65pt +\endprogram +in with my font definitions following the example of the TeXbook p.179. +These 12 pt numbers were determined by trial and eye...leading to a +question of my own: + + How can I look at the font parameters for an arbitrary font + and determine the proper font dimensions to make chemical + subscripts all come out aligned? Or, Has someone determined + the numbers already? + + Donald + (asnd@triumfcl.bitnet or + userasnd@ubcmtsg.bitnet) +\eq} + +One common feature of \hax\ is the swopping of style files for \LaTeX. +For those who are not aware of it, here is the latest description of +the Rochester \LaTeX\ style file collection: +{\sq + Subject: Contents of LaTeX style collection, 2nd August 1987 + + Date: Sun, 02 Aug 87 14:03:33 -0400 + + From: Ken Yap $<$ken@cs.rochester.edu$>$ + + The LaTeX style collection now has the files listed below. More + submissions are very welcome. + +{ \settabs 3 \columns + \+ 00directory&format.sty&slem.doc \cr + \+ 00index&fullpage.doc&slem.sty \cr + \+ 00readme&fullpage.sty&spacecites.doc \cr + \+ a4.sty&geophysics.sty&spacecites.sty \cr + \+ a4wide.sty&german.sty&suthesis.doc \cr + \+ aaai-instructions.tex&ieeetr.bst&suthesis.sty \cr + \+ aaai-named.bst&ist21.sty&texindex.doc \cr + \+ aaai.sty&latex.bug&texindex.pas \cr + \+ acm.bst&layout.readme&texindex.sty \cr + \+ agugrl.sample&layout.tex&texnames.doc \cr + \+ agugrl.sty&lcustom.tex&texnames.sty \cr + \+ agujgr.sample&lfonts\_ams.readme&textyl.readme \cr + \+ agujgr.sty&lfonts\_ams.tex&textyl.shar1 \cr + \+ amssymbols.sty&lgraph.shar&textyl.shar2 \cr + \+ art10.txt&local.suppl&textyl.shar3 \cr + \+ art11.txt&memo.sty&textyl.shar4 \cr + \+ art12.txt&mfr.sty&textyl.shar5 \cr + \+ article.txt&mitthesis.sample&textyl.shar6 \cr + \+ biihead.sty&mitthesis.sty&textyl.shar7 \cr + \+ ctex.readme&natsci.bst&textyl.shar8 \cr + \+ ctex.shar1&newalpha.bst&textyl.shar9 \cr + \+ ctex.shar2&nopagenumbers.doc&tgrind.sty \cr + \+ ctex.shar3&nopagenumbers.sty&threepart.sty \cr + \+ ctex.shar4&remark.sty&titlepage.txt \cr + \+ ctex.shar5&resume.sample&trademark.sty \cr + \+ ctex.shar6&resume.sty&uct10.doc \cr + \+ cyrillic.sty&sc21-wg1.sty&uct11.doc \cr + \+ dayofweek.tex&sc21.sty&uct12.doc \cr + \+ deproc.sty&sfwmac.sty&ucthesis.doc \cr + \+ deprocldc.tex&showlabels.sty&ucthesis.readme \cr + \+ docsty.c&siam.bib&uuencode.shar \cr + \+ docsty.readme&siam.bst&vdm.doc \cr + \+ doublespace.sty&siam.doc&vdm.sty \cr + \+ draft.sty&siam.sty&vdm.tex \cr + \+ drafthead.sty&siam.tex&ws87.p \cr + \+ dvidoc.shar1&siam10.doc&wsltex.c \cr + \+ dvidoc.shar2&siam10.sty&wsltex.p \cr + \+ epic.shar1&siam11.sty&xxxcustom.tex \cr + \+ epic.shar2&siam12.sty&xxxslides.sty \cr +} + + 1. For Internet users - how to ftp: + + Here is an example session. Disclaimer: ftp syntax varies from host to + host. Your syntax may be different. The syntax presented here is that + of Unix ftp. Comments in parentheses. + +\program + % ftp cayuga.cs.rochester.edu (a.k.a. cs.rochester.edu, a.k.a. 192.5.53.209) + ... (general blurb) + user: anonymous + password: <any non-null string> + ftp> cd public/latex-style (where the files are) + ftp> ls (to see what is there) + ... (lots of output) + ftp> get 00index + ... (more blurb) + ftp> quit +\endprogram + + 2. Non-Internet users - how to retrieve by mail: + + An archive server has been installed. Send a piece of mail to LaTeX-Style + (@rochester.arpa, @cs.rochester.edu, via uucp or your favourite gateway) in + the following format: + + Subject line should contain the phrase ``@file request". Body of the + mail should start with a line containing only an @ (at) sign. + The first line following should be a mail address FROM rochester TO +[B you. Then follow by the names of the files you want, either one to + each line, or many to each line, separated by spaces. End with a line + containing only an @ sign. Case is not significant. + + For example, if you are user at site.bitnet, this is what you should send: + +\program + + To: latex-style@rochester.arpa + Subject: @file request + + @ + user%site.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu (don't forget your address!) + 00readme + 00index + @ +\endprogram + + Caveat: our mailer is pretty ignorant of BITNET, CSNET or UUCP + addresses unless they are in registered domains. It is best that you + supply explicit gateway routes. Also use the new domainized form of + addresses whenever possible because the old .ARPA addresses are fading + away. + +\program + user%site.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu + user%site.csnet@relay.cs.net (not csnet-relay.arpa anymore) + site!user@seismo.css.gov (not seismo.arpa anymore) +\endprogram + + Long UUCP paths are discouraged. System administrators get upset and + your turnaround is very slow anyway. + + Do not include any messages in the mail. It will not be seen by human + eyes. Be patient as the server is actually a batch program run once a + day. Files will be sent in batches, each not exceeding 100kbytes in size. + + 3. IBM PC and clone users - how to get a distribution: + + David Hopper of Toronto, Canada is offering copies of the style + collection on diskettes. This is not a commercial enterprise. David is + doing this in his own time as a favour to the TeX community. The entire + set of style files, not including the C-TeX files, as of June 1st, fits + on one 1.2 MB diskette or three 360KB diskettes. No subsetting, + please. Send David + +\item{ 1.} Formatted diskettes, + \item{2.} Indication of the format required, + \item{3.} A self-addressed mailer, and + \item{4.} A \$5.00 donation per set of files, to cover postage and equipment wear + \& tear. (If you live outside North America, airmail delivery will probably + require more postage. You should probably contact David for details.) + + David's address: +{\it + David W. Hopper, + + 446 Main Street, + + + Toronto, Ontario, + + Canada M4C 4Y2 +} + + Thanks, David. + + Ken + + LaTeX-Style@Rochester.Arpa + + LaTeX-Style@cs.Rochester.Edu + + ..!rochester!latex-style + +\eq} + +\bye diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/head.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/head.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..2c82086e5b --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/head.tex @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@ +\nopagenumbers +\hsize=6.5in +\newbox\info +\newbox\banner +\newdimen\infoht +\newdimen\bannerht +\setbox\info=\vbox{% +\hsize=200pt% +\font\small=cmr7% +\baselineskip=7.5pt% +\small +\def\monyr{\ifcase\month\or January\or February\or March\or April + \or May\or June\or July\or August\or September\or October + \or November\or December\fi\ \number\year}% +\line{ \hfill Number 7, \monyr} +\line{ \hfill the Newsletter of \TeX\ users in UK and Ireland} +\line{ \hfill printed at Imperial College Computer Centre} +\line{ \hfill edited and assembled by} +\line{ \hfill Malcolm W Clark} +\line{ \hfill Imperial College Computer Centre} +\line{ \hfill Exhibition Road} +\line{ \hfill London SW7 2BX} +\line{ \hfill Tel: 01 589 5111 ex 4949} +\line{ \hfill Fax: 01 584 7596} +\line{ \hfill Janet: texline@uk.ac.ic.cc.vaxa}} +\setbox\banner=\vtop{% +\hsize=220pt% +\font\huge=times at65pt% +\huge\TeX\kern-0.2ex line} +\infoht=\ht\info +\advance\infoht by\dp\info +\bannerht=\ht\banner +\advance\bannerht by\dp\banner +\advance\infoht by-\bannerht +\divide\infoht by2 +\leavevmode + +\hbox to \hsize{\box\info\hfill\raise\infoht\box\banner} + +\bigskip diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/markup87.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/markup87.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..4bff2ee279 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/markup87.tex @@ -0,0 +1,105 @@ +\centerline{\bf \MarkUp} +\medskip +\noindent +\MarkUp\ was again organised by the Graphic Communication +Association. It is an international conference which +gives those who are involved in the development of the +Standard Generalized Markup Language (\SGML) and those who +are interested in its application an opportunity +to share the current progress +and to discuss the future. + +The venue for this year's conference was Torremolinos, +Spain. I can almost hear your reaction now! However, it +proved very worthwhile for those of us who braved the +merry quips of our colleagues about the conference being a +cover for a few days' holiday. Who would have suspected that +such excellent conference facilities were lurking in these +surroundings? + +As you may be aware the Spanish are well known for their +siesta time and following the local custom the itinery +showed quite clearly a morning session, a siesta and +a late afternoon\slash evening session (how civilised). I think +it reflects the dedication of all who took part in the conference +that in fact full use was made of the ``siesta time'' +for meetings\slash practical demonstrations\slash informal discussions, thereby +packing as much as possible into the days available. + +In October last year a milestone in the life of \SGML\ +was reached --- it received approval from the +International Standards Office and is now formally +known as {\sc iso 8879} \SGML. The first presentation +given at the conference was by Charles Goldfarb who, +together with his team, has spent ten years developing +this language. The title of his paper was +{\sl The \SGML\ Finalization Process and Application +Responsibility}. He outlined the final stages which saw the +completion of the developmental work on \SGML\ and then proceeded to identify areas in the +applications field which will need particular attention to +ensure the language is used effectively. + +Craig Smith and Dr Manfred Kr\"uger made their presentations +next. They both emphasized the importance of accurate +analysis as part of the design and creation of the document type +definitions which form the basis of any project using +\SGML. Manfred also chaired the first two days of the conference +which ensured that they ran very smoothly. + +The next session of the conference dealt with the development +of \SGML\ Applications. Joan Smith gave us the benefit +of her experience on the British Library \SGML\ document +type and also gave details of {\sc docmanusc}, a {\sc CEC} sponsored project +to promote the use of \SGML\ throughout Europe. + +Further \SGML\ applications were +described during the second day of the conference. +Christian Guittet explained how the +Project {\sc fame} (Formex Applied to Multilinguism in Europe) +used \SGML\ based coding to handle the publication of documents for the Office for +Official Publications of the European Communities. +This enables the documentation to be published in all the languages +required using the same source coding. + +John R. McFadden described the applications that the +company {\it Software Exoterica Corporation} have developed for use +by the Canadian Government. Pamela Gennusa explained +how \SGML\ has been used within the Department of Defense in the United +States to enable the technical documentation to be created +and updated in a way which meets the very tough criteria under +which DoD operates. + +An \SGML\ based project has been successfully created in England +which operates under very strict time constraints. +Tony Rowley described how {\it Pindar Infotek}, +under the guidance of Peter Howgate can handle the data +relating to the registration of patents which +is controlled by the Patents Office in Munich. + +The last day of the conference looked at the current +situation from a different viewpoint. Michael Buckingham chaired +this day of the conference and started the proceedings with +his thoughts of the potential of \SGML\ as seen by the +British. Franco Mastroddi explained the European Community +approach to electronic publishing and imagebanks, and Steven Brown +explained the principles of integrated database publishing. + +During the two days before the conference itself, +several of the delegates had attended a practical +tutorial on \SGML. They were given invaluable guidance +on the approach to using \SGML. Those of us who did +not attend the tutorial were able to see demonstrations +of two pieces of commercially available +software which allow the ``lay user'' to make use of +\SGML\ in the capture of their documentation. The demonstrators +also gave presentations during the conference to explain the technical +advantages of their products. One, Writerstation, operates on +an {\sc ibm} pc (or clone), and the other, fondly known +as {\sc fred}, runs on the Apple Mac. No doubt software packages based on \SGML\ +will become more readily available now that it has been accepted by {\sc iso}. + +Next year's conference will be held in Ottowa, Canada, +on 23rd--25th May 1988, and I am sure by then there will be several +more products being demonstrated. + +\rightline{\sl Geeti Granger, John Wiley \& Sons Ltd} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/mfbook.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/mfbook.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..4f9bfcc98c --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/mfbook.tex @@ -0,0 +1,162 @@ +\centerline{\bf Book Review: The \MFb book} +\medskip +\noindent{\sl +The \MF book, Donald E. Knuth, 1986, 361pp. +Published by Addison Wesley, price \quid19.95 (paper), \quid29.95 (hard).} +\medskip\noindent +\MF\ is a computer program written by Donald Knuth for the purpose +of designing digital graphic objects, especially fonts of type, in a device +independent way. {\sl The\/ \MF book\/} is Knuth's manual for the +software. This is a review of the book, not the program! + +Readers of {\it The \TeX book\/} will feel immediately at home with {\sl The\/ + \MF book}. Its style of presentation, design, layout and even the +number of chapters and appendices, are the same as its illustrious +predecessor. Once again, Knuth is attempting to provide in one book both a +tutorial and a reference manual for the software, through his careful and +elaborate system of `dangerous bend' paragraphs, and graded exercises and +examples. Whether this is a success depends to some degree on one's reading +habits: I find I simply cannot stop myself reading at the dangerous bend +signs, with the result that I failed to understand quite a lot of the book on +the first reading. Subsequent rereadings gradually cleared my mind. The +examples are all worth attempting, and teach one as much, if not more, than +mere passive reading. + +Broadly speaking, Chapters 1 to 6 (`The name of the game', `Coordinates', +`Curves', `Pens', `Running \MF', `How \MF\ reads what you +type') present a gentle introduction to the basic concepts underlying the way + \MF works, and a real life example of the design of the uppercase +letters I and O (an example file `dedicated to Io, the Greek goddess of input +and output'). Thereafter the waters begin to flow more deeply. The five-page +chapter on variables leads into two substantial chapters on the mathematical +underpinning of \MF\ (`Algebraic expressions' and `Equations'), and +a three page chapter on the difference between assignment and equation +operations as used in \MF\ (`a person who makes too many assignments +is still locked into the habits of old-style ``imperative'' programming +languages \dots\ ; \MF's equation mechanism liberates us +\dots\ because it lets the computer take over the job of solving +equations.'). Chapters 11 to 16 (`Magnification and resolution', `Boxes', +`Drawing, filling and erasing', `Paths', `Transformations', `Calligraphic +effects') are more closely concerned with graphics and \MF's tools +for creating and manipulating images. Chapter 24, `Discreteness and +discretion', which deals with the difficult problems of digitisation, really +belongs with this group of chapters. As an aside, there is an interesting +comment at the beginning of chapter 24, where Knuth says that typefaces +produced solely by graphics programs cannot be expected to be as good as those +`carefully crafted to look best on a particular output device'. He goes on to +say that a small amount of hand-tuning (i.e., pixel editing) will always be +necessary to optimise a font for a particular device, but that a good +\MF\ program should produce a character in which only half a dozen pixels +will need changing. This is very unexpected, for while I think it is true, it +apppears to run counter to the whole `meta' idea of universality and device +independence which is so central to Knuth's work. + +In Chapters 17 to 21 (`Grouping', `Definitions (also called macros)', +`Conditions and loops', `More about macros', `Random numbers') Knuth turns to +the control structures of the \MF language itself. Chapters 22 and +23 (`Strings', and `Online displays') cover \MF's interaction with +the graphics terminal which it is addressing. The final three chapters +(`Summary of expressions', `Summary of the language', `Recovering from +errors') are self explanatory. As with {\it The \TeX book}, much of the meat +of this book is to be found in the appendices. Again, they are alphabetically +enumerated A--J, with each letter also forming the first letter of the +appendix's title (`Answers to all the excercises', `Basic operations', +`Character codes', `Dirty tricks', `Examples', `Font metric information', +`Generic font files', `Hardcopy proofs', `Index', `Joining the \TeX\ +community'). One wonders whether Knuth felt obliged to write eight +substantial appendixes just to get to I for Index! I find it slightly +annoying that so much of what one needs to know in order to install and run + \MF is tucked away in these appendices. For example, the first +place in which Knuth explains how to invoke \MF\ to create a real +font at a particular magnification is on page 269, in Section 4 of Appendix B! +Essential information is not always in the obvious place. The upshot of this +is that while reading {\sl The\/ \MF book\/} one has constant +recourse to the index, which fortunately is excellent. But any particular +installation of \MF\ will need a {\it Local guide\/} (human or +printed) to explain such mundane, but definitely non-trivial matters as how to +run the program, and how to print proofs. + +Who is {\sl The\/ \MF book\/} written for? The first buyers of the +book will be the members of the \TeX\ community (\TeX ies prepared to boldly +go \dots) who are interested in Knuth's work on typesetting and +programming for its own sake, and as an extension of the \TeX\ system. These +readers may also buy {\sl \MF: the program}, the |WEB| listing of the +program itself. Another class of readers are those who use \TeX\ with +Knuth's Computer Modern (CM) series of fonts, and who wish to use +\MF\ to generate extra sizes or styles of these fonts, or to create the +occasional graphic symbol or logo. These readers may also wish to buy the +{\sl Computer Modern Typefaces\/} ({\sl CMT\/}) volume, in which Knuth sets +out the \MF\ programs for the 500 or so characters of the CM fonts, +together with listings of their parameters and related files. These programs +accompany all distributions of \MF\ itself, so with the two books it +is relatively easy to generate various extra fonts for any output device +driver. A third class of reader is that small band of indefatigable optimists +who contemplate creating a complete new font. Knuth says in the preface of +{\sl The\/ \MF book\/} that `a person or a team of persons should +expect to spend a year or more on the project if the type is actually supposed +to look right.' For those setting out to create a new font, {\sl The\/ +\MF book\/} and {\sl Computer Modern Typefaces\/} are a minimum +requirement for understanding how to use \MF. But what neither of +these volumes provide are any guidelines about the process of font design. If +you already have beautiful, accurate drawings of your character set on fine +graph paper, then {\sl The\/ \MF book\/} will teach you how to use + \MF\ to turn these drawings into digitised fonts for an output +device, or a range of output devices. But one must look elsewhere for all the +skills and knowledge needed to produce the initial typeface. In the process +of designing the CM fonts, Knuth undoubtedly developed a great deal of +sensitivity to letter forms, and although this knowledge is embodied in his + \MF\ programs for the letters, it is difficult in the extreme to +work backwards from the programs to the general principles underlying his +design decisions (although this is what Knuth proposes). It is a pity Knuth +has not shared more of this with his readers explicitly, in particular the +readers of the companion {\sl CMT\/} book. If you are setting out to design +a new typeface, then {\sl The\/ \MF book\/} definitely presupposes +a substantial degree of sophistication in typographical design. + +Although {\sl The\/ \MF book\/} does give a complete description of +the use of the language, if you include the small print and the appendices, it +is rather short on complex real life examples. The examples given in Chapter +5 (`IO') and Appendix E (` \MF') are really very simplistic when +compared with most of the character programs in {\sl CMT}. From reading {\sl +The\/ \MF book\/} one might think that all that is necessary for the +creation of a character is to set up a box, choose a pen, and join up the +coordinates. This may be true for calligraphic letters such as N. N. +Billawala's CM Calligraphic Capitals ({\sl CMT}, pp.122--139), and it may turn +out to be an appropriate method for several oriental alphabets, but it is very +far from adequate for a real Latin typeface, as Knuth's CM programs show. +Once again, the gap between theory and practice is far from trivial. For +example, every one of the CM programs in {\sl CMT\/} has an |adjust_fit| +expression, usually as the fourth program statement. This macro provides a +ready means of adjusting the amount of white space either side of a +character's bounding box. One can thus create a character, and later jiggle +it to the left or right with |adjust_fit| until it looks properly spaced. +Clearly, |adjust_fit| is ubiquitous and important. But it does not form +part of \MF's plain base: it is part of the additional CM base that +Knuth created for the design of the CM typefaces, and so, although it appears +in every CM program, it is not described in the main text of {\sl The\/ +\MF book}. It is squirreled away on pages 307--309, in Appendix E. +There are many other examples of how the \MF one grows acquainted +with from {\sl The\/ \MF book\/} is not quite the same animal as the + \MF\ one sees in the CM programs. Perhaps this is inevitable in a +language which is so very rich in its provision for macro programming. + +These criticisms aside, {\sl The\/ \MF book\/} is very well written, +with a clean, light style that makes the book a pleasure to read, and easy to +learn from. Given that it is, at present, the only book about \MF, +it is fortunate indeed that it is so complete and well written. The {\sc jokes} are +not intrusive, and the anatomical metaphor which was so prominent in {\it The +\TeX book\/} (\TeX's mouth, stomach, etc.), and which has such disturbing +implications for the way Knuth's programs output our words or symbols, is +thankfully less prominent in {\sl The\/ \MF book}. There is still a +need for other books about \MF, which should have more to say about +installation, about the design aspects of character creation using the +program, about the practical aspects of proof production and use (with a major +chapter called `How to learn from your proofs'), and which should have many +more worked examples. We need books to teach computer scientists to design +typefaces, as well as books to teach type designers how to use \MF. +But {\sl The\/ \MF book\/} is always going to be the definitive text +for \MF. Any user of the program will get to know it very well: it +becomes almost a personal friend, and it stands the close exposure that such a +relationship demands remarkably well. + +\rightline{\sl\DW, Wellcome Institute} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/mitem.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/mitem.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..635c66d6bc --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/mitem.tex @@ -0,0 +1,160 @@ +\nopagenumbers\tolerance=2000\overfullrule0pt +\newbox\leftside +\newbox\rightside +\long\def\mitem#1#2{% +\global\setbox\leftside\vtop{\everypar{\strut}\hsize144pt\parindent0pt +\strut#1\strut} +\global\setbox\rightside\vtop{\everypar{\strut}\hsize250pt\noindent +\strut#2\strut} +\box\leftside&\qquad\box\rightside\cr +} +% +% +\abovedisplayskip=0pt\belowdisplayskip=0pt +\def\boxit#1{\vbox{\hrule\hbox{\vrule\kern3pt + \vbox{\kern3pt#1\kern3pt}\kern3pt\vrule}\hrule}} +\newbox\boxx +\setbox\boxx=\vtop{\noindent\hsize0pt\vrule width0pt\hrule height 0pt} +\def\leaderfill{\leaders\hbox to 0.5em{.\hss}\hfill} +\font\big=cmr17 +\font\small=cmr12 +\font\sc=cmcsc10 +\centerline{\sl Advance Notice of Publication} +\vskip2ex +\centerline{\big ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING} +\vskip2ex +\centerline{\small Origination --- Dissemination --- Design} +\vskip2ex +\noindent\hrule +\vskip2ex +\centerline{A NEW international journal from John Wiley \& Sons Ltd} +\vskip2ex +\centerline{To be published quarterly, commencing Spring 1988} +\vskip2ex +$$\vbox{\halign{#&#\cr\mitem{% +{\bf Editor} + +Dr D.F. Brailsford + +Dept of Computer Science, + +University of Nottingham, + +UK +\vskip1.5ex +{\bf North American Editor} + +Richard J. Beach + +Xerox PARC, + +3333 Coyote Hill Road, + +Palo Alto, + +California 94304, + +USA +\vskip1.5ex +\noindent +{\bf Editorial Board} + +J. Andr\'e, France + +D. Barron, UK + +C. Bigelow, USA + +H. Brown, UK + +G. Coray, Switzerland + +R.W. Davy, UK + +R. Furuta, USA + +J. Gosling, USA + +P. Hammersley, UK + +P. Hibbard, USA + +V. Joloboff, France + +B. Kernighan, USA + +P. King, Canada + +D. Lucarella, Italy + +P. MacKay, USA + +R. Morris, USA + +V. Quint, France + +B. Reid, USA + +H. van Vliet, Netherlands} +{\leftline{\bf Aims and Scope} +\noindent +Electronic Publishing in its widest sense covers the dissemination +of documents and the production of +those same documents by electronic means. This process can range +from ``paperless publishing'' where the documents are merely +passed between computers and never ever become printed +on paper or film, through to the concerns of +traditional publishing, which would previously +have used metal type, but which now has taken +on board the full range of modern computer-based +aids to assist the publication process. Although the term +`electronic' is widely used in this context, the true common factor +underlying the journal's aims are: +{\parindent1em\narrower +\item{$\star$}that computers should be involved throughout +the publication process and; +\item{$\star$}that it is the concept of document origination, +together with the structure, form and dissemination of those documents +that is of great concern to us. +\medskip} + +\leftline{\bf Principal Topics} +\noindent +$\star$ Document Structures +$\star$ Integrated Text, Graphics and Images +$\star$ Markup Languages +$\star$ Page Description Languages +$\star$ Digital Font Design +$\star$ Dynamic Documents +$\star$ Document Standards +$\star$ Electronic Transmission of Structured Documents +$\star$ Database Design for Publishing +$\star$ Structured Editors +$\star$ Specialised Languages +$\star$ Videotex, videodisc, CD-ROM +$\star$ Advances in Hardware Technologies $\star$ +\medskip +\noindent +To keep fully informed on {\sc Electronic Publishing}, please +complete the form and return it to Alison Thomas, +John Wiley \& Sons Ltd, Baffins Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, +PO19~1UD, UK +\bigskip}}}$$ +\hrule +\medskip +\newbox\reply +\global\setbox\reply\vtop{\hsize350pt +\leftline{Please send me the following information on} +\leftline{{\sc ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING:} Origination --- Dissemination --- Design} +\leftline{\boxit{\copy\boxx}\quad Call for Papers/Notes for Contributors} +\leftline{\boxit{\copy\boxx}\quad Subscription details for Volume 1} +\smallskip +\leftline{Name\leaderfill} +\smallskip +\leftline{Address\leaderfill} +\smallskip +\leftline{\leaderfill} +\smallskip +\leftline{\leaderfill} +} +\centerline{\copy\reply} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/opentype.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/opentype.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..915a81b5c3 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/opentype.tex @@ -0,0 +1,79 @@ +\centerline{\bf OpenType} +\medskip\noindent +The Operations Electronic Publishing +Group of the Open University has +recently started to set up an Electronic Publishing +User Group --- OpenType --- with more widespread and +general objectives. The OU is one of the UK's +largest academic publishers, and already uses +several Linotron 300s. Naturally it is +deeply concerned in maximising its return +on this commitment. + +OpenType is described as a ``self-help'' +group for those who are using electronic +techniques for the production of high-reolution +text and graphics origination. + +Specific areas of interest include: +\item{$\bullet$}\ps: it is worth noting that the OU claims +to have access to Adobe-trained advanced programmers +who it is expected will be running \ps\ classes +from appreciation through to advanced standard: +\item{$\bullet$}\SGML: OpenType +plans to ask questions topics ``is motherhood +and apple pie a good thing?'' and +``how useful is \SGML?'': +\item{$\bullet$}Tables: the OU has a research +project under way on table creation: +\item{$\bullet$}Maths: OpenType feel that the +introduction of +large composition systems which +work in a structural manner (in English, +marked-up), like Interleaf (which employs +|eqn| for its maths), or systems like MS Word may +reduce the pre-eminence of \TeX: +\item{$\bullet$}Demand Printing: the ability to +produce and update very quickly, and to direct +high quality material at small audiences: +\item{$\bullet$}Illustration: what is the +hardware required for effective illustration? +\item{$\bullet$}Storage: clearly relevant to +illustration, where large amounts of data must +be handled; and following on from that, data +compression, CD ROM, networks\dots +\smallskip\noindent +From this list it is clear +that \TeX\ is known (although perhaps not too well --- +perhaps it is a good thing that so many OUers were +at the Seattle TUG meeting). +The OU (at least, parts of it) already uses \LaTeX\ +extensively, and harbours some very competent +\TeX ies. From the list of +interests, there is an apparent overlap with what +I understood Pira to be doing. But perhaps I don't +really understand what Pira (or OpenType) are up to. + +OpenType plans to publish a journal. Most interestingly, +they will pay! Five pence per word. They are also +planning to run meetings and workshops, although +the one planned at the OU for the early summer +seems to have faded away. But there is a catch. +It is going to cost money. Although membership +is open to individuals and organisations, the +subscriptions are quoted solely for organisations. +For companies and organisations employing not more +than 10 persons, the subscription is \quid100.00; +for those with 11--50 employees, \quid200.00; +over 50 employees, the flat rate is \quid300.00. +Contact: +{\obeylines\parindent2em +John Feltham +Text Processing Manager +Open University +Walton Hall +Milton Keynes MK7 6AA +} +\medskip +\rightline{\sl Malcolm Clark} + diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/rochester.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/rochester.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e6091a3a08 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/rochester.tex @@ -0,0 +1,120 @@ +\font\rmnine=cmr8 +\centerline{\LaTeX\ style files}\medskip +\noindent +There are a great many \LaTeX\ style files available. +Unfortunately, availability really means ``over {\it email\/}'' +but nevertheless, it is worth listing the complete set of files +which were present (at the last notification). Thanks to the +efforts of Peter Abbott at Aston University, these files are +available in the UK, and can be obtained by anyone who +can plug into their VAX. This certainly covers all those +with access to {\sc janet}, and probably covers {\sc uucp} +people too. An access method for VAX users was given in +Sebastian Rahtz' ``Bits of \hax'' article. + +Of course, not all the world is using {\it email}. But for the dispossessed +among us, it is possible to obtain the style files +on 5\frac1/4 floppy from + David Hopper of Toronto, Canada who is offering copies of the style + collection on diskettes. David is + doing this in his own time as a favour to the \TeX\ community. The entire + set of style files, not including the C-\TeX\ files, as of June 1st, fits + on one 1.2 MB diskette or three 360KB diskettes. No subsetting, + please. Send David: + formatted diskettes; + indication of the format required; + a self-addressed mailer; and +a \$5.00 donation per set of files, to cover postage and equipment wear + \& tear. (If you live outside North America, airmail delivery will probably + require more postage. Contact David for details.) + David's address: +{\obeylines\parindent2em + David W. Hopper, + 446 Main Street, + Toronto, Ontario, + Canada M4C 4Y2 +} +\noindent +Since this seemed rather roundabout to me, I have copied all the +files (including C-\TeX) to 5\frac1/4 +{\sc ms-dos} floppy and 3\frac1/2 Macintosh diskette +for distribution in the UK. I cannot obtain 3 floppies for \$5 Canadian +(about \quid3.00), +so my prices are higher. I can distribute the style files +for \quid10.00 per 5 5\frac1/4 inch + or \quid7.50 for 3 +3\frac1/2 inch diskettes. For some reason, my copying +was less compact than David's. I may investigate +one of the public domain compression utilities, in +order to cut the cost. +C-\TeX\ has been separated out from the style files, +and is available on 4 5\frac1/4 inch floppies, in +{\sc backup/restore} format. I have stored them in this way +to retain the directory structure so that the extra +files which come with C-\TeX\ make sense. I have not yet +put the C-\TeX\ files onto Macintosh format, but if there is a requirement +I can do this too. + +The list given below is slightly out of date, and there have been +some additions. The most noticeable change is with the +TeXtyl files, which have been slightly reorganised, and +include {\sc unix} and VMS versions. +John Renner, a former student of John Gourlay's, now at Adobe, wrote +TeXtyl to allow \TeX\ users to draw lines and curves in +their documents. It is actually a postprocessor: \TeX\ is run on an +input file containing |\special|s which define a drawing, and then +TeXtyl is run on the |dvi| file to obtain a new |dvi| + file in which the |\special|s +are replaced with |dvi| commands to print the lines and curves by +piecing together small characters from special fonts. + +However, if you want any +these files, you have to take the lot. Like David Hopper, I +do not intend to subdivide. I will try to keep the files +``current'', and emulating Maria Code, to obtain an update, you +have to take the entire set again. +\goodbreak{\rmnine\baselineskip=9pt + \settabs + \+ aaai-instructions.tex\quad&nopagenumbers.doc\quad&ucthesi \cr + \+ 00directory&format.sty&slem.doc \cr + \+ 00index&fullpage.doc&slem.sty \cr + \+ 00readme&fullpage.sty&spacecites.doc \cr + \+ a4.sty&geophysics.sty&spacecites.sty \cr + \+ a4wide.sty&german.sty&suthesis.doc \cr + \+ aaai-instructions.tex&ieeetr.bst&suthesis.sty \cr + \+ aaai-named.bst&ist21.sty&texindex.doc \cr + \+ aaai.sty&latex.bug&texindex.pas \cr + \+ acm.bst&layout.readme&texindex.sty \cr + \+ agugrl.sample&layout.tex&texnames.doc \cr + \+ agugrl.sty&lcustom.tex&texnames.sty \cr + \+ agujgr.sample&lfonts\_ams.readme&textyl.readme \cr + \+ agujgr.sty&lfonts\_ams.tex&textyl.shar1 \cr + \+ amssymbols.sty&lgraph.shar&textyl.shar2 \cr + \+ art10.txt&local.suppl&textyl.shar3 \cr + \+ art11.txt&memo.sty&textyl.shar4 \cr + \+ art12.txt&mfr.sty&textyl.shar5 \cr + \+ article.txt&mitthesis.sample&textyl.shar6 \cr + \+ biihead.sty&mitthesis.sty&textyl.shar7 \cr + \+ ctex.readme&natsci.bst&textyl.shar8 \cr + \+ ctex.shar1&newalpha.bst&textyl.shar9 \cr + \+ ctex.shar2&nopagenumbers.doc&tgrind.sty \cr + \+ ctex.shar3&nopagenumbers.sty&threepart.sty \cr + \+ ctex.shar4&remark.sty&titlepage.txt \cr + \+ ctex.shar5&resume.sample&trademark.sty \cr + \+ ctex.shar6&resume.sty&uct10.doc \cr + \+ cyrillic.sty&sc21-wg1.sty&uct11.doc \cr + \+ dayofweek.tex&sc21.sty&uct12.doc \cr + \+ deproc.sty&sfwmac.sty&ucthesis.doc \cr + \+ deprocldc.tex&showlabels.sty&ucthesis.readme \cr + \+ docsty.c&siam.bib&uuencode.shar \cr + \+ docsty.readme&siam.bst&vdm.doc \cr + \+ doublespace.sty&siam.doc&vdm.sty \cr + \+ draft.sty&siam.sty&vdm.tex \cr + \+ drafthead.sty&siam.tex&ws87.p \cr + \+ dvidoc.shar1&siam10.doc&wsltex.c \cr + \+ dvidoc.shar2&siam10.sty&wsltex.p \cr + \+ epic.shar1&siam11.sty&xxxcustom.tex \cr + \+ epic.shar2&siam12.sty&xxxslides.sty \cr} + + +\rightline{\sl Malcolm Clark} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/seattle.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/seattle.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e9d85db6dd --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/seattle.tex @@ -0,0 +1,169 @@ + +% Report plus info re distributors of certain products which I hope +% is accurate: no prices as I am sure they would not be correct for UK. +% +% Please feel free to edit it however you like. +% +\def\linesep{\vskip\baselineskip} +\let\sf\relax +\let\extraspace\quad +\centerline{\bf \TeX\ Users Group 1987 Meeting } +\centerline{\bf 2. Is there \TeX \ after Knuth?} % Possible title. +\medskip\noindent +The answer from the Seattle meeting was +loud and clear: Yes! it is not only very alive and well but busy evolving into +Japanese and Turkish speaking species. It is also becoming slowly accepted by +the commercial world: both by publishers and typesetters. The majority of the +grumbles and ``Why on earth did Knuth do\dots '' comments came from the computing +professionals; i.e.\ those +whose interests involve using \TeX \ as a programming language or who are +attempting to unravel and adapt +macros written by other \TeX nicians. Their consensus was +roughly as follows: \TeX \ is hard to program in and to debug, and nigh on +impossible to produce good (according to the fashionable standards) code; to +this those with wider aesthetic standards often add that \TeX \ enables bad +typesetting as easily as it does good. + +But enough of the gripes, with Seattle putting on its very best in clear, sunny +weather for us it was impossible to be anything but optimistic: and those who +could discipline themselves to stay +in the lecture theatre for long enough heard about the use of +TeX in publications ranging from the ivory towers of Linguistics +journals---where +the publishers had discovered (with some surprise?) that {\tt \$} signs have +lots of nonmathematical uses, to the mass-media world of {\sf TV--Guide} (the US +equivalent of TV\kern-2pt /Radio Times) --- where allowing \TeX \ to ``float'' +an advert onto +the wrong page in just +one of the 108 editions could result in badness \$150,000! +(and probably some trade for the legal profession who, in Maryland at least, +have ``endorsed \TeX\ as their standard for Text Formatting''). + +The relationship between \TeX\ and the PostScript +world was subjected to very close +scrutiny from many different angles but I shall not attempt to summarize what +was said as I am still trying to piece together into some semblance of coherence +the enormous amount of advice and information which I accumulated on the +subject. It is certainly one on which everyone in the \TeX\ world has a lot +to say; I wonder if PUG members spend so much time wondering about this +relationship. + +The marketing slots were, on the whole, fairly low-key. Many software +goodies were +promised to be ``ready for shipping this fall'' but my experience leads me to +advise waiting until you know someone else who already +has been sent the {\it final\/} release version +before parting with your money. The reasonably-priced products which seemed to +me to be most likely to warrant further investigation were: + +\item{$\bullet$} Publishing Companion from K-Talk Communications:\extraspace claims to +take documents +``from WordPerfect to typesetting, completely untouched by human hands'' (other +wordprocessors, e.g. WORD are to be included ``soon''). K-Talk's flyer, which + had been produced using this package, suggests that this software +exemplifies the criticism I mentioned above: that +\TeX \ is as good at sloppy typesetting as it is at excellent typesetting; +however, it may be that the true +culprit in this case is WordPerfect, which lays no +claim to aesthetic judgement. + +\item{$\bullet$} \TeX WRITE from Docusoft Publishing Technologies:\extraspace this is an +environment for \TeX\ on an IBM-type PC. I have a pre-release +version of this and, with the bugs +removed and the promised features implemented, it could provide +a very friendly one: +it is, briefly, a multiple-buffer, +full-screen editor, with optional menus, which allows files to be \TeX ed, +Previewed, etc.\ +without leaving it. My major criticism of it is that, as an editor, it is not +fully adapted to editing \TeX \ files. + +\item{$\bullet$} Macro\TeX\ from \TeX nology Inc:\extraspace this is Amy Hendrickson's macro +package which is in fact a toolkit of independent suites of macros, all of +which work with Plain \TeX. They cover such areas as Tables, Indexing and +Glossaries; and the author says that she hopes that the macro +constructions in +the package will be accessible by and useful to those who want to write +their own macros +to do either similar things or even ``something completely different''. + +Those with the odd couple of thousand dollars to spare and a Sun Workstation +will of course be eagerly awaiting delivery of the software +no Yuppie typesetter could possibly be without --- The Publisher from Arbortext; +the pre-release version was happily singing and dancing its way through a +somewhat limited routine but the (real)-timing of its +``WYSIWYWouldGetIf\dots\ +show'' was most impressive. Nevertheless, when my boat comes in or I write The +Program (you know, the one which is able to accurately forcast all +the financial markets in the +world and act appropriately before anyone else's does), after the red BMW it +will have to be a Monotype Lasercomp, together with whatever secret software the +long-established German typesetting company St\"urtz have developed to give \TeX \ +access to the Aladdin's cave of Monotype fonts, especially those for +between the \$-signs! Who knows, then I may be able to keep my linguistics +colleagues supplied with all the diacritics and phonetic symbols they lust +after, {\it and\/} +get an empty set symbol which is more to my editor's (the human +one, that is) taste. + +I do not wish to give the impression that the meeting offered none of what has +been in the past its staple diet: implementations of \TeX; and +this years fashions in device drivers. There was indeed plenty of information +from site-coordinators, companies and consultants to satisfy such appetites. +Also, a movement was started to set standards for printer drivers which led to +considerable controversy over what such standards should cover. However, the +meeting gave me the clear message that TUG is becoming more and more a true +{\it Users\/} Group rather than merely an {\it implementor's\/} group. +Even clearer though, and I suspect longer lasting, than any such impressions (or +what I learnt about accents and breathing signs in Modern Greek, and what it +takes to change a hash table size) will be my memories of the never-ending +display of sea, lakes, forests and snow-capped mountains which Seattle provided +for us that week in August. +% Appendix: +\linesep\noindent +Names and addresses of suppliers mentioned above: +\linesep +{\obeylines\parindent2em +\vbox{Arbortext Inc +416 Fourth Street +PO Box 7993 +Ann Arbor +Michigan 48107 +USA +$+1$ 313 996 3356} +\linesep\goodbreak +\vbox{Docusoft Publishing Technologies Inc +1150 Homer Street +Vancouver +British Columbia V6B 2X8 +Canada +$+1$ 604 687 0354} +\linesep\goodbreak +\vbox{K--Talk Communications +3920 Olentangy River Road +Columbus +Ohio 43214 +USA +$+1$ 614 459 9711} +\linesep\goodbreak +\vbox{Seattle Tourist Authority +City Hall +Seattle +Washington +USA} +\linesep\goodbreak +\vbox{\TeX nology Inc +57 Longwood Avenue \#8 +Brookline +Massachussets 02146 % spelling?? +USA +$+1$ 617 738 8029} +\linesep\goodbreak +\vbox{Universit\"ats-druckerei H. St\"urtz AG +Beethovenstra\ss e 5 +D-8700 W\"urzburg I +DFR +$+49$ 9 31 385 323} } +\medskip +\rightline{\sl Chris Rowley, Open University} + diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/stuff.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/stuff.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..a66d6165cc --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/stuff.tex @@ -0,0 +1,167 @@ +\centerline{\bf Stuff to read} +\medskip +\noindent +$\star$Arabic Word Processing, Joseph D. Becker, +{\it Communications of the ACM}, July 1987, 30(7), +pp. 600--610. + +Using the Xerox {\it Viewpoint Documentor}, which +is capable of handling text in any intermixture +of the world's scripts, this article describes +and discusses many of the problems associated with +the various forms of Arabic. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Word Division in Spanish, Jos\'e A. Ma\~nas, +{\it Communications of the ACM}, July 1987, 30(7), +pp. 612--616. + +Strangely, this only references the 1979 \TeX\ \& +\MF\ book, and does not mention Liang's algorithm. +But the good news is that Spanish has a rigid +lexical structure which allows a rule-based +hyphenation to be wholly successful. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Typesetting with {\sc \TeX tures}: a Review, +Sak Wath\-an\-asin, {\it Apple 2000}, October 1987, +2(5), 68--72. + +A provoking and interesting review which seeks to put {\sc \TeX tures} +in its place in the Macintosh world. Many of his +comments are applicable to \TeX. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star${\sc daphne} (Document Application Processing in +a Heterogeneous Network Environment) --- an Implementation +Based on the Standard Generalized Markup Language +\SGML, Craig Smith, {\it \SGML\ Users' Group +Bulletin}, 1986, 1(2), 75--82. + +Besides competing for the longest article title, +it describes the implementation of {\sc daphne}, +which just happens to use \TeX\ as its formatter. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Formatting \SGML\ Documents: Essence and Solution, +Craig Smith, {\it \SGML\ Users' Group +Bulletin}, 1987, 2(1), 4--8. + +Although \TeX\ (and {\sc daphne}) take something +of a back seat, they are still there in spirit. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Typesetting in Context, Max Whitby, +{\it DTP Desktop Publishing}, October 1987, +18--22. + +Decribes and compares +{\sc \TeX tures}, Mac\TeX\ and +Just\kern-1ptText. ``The \TeX book (which) has good +cartoons but is about as readable as a car repair +manual''. Max ends up sitting on the fence between +Just\kern-1ptText and \TeX, and also between +{\sc \TeX tures} and Mac\TeX. But some of his +examples are nice. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$The Power Behind The Page, Karl Dallas, +{\it DTP Desktop Publishing}, October 1987, +37--43. + +Quite a useful review of some page description languages. +Karl includes \ps, Interpress, ImPress, Prescribe, \TeX\ and +Cora as pdls. Obviously {\it sensu lato}. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star${\it win} and {\it sin\/}: Predicate Transformers for +Concurrency, Leslie Lamport, {\it Report \#17, +DEC System Research Center}. + +Just for all those who wondered what it is that +Leslie does when he isn't doing \LaTeX. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Exploiting the LN03: \TeX, Phil Taylor, +{\it Dec User}, May 1987, 47. + +An attempt to brighten the dull lives of LN03 +laser printer users, and to emphasise DEC's +reluctant support of proper laser printing. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star${\sl Page One\/} A New Breed of Page-Making Software, +Gord Graham, {\it Small Press}, June 1987, 53--55. + +As you might guess, really a description of +McCutcheon Graphics' \TeX\ front end. One +fascinating quote (out of context, of course) is +``\TeX\ exhibits the telltale horns and feet of +a goat''. {\it Page One\/} seems even more +restrictive than \LaTeX, but equally well, appears +to have a very real potential in the more +traditional publishing marketplace. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Book Publishers can turn over a new leaf with +desktop system, Renate Lerch, {\it The Financial +Post}, March 16, 1987, C3. + +Does not mention \TeX\ (or {\it Page One\/}), but +it is about McCutcheon Graphics and their ``desktop +publishing system''. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Type-X: Drawing a Bead on Book Publishers, +Jerome P. Frank, {\it Publishers Weekly}, May 1, 1987, +30--35. + +Includes a description of {\it Page One\/}, and +even mentions Mac\TeX\ (``batch pagination software'' +--- how the mighty are fallen!). + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Book publishers turn to Page One to save money +and time, Anon, {\it Printaction}, July 1987, 19. + +Yet more about {\it Page One\/}. Covers much the +same ground as the other articles, but lays more stress on +its ability to import Microsoft Word. Credits +the success of {\it Page One\/} to Mac\TeX. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Rectangular Convolution for Fast Filtering of +Characters, Avi Naiman \& Alain Fournier, +{\it Computer Graphics}, July 1987, 21(4), 233--241. + +Centres around the exploitation of greyscale fonts. +This should help to increase the effective +resolution of characters by using grey pixels, on +devices which support that facility. + +\smallskip +\noindent +$\star$Character Generation Under Grid Constraints, +Roger D. Hersch, {\it Computer Graphics}, July 1987, +21(4), 243--251. + +Addresses the problem of producing attractive and +regular characters on middle resolution devices, +describing an algorithm +which allows +{\it subpixel phasing} to be applied to critical parts of the character. + +\rightline{\sl Malcolm Clark} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/texhax.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/texhax.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e727673791 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/texhax.tex @@ -0,0 +1,175 @@ +\def\nl{\hfill\break} +% BEST OF TEXHAX notes for TeXline +% by Sebastian Rahtz +% Malcolm - i am unused to plain TeX, and have quickly hacked together +% some macros. please feel free to redo at will. wish I was back in +% LaTeX..... +%--------------------------------------------------------------------- +% program quoting macros +% +\def\UncatcodeSpecials{\def\do##1{\catcode`##1=12 }\dospecials} +{\begingroup\obeyspaces\catcode`\ =13\endgroup} +% +\def\SetupVerbatim{\tt\def\par{\leavevmode\endgraf}\catcode`\`=\active +\obeylines\UncatcodeSpecials \obeyspaces\catcode`\ =13} +{\catcode`\`=\active \gdef`{\relax\lq}} +% +\def\program{\begingroup\parindent=0em\par +\SetupVerbatim\xprogram} +\begingroup +\catcode`\|=0 \catcode`\\=12 +|obeylines|gdef|xprogram#1\endprogram{#1|endgroup|vskip 10pt|parindent=0em|par} +|endgroup +% +% miscellaneous +\def\and{\item{$\bullet$}} +\def\sq{\smallskip\begingroup\leftskip=3em\noindent +\sf\parindent=0em\parskip=2pt} +\def\eq{\smallskip\hrule\smallskip +\parindent=1em\parskip=0pt\leftskip=0em\endgroup} +\def\bs{$\backslash$} +% +% names +\font\sf=cmss10 +%------------------------------------------- +\centerline{\bf Bits of \hax, Summer 87} +\medskip\noindent +Those readers of \TeX line who are not daily users of electronic mail, +and/or use \TeX\ primarily on micros, may not be aware of the +existence of the \hax\ mailing list, which exists to share information +around the international \TeX\ community. It is distributed from the +University of Stanford under the editorship of Malcolm Brown, and uses +a digest format; Malcolm stores incoming mail (requests for +information, news of new products, replies to other questions, +`official' communications from TUG in advance of TUGboat) until +it reaches critical mass, then bundles it together with a list of +contents and sends it to everyone on the \hax\ list. Typically, this +happens two or three times a week, and each issue contains about a +dozen contributions, which means that a vast amount of \TeX -related +material is flitting across the networks all the time. The purpose of +this article is to describe the range of \TeX ery covered in \hax, and +to highlight some of the more interesting topics. Readers who wish to +join in this activity (be prepared for a lot of browsing of mail +messages!) must have an account on their local mainframe or mini with +access to network mail (consult your local guru); send mail to +|texhax-request%uk.ac.ucl.cs| and ask that +your name be put on the list to receive \hax\ (don't forget to tell +them your own mail address). As things stand at the moment, this +international mail will not cost you anything, as one copy is sent to +London and forwarded to you from there. + +\hax\ is read by a very large number of people, to judge by +contributions, from America, Canada, Britain, Europe, Japan, Australia +etc. Leslie Lamport is a regular contributor with answers to \LaTeX\ +problems, Barbara Beeton monitors it for TUG, and even Donald Knuth +adds the occasional note. It is a good place to send an esoteric +question, as usually someone with an unpronounceable name from an +institution you have never heard of will send in an answer. If you +want a more local answer (`who has got a copy of xxx in Britain?'), +there is a UK version of \hax, recently set up by Peter Abbott at +Aston, to bring together specifically UK \TeX ies --- mail to {\tt +tex-info@uk.ac.aston.mail} to get on that list. + +For the purpose of this article, I have looked at the 36 issues of \hax\ +that reached me between May 22nd and September 6th (an average of +about two a week). There were approximately 480 contributions dealing +with every sort of \TeX\ arcana; just searching the subject fields +(not necessarily a proper reflection of contents), I found 129 pieces +relating to \LaTeX\ (including 22 sets of \LaTeX\ Notes from +Leslie Lamport), 14 pieces on \BibTeX, 11 on \MF, 6 on +\SliTeX, and just 1 on \AmSTeX. My subjective impression is that +\LaTeX\ matters are an even higher proportion of \hax\ even than +appears from these figures. In general, contributions vary from the +questions about hardware (usually printers), to the private life of +\TeX\ macros, as evinced in the following two excerpts: + +{\narrower\noindent + My order for the IBM 4250 font tapes just came back with + ``I no longer have a font tape for the 4250 printer. The person + who supplied it to me originally has not made another one for version 2 + of TeX." + Where can I get one of these tapes? + What's the difference between V1.01 and 2? + Will they still work? +\smallskip} +\noindent and + +{\narrower\noindent +Subject: TeX eats l's after fil + +\noindent +If an `l' or and `L' follows a unit of glue such as `fil', even separated +by spaces, it is aparently parsed as part of the name of the unit. This +leads to some fairly strange behavior. For example, the following script +will put a `K' and a `M' in the dvi file, but no `L'!\nl +|\def\q#1{\hskip 0 pt plus 0 fil #1}|\nl +|\q{K}\q{L}\q{M}|\nl +\%\% barbara beeton responds:\nl +the ``l"-gobbling you've encountered is legitimate, and easily explained. +the full syntax of \bs hskip is\nl +|\hskip<dimen> plus<dimen> minus<dimen>|\nl +since your example didn't include a ``minus'', tex keeps looking. +since ``fil'' is a ``pseudo-dimension'' it can continue, up to 3 ``l"s +(if your data had been ``llama'', all you would have gotten in the output +would have been ``ama''). similarly, if the data had started with the +word ``minus'', not followed by a proper $<$dimen$>$, minus would have been +gobbled and you probably would have gotten a nasty message to the effect +that a $<$dimen$>$ was expected, and 0pt will be assumed. the best way to +avoid this is to put |\relax| after your skip expression. + this is covered explicitly in the texbook; look it up in the +index (page 469): ``l after fil''. +\smallskip} + +Sometimes \hax\ gets onto a general issue---there have been +discussions over the last year on such questions as: + +{\narrower +\and Can University authorities be persuaded to drop their +`double-spaced Courier' thesis requirements for students who have +access to a proper typesetting system like \TeX? +\and What freedom should \LaTeX\ users have to tinker with the layout? +Leslie Lamport feels strongly that only experienced document designers +should be able to alter even the font used in a running head. + +\and Can a consistent set of standards for dvi drivers be put +together? What facilities should they have? How do you handle \bs +specials? This question was +addressed in detail at the TUG meeting in August, and a committee was +set up to look into it. + +\and What is the relationship of \PS\ to \TeX? Lamport suggested +\TeX\ be changed to output pure \PS, others defend their LN03s to the +death. +\smallskip +} + +One common feature of \hax\ is the swapping of style files for \LaTeX. +For those who are not aware of it, +there is a large collection of these style files +held at Rochester. The `latest' list is given +elsewhere in \TeX line. All of these files are obtainable +over {\it email}. Rather than have to tangle with +the absurdities of {\it email\/} addressing, +is possible to obtain them over the |uk-tex| +distribution as well. + +To obtain these style files from Aston, you could +try the following, VAX VMS command (assuming you +have a VAX, or a friend with a VAX, and that it is +connected over Janet):\nl +|transfer -|\nl +\hbox{|aston.kirk::[public.latexstyle]000index.list-|} +|latex_index.txt|\nl +|/user=public,public|\nl +This will put the index file in your own +directory as |latex_index.txt|. It should look +something like the list given in the next article. +If you cannot gain access to Janet, you can also +obtain the files on floppy. See the next +article. + +\hax\ is quite a fascinating compilation of the +fascinating, obvious, apparent, useless, arcane, +obscure, informative and (sometimes) rude! + +\rightline{\sl Sebastian Rahtz, Southampton University} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/texhax.txt b/info/digests/texline/no6/texhax.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..7c5b46481a --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/texhax.txt @@ -0,0 +1,551 @@ + +% BEST OF TEXHAX notes for TeXline +% by Sebastian Rahtz +% Malcolm - i am unused to plain TeX, and have quickly hacked together +% some macros. please feel free to redo at will. wish I was back in +% LaTeX..... +%--------------------------------------------------------------------- +% program quoting macros +% +\def\UncatcodeSpecials{\def\do##1{\catcode`##1=12 }\dospecials} +{\begingroup\obeyspaces\catcode`\ =13\endgroup} +% +\def\SetupVerbatim{\tt\def\par{\leavevmode\endgraf}\catcode`\`=\active +\obeylines\UncatcodeSpecials \obeyspaces\catcode`\ =13} +{\catcode`\`=\active \gdef`{\relax\lq}} +% +\def\program{\begingroup\parindent=0em\par +\SetupVerbatim\xprogram} +\begingroup +\catcode`\|=0 \catcode`\\=12 +|obeylines|gdef|xprogram#1\endprogram{#1|endgroup|vskip 10pt|parindent=0em|par} +|endgroup +% +% miscellaneous +\parindent=1em +\def\and{\item{$\bullet$}} +\def\sq{\smallskip\begingroup\leftskip=3em\noindent +\sf\parindent=0em\parskip=2pt} +\def\eq{\smallskip\hrule\smallskip +\parindent=1em\parskip=0pt\leftskip=0em\endgroup} +\def\bs{$\backslash$} +% +% names +\def\ps{{\sc PostScript}} +\font\mf=logo10 +\hyphenchar\mf=-1 +\def\LaTeX{{\rm L\kern-.36em\raise.3ex\hbox{\sc a}\kern-.15em + T\kern-.1667em\lower.7ex\hbox{E}\kern-.125emX}} +\font\sc=cmcsc10 +\font\sf=cmss10 +\def\texline{\TeX line} +\def\hax{\TeX{\sc hax}} +\def\metafont{{\mf METAFONT}} +\def\amstex{$\cal A$\kern-.1667em\lower.5ex\hbox{$\cal M$}\kern-.125em + $\cal S$-\TeX} +\def\bibtex{{\sc Bib}\TeX} +\def\slitex{{\sc Sli}\TeX} +%------------------------------------------- +\centerline{\bf Best of \hax, Summer 87} +\centerline{\it Sebastian Rahtz, Department of Electronics and +Computer Science, University of Southampton} +\medskip +Those readers of \texline\ who are not daily users of electronic mail, +and/or use \TeX\ primarily on micros, may not be aware of the +existence of the \hax\ mailing list, which exists to share information +around the international \TeX\ community. It is distributed from the +University of Stanford under the editorship of Malcolm Brown, and uses +a digest format; Malcolm stores incoming mail (requests for +information, news of new products, replies to other questions, +`official' communications from TUG in advance of TUGboat) until +it reaches critical mass, then bundles it together with a list of +contents and sends it to everyone on the \hax\ list. Typically, this +happens two or three times a week, and each issue contains about a +dozen contributions, which means that a vast amount of \TeX -related +material is flitting across the networks all the time. The purpose of +this article is to describe the range of \TeX ery covered in \hax, and +to reprint some of the more interesting topics. Readers who wish to +join in this activity (be prepared for a lot of browsing of mail +messages!) must have an account on their local mainframe or mini with +access to network mail (consult your local guru); send mail to +{\tt texhax-request\%uk.ac.ucl.cs} and ask that +your name be put on the list to receive \hax\ (don't forget to tell +them your own mail address). As things stand at the moment, this +international mail will not cost you anything, as one copy is sent to +London and forwarded to you from there. + +\hax\ is read by a very large number of people, to judge by +contributions, from America, Canada, Britain, Europe, Japan, Australia +etc. Leslie Lamport is a regular contributor with answers to \LaTeX\ +problems, Barbara Beeton monitors it for TUG, and even Donald Knuth +adds the occasional note. It is a good place to send an esoteric +question, as usually someone with an unpronounceable name from an +institution you have never heard of will send in an answer. If you +want a more local answer (`who has got a copy of xxx in Britain?'), +there is a UK version of \hax, recently set up by Peter Abbott at +Aston, to bring together specifically UK \TeX xies---mail to {\tt +abbott@uk.ac.aston.mail} to get on that list. + +For the purpose of this article, I have looked at the 36 issues of \hax\ +that reached me between May 22nd and September 6th (an average of +about two a week). There were approximately 480 contributions dealing +with every sort of \TeX\ arcana; just searching the subject fields +(not necessarily a proper reflection of contents), I found 129 pieces +relating to \LaTeX\ (including 22 sets of {\it \LaTeX\ Notes} from +Leslie Lamport), 14 pieces on \bibtex, 11 on \metafont, 6 on +\slitex, and just 1 on \amstex. My subjective impression is that +\LaTeX\ matters are an even higher proportion of \hax\ even than +appears from these figures. In general, contributions vary from the +questions about hardware (usually printers), to the private life of +\TeX\ macros, as evinced in the following two excerpts: + +{\sq + +Date: 09 Jun 87 15:11:35 ADT + +Subject: Font tapes for IBM 4250 + +>From: MIKEMAC\%UNBMVS1.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu + + My order for the IBM 4250 font tapes just came back with + ``I no longer have a font tape for the 4250 printer. The person + who supplied it to me originally has not made another one for version 2 + of TeX." + Where can I get one of these tapes? + What's the difference between V1.01(the one she doesn't have) and 2? + Will they still work? +\eq} + +and + +{\sq + +Date: Wed, 5 Aug 87 20:27:30 CDT + +>From: ``Douglas N. Arnold"$<$arnold\%s1.ima.umn.edu@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu$>$ + +Subject: TeX eats l's after fil + +If an `l' or and `L' follows a unit of glue such as `fil', even separated +by spaces, it is aparently parsed as part of the name of the unit. This +leads to some fairly strange behavior. For example, the following script +will put a `K' and a `M' in the dvi file, but no `L'! + +\program + \def\q#1{\hskip 0 pt plus 0 fil #1} + \q{K}\q{L}\q{M} + \end +\endprogram + +I know that TeX has no bugs ... but is it really supposed to do this? + + -- Doug Arnold + na.arnold@score.stanford.edu = arnold\%s1.ima.umn.edu@umn-cs.arpa + +\%\% Barbara Beeton responds: + + +Date: Wed 5 Aug 87 20:25:06-PDT + +>From: Barbara Beeton$<$BEETON@Score.Stanford.EDU$>$ + +Subject: Re: TeX eats l's after fil + +the ``l"-gobbling you've encountered is legitimate, and easily explained. +the full syntax of \bs hskip is +\program + \hskip<dimen> plus<dimen> minus<dimen> +\endprogram +since your example didn't include a ``minus", tex keeps looking. +since ``fil" is a ``pseudo-dimension" it can continue, up to 3 ``l"s +(if your data had been ``llama", all you would have gotten in the output +would have been ``ama"). similarly, if the data had started with the +word ``minus", not followed by a proper$<$dimen$>$, minus would have been +gobbled and you probably would have gotten a nasty message to the effect +that a$<$dimen$>$ was expected, and 0pt will be assumed. the best way to +avoid this is to put \relax after your skip expression. + this is covered explicitly in the texbook; look it up in the +index (page 469): ``l after fil". + -- barbara beeton + +\eq} + +Sometimes \hax\ gets onto a general issue---there have been +discussions over the last year on such questions as: + +{ +\and Can University authorities be persuaded to drop their +`double-spaced Courier' thesis requirements for students who have +access to a proper typesetting system like \TeX? +\and What freedom should \LaTeX\ users have to tinker with the layout? +Leslie Lamport feels strongly that only experienced document designers +should be able to alter e.g. the font used in a running head. + +\and Can a consistent set of standards for dvi drivers be put +together? What facilities should they have? How do you handle \bs +specials? This question was +addressed in detail at the TUG meeting in August, and a committee was +set up to look into it. + +\and What is the relationship of \ps\ to \TeX? Lamport suggested +\TeX\ be changed to output pure \ps, others defend their LN03s to the +death. +} + +Usually, of course, \hax\ is question and answer; +here are some random selections of items that should give a general +flavour of what happens on a daily basis: +{\sq + Date: Wed, 13 May 87 08:33 EDT + + Subject: have you had problems with Metafont? + + + From: Chris Lindblad $<$CJL@REAGAN.AI.MIT.EDU$>$ + + I'm having problems with some broken screen-resolution fonts. + Metafont as standardly configured produces garbage font files for + some fonts that are smaller than 10pt at 80 dpi, and I don't know + how to hack Metafont parameters to fix it. The GF files that + metafont produces causes GFtoPXL to blow up, resulting with PXL + files that are totally unreadable. So I'm trying to frob with + Metafont a little each day in some of my free time to try to get it + to do something reasonable. The problem is that I don't understand + anything about it, so I'm not getting anywhere. + +The fonts that I have generated at 118 dots per inch that we use with +the dvitool SUN TeX previewer program that Jeff McCarrel wrote get +pretty bad at small point sizes. 80 dots per inch must look really +awful. + +I tried generating something at 80 dots per inch and like Chris I had +problems, but different ones; metafont stopped 2 times with a ``strange +path (turning number is zero)" error in the file romanp.mf when I +tried to run it on cmr8.mf with the following mode: + +\program +% previewlow mode: for Textset previewer at lowest resolution +mode_def previewlow = % for Textset previewer at lowest resolution + proofing := 0; % no, we're not making proofs + fontmaking := 1; % yes, we are making a font + tracingtitles := 0; % no, don't show titles + pixels_per_inch := 80; % really REALLY lowres + blacker := 0.65; % make the pens a bit blacker + fillin := 0.2; % compensate for diagonal fillin + o_correction := 0.4; % don't overshoot as much +enddef; +\endprogram + +I just hit return twice and then it finished up with no more +complaints and gftopxl and gftopk didn't have any problems with the gf +resulting file. + +\eq} + +{\sq +Date: Fri 12 Jun 87 14:33:02-EDT + +>From: John Gourlay $<$GOURLAY-J\%OSU-20@ohio-state.ARPA$>$ + +Subject: Pic-like software for TeX + + John Renner, a former student of mine now at Adobe, has written +a program called TeXtyl to allow TeX users to draw lines and curves in +their documents. It's actually a postprocessor: one runs TeX on an +input file containing \bs specials that define a drawing, and then runs +TeXtyl on the dvi file to obtain a new dvi file in which the \bs specials +are replaced with dvi commands to print the lines and curves by +piecing together small characters from special fonts. It's in the +public domain, but contact John (adobe!renner@decwrl.dec.com) for +details. +\eq} + +{\sq + +Date: Wed, 17 Jun 87 14:59:51 EDT + +>From: phr@PREP.AI.MIT.EDU (Paul Rubin) + +Subject: tex macro for reference cards + +The GNU Emacs reference card is typeset using some TeX macros designed +specifically for setting reference cards. It is distributed as the file +"etc/refcard.tex" with GNU Emacs, which you can ftp from the usual places. + +\eq} + +{\sq + +Date: Fri, 19 Jun 87 12:34:01 edt + +>From: clayton@lavalamp (R. Clayton) + +Subject: Spreading the word + +Anita Cochran recently asked for a macro that evenly spaces letters in +an hbox with the end letters flush against the sides. The following +macros should do: + +\program + \def \dolist + {\afterassignment\dodolist + \let\next=} + \def \dodolist + {\ifx \next \endlist \let \next \relax + \else \\ \let\next\dolist + \fi \next} + \def \endlist + {\endlist} + \def \\ + {\next\hfil } + \def \spreadem#1#2{\hbox to #1{\dolist #2\endlist\hfilneg}} + + \spreadem{2.0 in}{spread} + \spreadem{1.5 in}{the} + \spreadem{1.0 in}{word} + + \bye +\endprogram + +These macros were adopted from the macros given as the solution to +problem 11.5 in the TEXbook. The idea is to stick an \bs hfil after every +letter (token) in the word (argument). The glue after the final letter +causes the word to be ``ragged-right" in the box; this is fixed by +canceling the glue with an \bs hfilneg. + +\eq} + +{\sq + +Date: Fri, 19 Jun 87 13:27 EST + +>From: $<$JWS\%PSUARLC.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu$>$ + +Subject: WEB for Ada? + +Is there a version of WEB that accepts the Ada language? + + Thanks, Jack Sharer, JWS@PSUARLC + +\eq} + +{\sq +Date: Fri, 24 Jul 87 18:07 PDT + +>From: $<$ASND\%TRIUMFCL.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu$>$ + +Subject: Typesetting chemical papers + +Like Th. Kneser, I also needed chemical equilibrium symbols and +came up with the following, which may be useful. Note that these +are for plain TeX and for chemical equations that are being typeset +in Roman. + +\program +% Definitions and stuff for chemistry, equilibrium symbols : +% \eq}bm -- unlabeled equilibrium (longer than harpoons) +% \eq}bmlab~#1_#2 -- long equilibrium sign with forward (#1) and backward (#2) +% labels +% \yields -- long right arrow +% \yieldslab~#1 -- `` `` `` with a label above (#1) +% To typeset chemical equations, +% type \rm just after the $ or $$. Also, when using \eq}align or +% \eq}aligno, type \cr\rm wherever you would normally type \cr. +% The labels on \eq}bmlab and \yieldslab come out in italic automatically +% (use \rm to get roman). Elsewhere, italicize variables like K_W or N_0 +% using \cit. +% +\def\cit{\fam=-1} \% Chemistry ITalic +\def\longrharpup{\relbar\joinrel\rightharpoonup} +\def\longlharpdn{\leftharpoondown\joinrel\relbar} +\def\rlPOON#1{\vcenter{\hbox{\ooalign{\raise2.3pt + \hbox{$#1\longrharpup$}\crcr $#1\longlharpdn$}}}} +\def\eq}bm{\mathrel{\mathpalette\rlPOON{}}\rm} +\def\eq}bmlab~#1_#2{\mathrel{\mathop{\eqbm}\limits~{#1}_{#2}}\rm} +\def\yields{\longrightarrow\rm} +\def\yieldslab~#1{\mathrel{\mathop{\longrightarrow}\limits~{#1}} \rm} +\endprogram + + +To make subscripts come out aligned I have put (for example) +\program +\fontdimen16\twelvesymboltext=3.24pt +\fontdimen17\twelvesymboltext=3.24pt +\fontdimen16\twelvesymbolscript=2.65pt +\fontdimen17\twelvesymbolscript=2.65pt +\endprogram +in with my font definitions following the example of the TeXbook p.179. +These 12 pt numbers were determined by trial and eye...leading to a +question of my own: + + How can I look at the font parameters for an arbitrary font + and determine the proper font dimensions to make chemical + subscripts all come out aligned? Or, Has someone determined + the numbers already? + + Donald + (asnd@triumfcl.bitnet or + userasnd@ubcmtsg.bitnet) +\eq} + +One common feature of \hax\ is the swopping of style files for \LaTeX. +For those who are not aware of it, here is the latest description of +the Rochester \LaTeX\ style file collection: +{\sq + Subject: Contents of LaTeX style collection, 2nd August 1987 + + Date: Sun, 02 Aug 87 14:03:33 -0400 + + From: Ken Yap $<$ken@cs.rochester.edu$>$ + + The LaTeX style collection now has the files listed below. More + submissions are very welcome. + +{ \settabs 3 \columns + \+ 00directory&format.sty&slem.doc \cr + \+ 00index&fullpage.doc&slem.sty \cr + \+ 00readme&fullpage.sty&spacecites.doc \cr + \+ a4.sty&geophysics.sty&spacecites.sty \cr + \+ a4wide.sty&german.sty&suthesis.doc \cr + \+ aaai-instructions.tex&ieeetr.bst&suthesis.sty \cr + \+ aaai-named.bst&ist21.sty&texindex.doc \cr + \+ aaai.sty&latex.bug&texindex.pas \cr + \+ acm.bst&layout.readme&texindex.sty \cr + \+ agugrl.sample&layout.tex&texnames.doc \cr + \+ agugrl.sty&lcustom.tex&texnames.sty \cr + \+ agujgr.sample&lfonts\_ams.readme&textyl.readme \cr + \+ agujgr.sty&lfonts\_ams.tex&textyl.shar1 \cr + \+ amssymbols.sty&lgraph.shar&textyl.shar2 \cr + \+ art10.txt&local.suppl&textyl.shar3 \cr + \+ art11.txt&memo.sty&textyl.shar4 \cr + \+ art12.txt&mfr.sty&textyl.shar5 \cr + \+ article.txt&mitthesis.sample&textyl.shar6 \cr + \+ biihead.sty&mitthesis.sty&textyl.shar7 \cr + \+ ctex.readme&natsci.bst&textyl.shar8 \cr + \+ ctex.shar1&newalpha.bst&textyl.shar9 \cr + \+ ctex.shar2&nopagenumbers.doc&tgrind.sty \cr + \+ ctex.shar3&nopagenumbers.sty&threepart.sty \cr + \+ ctex.shar4&remark.sty&titlepage.txt \cr + \+ ctex.shar5&resume.sample&trademark.sty \cr + \+ ctex.shar6&resume.sty&uct10.doc \cr + \+ cyrillic.sty&sc21-wg1.sty&uct11.doc \cr + \+ dayofweek.tex&sc21.sty&uct12.doc \cr + \+ deproc.sty&sfwmac.sty&ucthesis.doc \cr + \+ deprocldc.tex&showlabels.sty&ucthesis.readme \cr + \+ docsty.c&siam.bib&uuencode.shar \cr + \+ docsty.readme&siam.bst&vdm.doc \cr + \+ doublespace.sty&siam.doc&vdm.sty \cr + \+ draft.sty&siam.sty&vdm.tex \cr + \+ drafthead.sty&siam.tex&ws87.p \cr + \+ dvidoc.shar1&siam10.doc&wsltex.c \cr + \+ dvidoc.shar2&siam10.sty&wsltex.p \cr + \+ epic.shar1&siam11.sty&xxxcustom.tex \cr + \+ epic.shar2&siam12.sty&xxxslides.sty \cr +} + + 1. For Internet users - how to ftp: + + Here is an example session. Disclaimer: ftp syntax varies from host to + host. Your syntax may be different. The syntax presented here is that + of Unix ftp. Comments in parentheses. + +\program + % ftp cayuga.cs.rochester.edu (a.k.a. cs.rochester.edu, a.k.a. 192.5.53.209) + ... (general blurb) + user: anonymous + password: <any non-null string> + ftp> cd public/latex-style (where the files are) + ftp> ls (to see what is there) + ... (lots of output) + ftp> get 00index + ... (more blurb) + ftp> quit +\endprogram + + 2. Non-Internet users - how to retrieve by mail: + + An archive server has been installed. Send a piece of mail to LaTeX-Style + (@rochester.arpa, @cs.rochester.edu, via uucp or your favourite gateway) in + the following format: + + Subject line should contain the phrase ``@file request". Body of the + mail should start with a line containing only an @ (at) sign. + The first line following should be a mail address FROM rochester TO +[B you. Then follow by the names of the files you want, either one to + each line, or many to each line, separated by spaces. End with a line + containing only an @ sign. Case is not significant. + + For example, if you are user at site.bitnet, this is what you should send: + +\program + + To: latex-style@rochester.arpa + Subject: @file request + + @ + user%site.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu (don't forget your address!) + 00readme + 00index + @ +\endprogram + + Caveat: our mailer is pretty ignorant of BITNET, CSNET or UUCP + addresses unless they are in registered domains. It is best that you + supply explicit gateway routes. Also use the new domainized form of + addresses whenever possible because the old .ARPA addresses are fading + away. + +\program + user%site.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu + user%site.csnet@relay.cs.net (not csnet-relay.arpa anymore) + site!user@seismo.css.gov (not seismo.arpa anymore) +\endprogram + + Long UUCP paths are discouraged. System administrators get upset and + your turnaround is very slow anyway. + + Do not include any messages in the mail. It will not be seen by human + eyes. Be patient as the server is actually a batch program run once a + day. Files will be sent in batches, each not exceeding 100kbytes in size. + + 3. IBM PC and clone users - how to get a distribution: + + David Hopper of Toronto, Canada is offering copies of the style + collection on diskettes. This is not a commercial enterprise. David is + doing this in his own time as a favour to the TeX community. The entire + set of style files, not including the C-TeX files, as of June 1st, fits + on one 1.2 MB diskette or three 360KB diskettes. No subsetting, + please. Send David + +\item{ 1.} Formatted diskettes, + \item{2.} Indication of the format required, + \item{3.} A self-addressed mailer, and + \item{4.} A \$5.00 donation per set of files, to cover postage and equipment wear + \& tear. (If you live outside North America, airmail delivery will probably + require more postage. You should probably contact David for details.) + + David's address: +{\it + David W. Hopper, + + 446 Main Street, + + + Toronto, Ontario, + + Canada M4C 4Y2 +} + + Thanks, David. + + Ken + + LaTeX-Style@Rochester.Arpa + + LaTeX-Style@cs.Rochester.Edu + + ..!rochester!latex-style + +\eq} + +\bye diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/texline.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/texline.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..13367614d5 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/texline.tex @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ +\vsize720pt +\input dble.tex\input verbatim.tex +\font\sc=cmcsc10 +\font\mf=logo10 +\font\mfb=logobf10 +\def\MF{{\rm{\mf META}\-{\mf FONT}}} +\def\MFb{{\rm{\mfb META}\-{\mfb FONT}}} +\def\MarkUp{MarkUp '8\kern-0.2em\lower0.45ex\hbox{7}} +\def\LaTeX{{\rm L\kern-.36em\raise.3ex\hbox{\sc a}\kern-.15em + T\kern-.1667em\lower.7ex\hbox{E}\kern-.125emX}} + +\def\frac#1/#2{\leavevmode\kern0.1em + \raise0.5ex\hbox{\the\scriptfont0 #1}\kern-0.1em + /\kern-0.15em\lower0.25ex\hbox{\the\scriptfont0 #2}} +\baselineskip12pt +\parskip0pt +\parindent1em +\hfuzz1.5pt +\hyphenation{SGML SGML-ers} + +\headline{\sl \TeX line 6 \hss \folio} +\nopagenumbers + +\def\SGML{{\sc sgml}} +\def\PS{{\sc Post\-Script}} +\let\ps=\PS +\def\TS{Type \&~Set} +\def\dvi{{\tt dvi}} +\def\tfm{{\tt tfm}} +\def\quid{{\it\$}} +\def\DW{Dominik Wujastyk} +\def\AmSTeX{$\cal A$\kern-.1667em\lower.5ex\hbox{$\cal M$}\kern-.125em + $\cal S$-\TeX} +\def\BibTeX{{\sc Bib}\TeX} +\def\SliTeX{{\sc Sli}\TeX} +\def\hax{\TeX{\sc hax}} +\abovedisplayskip0pt +\belowdisplayskip0pt +\def\nl{\hfill\break} +%\def\boxit#1{\vbox{\hrule\hbox{\vrule\kern3pt +% \vbox{\kern3pt#1\kern3pt}\kern3pt\vrule}\hrule}} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/texline6.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/texline6.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..3f8cc217b0 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/texline6.tex @@ -0,0 +1,13 @@ +\tolerance=2000 +\input texline +\pageno=2 +\begindoublecolumns +\input bart\bigskip +\input mfbook\bigskip +\input markup87\bigskip +\input abbey\bigskip +\input tig.txt\bigskip +\input seattle.txt\bigskip +\input bcsep.txt\bigskip +\enddoublecolumns +\bye diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/tig.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/tig.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..e8e34f0998 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/tig.tex @@ -0,0 +1,246 @@ +\def\and{\item{$\bullet$}} +%---------------------------------------------- +\centerline{\bf\TeX\ Users Group 1987 Meeting } +\centerline{\bf 1. View towards Mt.~Olympus (WA)} +\medskip\noindent +Among the (many) virtues of \TeX\ are the facts that it is from the hand of a +single man, that it is not going to change and that it has a single, effective +User Group. The 1987 annual meeting of TUG took place this year from August +24th--27th at the University of Washington in Seattle (home of TUG past-% +president Pierre Mackay), and where, it seemed, better to garner the latest +from the horse's mouth? Heart in mouth, your intrepid correspondent +accordingly entrusted himself and his copy of {\sl The \MF book} to TWA's +shoddy care and flew (the movie was {\it Hoosiers}, +starring Gene Hackman, and the +food was a curious mess based on peanuts, which I came to learn was all TWA +{\it ever} offer vegetarians) +off to the rainy State of Washington. To the surprise +of most people in sight, Seattle was bathed in sunshine and remained so +throughout our stay. Accommodation in a student `dorm' was in a bunk-equipped +bedroom reminiscent of a Townsend Thoresen cabin, and the nautical theme +continued as the c.\ 160 assembled +TUGgers gathered for a cruise on Lake Washington; beer and +wine flowed, though the culinary delights of Cajun Shishkebab and barbecued +salmon proved a little frustrating for the non-carnivore. Initial impression +of the participants was later proved correct---mostly from north American +universities, but a healthy presence of commercial implementors and users, +and a sprinkling from countries all over the world. The British presence was, +to put it mildly, dominated by the Open University---my final headcount showed +4 OU, 1 Soton, 1 Oxford and 1 Wellcome Institute; lets hope the accounts +department of the OU don't ever find out. + +Day 1 started as it meant to go on, early and hard. 7.15 breakfast showered +the bleary-eyed punter with eggs, bacon, pancakes, potatoes, fruit salad, +donuts, toast, coffee {\it ad nauseam}. Formal registration (and more donuts and +coffee, which appeared to come from a specially developed {\it cornucopia\/} +throughout the conference) produced the longed-for TUG 87 memorial coffee mug +and a program generously filled with \TeX\ vendors' adverts. The first proper +session opened with Christina Thiele +(Carleton), who described her experiences +of small journal production with \TeX\ and electronic submission of MSS +without markup from authors; the field of linguistics brought nasty problems +of layout and fonts (there was subsequent discussion of where to find an IPA +font), but the interest of the session was the evidence of \TeX\ in heavy use +by non-experts and in a humanities setting, which was one of the themes of the +conference. + +Moving onto more detailed matters +Silvio Levy (Princeton) followed with a description of his work on +\MF ing a Greek alphabet for a new Dictionary of Modern Greek. Greek has +special problems, such as the large number of 2, 3 and 4 letter ligatures used +in classical Greek (e.g.~for prepositions), and the multiple accents on some +characters, and Levy uses a 256 character font to accommodate lots of +possibilities, including special combinations of sigma and all other letters, +to cope with the idiosyncracy of Greek's changing form of sigma if it comes +last in a word. + +After a more traditional digression on how to port \TeX\ to an +IBM 6150 (using PL8 and AIX `mapped files') +by Richard Simpson of IBM (with an +interesting aside on the use of Metafont to draw graphs by creating a special +purpose, very large, character representing the graph), Walter Andrews and + Pierre Mackay continued the alphabet theme with Turkish. +The problem there was +accentuation so heavy that the |\accent| +primitive cannot cope, and the only +solution was an accented font; discussion of the problem of sensible input +with Turkish characters on-screen provided the curiously useful idea of using +the printer driver family of a conventional word-processor to generate \TeX\ +from wp formatting commands by `printing' to a file---subsequent experiments +with PC-Write show that this is a very workable system for font changes. + +Our +European problems were as nothing, however, compared to the horrors of +Japanese, which came next; Nobuo Saito +described the general problems, and the +existing transliteration and printing schemes, +while Yasuki Saito talked about +one of four actual \TeX\ implementations---J\TeX. The large number of +characters in a font was dealt with by fooling \TeX\ into thinking it was +dealing with a family of fonts, which together made up one single Japanese +font; the actual fonts are generated from existing raster files to |.gf| format. +Input uses the JIS code (2 bytes per character), and a small change to \TeX\ +forces it to take characters in pairs. While Saito listed problems and areas +for improvement, it was clear that this was a viable system of practical use. + +After more donuts, we moved on to device drivers; the chief stars here were + Nelson Beebe, whose driver family had frequent mention, + Stephan v.\ Bechtolsheim (currently working, incidentally, +on a book described as an `exegesis of \TeX'), +who has nearly completed his new DVI to \PS\ driver, and Robert + McGaffey, who led a panel discussion +on standards for \dvi\ drivers (it struck +me during this that discussion of \dvi\ driver standards was by men, and +discussion of standards for macros, prompted by Christina Thiele, was by +women). The panel was formed into a committee to take serious action, with the +likely outcome being a set of standards which \dvi\ drivers should follow, at +different levels; those with serious thoughts on this were invited to send +them to McGaffey. + +The evening of the first day was occupied by a barbecue hosted by +Addison-Wesley, with extraordinary entertainment from the Seattle Banjo Club, +whose average age seemed to be greater then three score and ten, yet who kept a +frightening vitality. As A-W's corporate image stopped them serving alcohol, +and since yet again the carnivore was in the ascendant, I can only relate +that the walk to and from the event across a research ecological preserve, +including a small secluded duck pool, +provided the best moments of my trip over the Atlantic. + +Day 2 started with the commercial section, where exhibitors were given ten +minutes each to expound on their wares, which we were later able to inspect. +Thus I noted: \nl +\and {\bf Arbortext} with {\it Publisher}, their {\it wysiwyg}-cum-generic markup +front-end to \TeX, which offers a great many features (a good +interactive equation editor, and table builder) without {\it quite\/} working +yet as we would expect (for instance, cross-referencing is not supported, nor +is import of external \TeX). In any case, it costs real money on Sun +workstations! Arbortext also noted their new Sun font editor, an unsupported +Sun/Vax `dvicrt' for crude display on {\sc ASCII} terminals, and the fact that their +previewers now use Adobe screen fonts for those who want \PS\ fonts. +\and {\bf Digital Composition Corp.} +were newer entrants to \TeX ery, who had made +their own PC port (complete with |WEB|, no less!), were working on text wrap +around figures and had a `dvi2ps' with merge of HPGL, and even referred to an +\SGML\ preprocessor. +\and {\bf FTL systems} produce Mac\TeX, which seems to be a more stable and +advanced product than \TeX{\sc tures}, concentrating on support for \PS\ fonts +(they have traced the CM maths fonts with Fontographer to generate \PS\ +downloadable outline fonts), online \TeX\ and \LaTeX\ help and translation out +of MacWrite and Word; they also use `Page One', a system of simple generic +codes for authors which are converted to \TeX. +\and {\bf Docusoft Publishing Technologies} were offering \TeX write, +a special PC +editor for \TeX, with a WordPerfect-like interface; they gave away evaluation +copies of a version which did not yet have many special \TeX\ features in it; +Emacs users can imagine the sort of thing. +\and {\bf K-Talk Communications} had a full-feature WordPerfect to \TeX\ +converter; it was hard to get excited, but this sort of thing is very useful +and should become more popular. +\and {\bf Kellerman and Smith} wheeled on the said Smith, who was excessively +laid back with a Mac, but did mention that they could start shipping Lucida +for \TeX tures soon (with a {\it complete\/} set of maths fonts). +\and {\bf Personal \TeX}, with the charismatic + Lance Carnes, talked about their +licensing of Bitstream fonts (a large library of raster fonts), the imminent +marketing of Montreal's multilingual \TeX\ (with European hyphenation +patterns, a +matter of great importance to many \TeX\ users in the humanities), new, +simpler, table macros and new device drivers. It has to be said that PC \TeX\ +came over as having the edge on Micro\TeX, in terms of development and service +to the users. +\and {\bf St\"urtz AG} offered \TeX\ printing on a Monotype Lasercomp, and +promised to implement Knuth and Mackay's concept of a left-to-right Hebrew +\TeX. +\and {\bf \TeX nology} had Macro\TeX, +a new, almost-finished, macro package at the +level of \LaTeX\ or \AmSTeX, with some interesting features such as +multi-page tables. +\smallskip +After a set of Site Coordinators reports (pretty dull, to be honest), Nelson +Beebe talked about his driver family, which featured a uniform interface for +all devices and much sharing of modular elements of the code. I think it was +also Beebe who mentioned in passing that \TeX\ and \MF\ are almost +exactly the same number of lines of code, a cause for thought! More +entertaining fare was to follow, however, +from TV Guide's David Ness, whose +talk was in some ways a high point of the conference; TV Guide is the weekly +listing of all the TV programs in the US, and its production is basically +database driven. Ness's eventual aim is to use \TeX\ for this highly complex +piece of typesetting, but the importance of his talk was its viewpoint from a +`real' organisation choosing \TeX\ on performance rather than availability or +price considerations. I cannot resist quoting TV Guide statistics---20 million +copies per issue, listing in 108 editions the +output of 2000 stations; {\it Radio + Times\/} eat your heart out. Silvio Levy returned to complete the day with an +outline of his new CWEB system for literate programming in +C --- not the combination of C and |nroff| that has +circulated in Britain, but C and \TeX. Maybe it will even catch on! + +Before the wine and cheese provided by PC \TeX\ (some very nice local wines +and good cheese --- now you see why their product is better than Micro\TeX), +`birds of a feather' did the requisite flocking. I joined a flock of people +interested in special editors and markup, +with \TeX\ {\it per se} being put in its +place as a formatting engine. One interesting fact I elucidated in this +happily-familiar discussion was that the American Association of Publishers +has defined its own \SGML\ tag set and is promoting it heavily. + +In the evening, a small group made a pilgrimage to see the Seattle Mariners +play the Toronto Blue Jays in the Kingdome; the Mariners' fielding was +excellent, but their batting couldn't catch fire and the Blue Jays (as +was expected) won with no real strain. Did you know the Kingdome is the +largest concrete dome in the world? Thanks to David Parmenter (DEC) for +explaining the rules. + +Day 3 started with a problem session run by Barbara Beeton, who deftly fielded +some incredibly obscure hackings. +The `humanities' theme was pursued by Allen + Dyer (a Maryland Lawyer), who described how his state Bar Association was +standardising on \TeX\ for the good of all. Last, but not least, your +correspondent presented a paper by Les Carr on the generation of \PS\ outline +fonts from \MF. The {\it cul de sac} reached by the actual project did not +stop a good number of people wanting to know more, and confirmed my suspicion +that for many \TeX\ people \PS\ is the way forward, possibly creating an +unfortunate divide between the pragmatic \PS ers and those who stand by CMR +and \MF. + +Closing sessions gave a chance for more jokes from \TeX an TUG President Bart +Childs, presentation of \TeX\ `oscars' for deserving people, a framed Duane +Bibby drawing for Barbara Beeton, and the election of David Ness as Treasurer. +TUG seemed to be flourishing and happy, so we went away. + +What were my overall impressions from the meeting? +\smallskip +{\narrower +\item{a.}An increasing number of people are +simply {\it users} of \TeX, and are not +interested in how \dvi\ drivers work; in the USA at least I got the feeling +that the main thrust of usage was on PCs and Macs, using the prepacked systems +from conscientious vendors. Many of them are finding the underlying algorithms +of \TeX\ can be used for an extraordinary variety of tasks. +\item{b.}People who {\it are} +interested in \dvi\ drivers are on the verge of getting +their act together to ensure that these programs do their job. One can only +applaud! +\item{c.}The commercial world is less interested in \TeX\ as a visible +product than as a reliable engine. It was interesting to hear FTL say that +they did their best to {\it conceal\/} \TeX\ in Mac\TeX, which meant almost +discouraging the use of CMR (they are an extra in Mac\TeX). +\item{d.}Americans drink too much fizzy stuff and coffee, +and eat too many donuts. +\smallskip +} + +\medskip +Readers who want to follow up any of the matters discussed above should first +of all look at the latest TUGboat, which covers a number of them, but are +welcome to get copies from me of brochures, addresses etc.\ I picked up --- write +to: +{\obeylines\parindent2em +Sebastian Rahtz, +Department of Electronics +\qquad and Computer Science, +University, +Southampton SO9 5NH +{\it email} {\tt spqr@uk.ac.soton.cm}} + diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/tonerbbs.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/tonerbbs.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..8ff2b837b3 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/tonerbbs.tex @@ -0,0 +1,73 @@ +\centerline{\bf Recharging Toner Cartridges} +\medskip +\noindent +It is possible to have your old laser printer +toner cartridges refilled. PPI will recharge +a carrtridge for the Canon LBP-CX engine for +\quid45.00. This is substantially cheaper than +buying a new one. And they put more toner +in than you had the first time. It appears that +cartridges can be refilled many times, but of course +they insist that the cartridge must be in good +condition. If you want to be more colourful, that +costs more --- they charge \quid55.00 for a colour +refill (you can put a colour refill in a cartridge +which had black toner). They will refill single +cartridges, and also offer +discounts for bulk, offereing a discount of 20\% +on quantities of 50. +The Canon engine is the heart of many +a laser printer, including the HP LaserJet, +the LaserWriter, QMS800 and Imagen, to +name but a few. For further information: +{\obeylines\parindent2em +PPI +228 Anerley Road +London SE20 8JT +Tel: 01 676 0055 +} +\bigskip +\centerline{\bf Bulletin Board} +\medskip +\noindent +Personal \TeX, suppliers of pc\TeX\ and an +increasing number of other quality \TeX\ add-ons +have a bulletin board for their users. Its contents +read a bit like \hax, but there is quite clearly +a fair amount of self-help going on. There are +a number of files available for downloading, +including some utilities. Among the files +are the sources of the Boston Computer Society +\TeX\ benchmarks. + +I have had a look through some synopses which +\DW\ provided, and include a taste of +the material present. + +There was an account +of the meeting of German \TeX\ users in Heidelberg +in October 1986. Norbert Schwarz has developed another set +of German hyphenation patterns which are said +to be better (linguistically), and to take up +less room than those of Bernd Schulze. +The Schulze hyphenation patterns are available +through Personal \TeX. Personal \TeX\ will +also be releasing Michael Ferguson's multi-lingual +\TeX, which allows simultaneous multi-lingual +hyphenation. They give June\slash July 1987 as a release date, +but I don't believe them. + +Those who read TUG will also know of the Portugese +hyphenation patterns from Pedro de Rezende, which +may by now be part of some \TeX\ distribution +tapes. + +This is quite a lively bulletin board, and it seems +to go some way to providing an alternative to +\hax\ for those without academic networks to back +them up. The only real problem I see is +the expense of transatlantic telephone calls. +If this sort of service is a feature of Personal \TeX s +commitment to \TeX, then it bodes well for them and us. + +\rightline{\sl Malcolm Clark} diff --git a/info/digests/texline/no6/tugboat.tex b/info/digests/texline/no6/tugboat.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..ca4565da35 --- /dev/null +++ b/info/digests/texline/no6/tugboat.tex @@ -0,0 +1,158 @@ +\magnification\magstep1 +\def\Afour{\hsize=6.25truein\vsize=9.5truein}%A4 page dimensions +\Afour +\def\quid{{\it\$}} +\def\PS{PostScript} +\def\dvi{{\tt dvi}} +\def\tfm{{\tt tfm}} +\def\vfilll{\vskip0pt plus 1filll} + +\def\boxit#1{\vbox{\hrule\hbox{\vrule\kern3pt + \vbox{\kern3pt#1\kern3pt}\kern3pt\vrule}\hrule}} + +\newbox\boxx\newbox\me + +\nopagenumbers + +\input verbatim.tex + +\font\mf=logo10 +\font\mfb=logobf10 +\def\MF{{\mf META}\-{\mf FONT}} +\def\MFb{{\mfb META}\-{\mfb FONT}} +\def\LaTeX{L\kern-.3em\raise.5ex + \hbox{$\scriptstyle\rm A$}\kern-.1em\TeX} + +\baselineskip12pt +\parskip0pt +\parindent2em +\hfuzz1.5pt +\tolerance3000 +\raggedbottom +\overfullrule0pt + +\def\istar{\item{$\star$}} +\def\iistar{\itemitem{$\star$}} +\headline={\sl First Circular \hss Autumn 1987} + +\centerline{\bf \TeX eter} +\bigskip\noindent +\TeX88, the Third European \TeX\ Conference +will take place at Exeter University, UK, from Monday, July 18th to +Wednesday, July 20th, +1988. This conference seeks to maintain the high standard +set by the previous European \TeX\ conferences. +In view of the rate at which \TeX\ is expanding its areas +of application, and the developments which will +have taken place by next summer, +papers are welcome from all areas of \TeX, \MF\ +and related subjects. +Likely themes might include: +\medskip +\istar desktop and traditional publishing with \TeX +\istar document structure --- \LaTeX, SGML, ODA, etc. +\istar non-technical \TeX\ and \MF\ applications + \hfill\break\indent (humanities, music, exotic languages) +\istar other technical areas (chemistry, physics, + biology) +\istar parochial peculiarities (European considerations!) +\istar ai and expert system approaches +\istar \TeX\ and {\it wysiwyg} +\istar \MF\ and fonts +\istar page description languages and \dvi +\istar micro inputs +\istar macro inputs +\istar standards: +\iistar for |\special| +\iistar for printer drivers +\iistar for \TeX\ macros +\istar \TeX\ environments +\bigskip\noindent +\medskip +\noindent +The programme will be structured to include both long and short +contributions. The proceedings will be published after +the conference. +\bigskip +\centerline{\bf Added Value}\smallskip\noindent +We hope to run various workshops and +participatory seminars before, during and after the conference. +Specifically, we plan to organise +workshops on `the design of documents', \LaTeX\ +style files (and how to modify them), and on +the use of \MF. +Seminar rooms will be available during the conference for +`birds of a feather' and other {\it ad hoc} group meetings. + There will be facilities for exhibitions by +the vendors of \TeX-related software, hardware and paperware. +A number of micros will be available to allow the interchange +of micro software, as well as demonstrations of particular +packages etc. +\bigskip +\centerline{\bf What does it cost?} +\smallskip +\noindent +The total cost of the conference, including accommodation (from +the evening of Sunday 17th July, through to Wednesday 20th) at +Lopes Hall of Residence, meals, social activities, +and the conference proceedings will be around \quid150. +For non-residents, the charge will be about \quid100. The +workshops and seminars before or after the conference +will cost about \quid50 per day, +which also includes accommodation and meals. Cheap rail fares +within the UK are being arranged. +\vfill \eject +\centerline{\bf Where is Exeter University?} +\smallskip +\noindent +Exeter is located in the sunny south west of England, close +to Dartmoor, and only 10 miles from the sea. +The University is approximately one mile north of Exeter +city centre. There is an excellent train service to London +and the North from St Davids Station. The M5 and M4 motorways +provide quick and relatively painless access to London, the Midlands +and the North. There is ample car parking space on campus. +The local airport has daily connections to the continent, as well +as UK internal destinations. +\vfilll +\hbox to\hsize{\hrulefill}\bigskip +\centerline{\bf Fill This in Now!} +\smallskip +{\obeylines\parindent0em\bf +Name: +Affiliation: +Address: +~ +~ +~ +~ +Telephone: +email: +} +\setbox\boxx=\vtop{\noindent\hsize0pt\vrule width0pt\hrule height 0pt} +\bigskip\noindent +Please tick where appropriate:\smallskip\noindent +\leavevmode\boxit{\copy\boxx}\ Please add my name to the \TeX88 mailing list\smallskip +\noindent +\leavevmode\boxit{\copy\boxx}\ I would like to present a paper\par +The title will be: \par +\vfilll +\hbox to\hsize{\hrulefill}\bigskip +\noindent Send to:\smallskip +\newbox\me +\setbox\me=\vtop{\halign{#\hfill\cr +Malcolm Clark, \TeX88\cr +Imperial College Computer Centre\cr +Exhibition Road\cr +London SW7 2BP\cr +Janet:{\tt texline@uk.ac.ic.cc.vaxa}\cr} +} +\hbox to\hsize{\qquad\box\me \hss}% +\vfilll +\hbox to\hsize{\hrulefill} +\noindent +\TeX88 is pleased to acknowledge the support of ArborText, +Addison-Wesley Publishers Ltd, Ellis Horwood Ltd (Publishers), +Personal \TeX, +{\sl\TeX\kern-0.1667em pert systems} and Uni\TeX\ Systems. +\end |