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authorNorbert Preining <norbert@preining.info>2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900
committerNorbert Preining <norbert@preining.info>2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900
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+file: NOSUPPORT (for ltx2x)
+
+ When I wrote ltx2x it was in a different century and for a different
+employer.
+
+ At that time I was involved in a project for storing a large series
+of SGML tagged documents in a database. The intention was that queries
+could be made against the database, couched in terms of the
+SGML DTD, to retrieve (portions of) the documents. Some retrievals would
+be for just reading, others would be by the series authors to paste text
+into new documents in the series. There were no restrictions on how the
+documents could be produced, except that they had to be in plain ASCII;
+some authors used LaTeX, others used proprietry word processing systems,
+and others a plain text editor. Camera ready copies of the documents
+were also required for publication.
+
+ I wrote ltx2x to provide an automated means of converting LaTeX tagged
+documents to SGML tagged documents. Someone else wrote a converter from
+SGML to LaTeX as it was determined that LaTeX was the best means of
+generating high quality camera ready copies. This all actually worked!
+
+ At the time I wrote ltx2x I think that there was no other similar
+tool available that could provide a configurable conversion process ---
+I at least configured ltx2x to operate like the detex program, to convert
+to HTML, and to SGML (this was in the days before XML). The major problem
+with the architecture of ltx2x was that it did its own parsing of the
+LaTeX source, and the only robust LaTeX parser is TeX. A new kind of LaTeX
+macro in a document required extending the ltx2x source code and recompiling.
+
+ I am now with another employer and as far as I know the SGML database
+idea has lapsed. Therefore I have no work-related imperitive to maintain
+ltx2x. Also, except for conversion of simple LaTeX into HTML, I no longer
+use it myself.
+
+ Eitan Gurari's TeX4ht system is also a configurable converter and
+uses TeX as the parser, so eliminating any need to keep recompiling
+the basis system. I have effectively retired my use of ltx2x in favour
+of TeX4ht. The homepage for TeX4ht is at:
+http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/~gurari/TeX4ht
+
+ The bottom line is that I will no longer provide even the minimal support
+for ltx2x that I have done for the past three years or so. I regret having
+to say this but feel it is probably best for any current or future users
+to know what the situation is.
+
+ If anyone wishes to take over support or development of ltx2x I will
+be very pleased. The majority of the code is in the public domain and the
+remainder is available under the LaTeX Project Public License, so anyone can
+make any changes they like. Just let me know if you want to do anything so
+I have a record of what might happen.
+
+Peter Wilson (peter.r.wilson@boeing.com)
+2001/07/01
+
+
+
+
+