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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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+\title{Letters to the editor}
+\author{}
+\begin{Article}
+
+\section{A \TeX\ front-end in \emph{NextStep}}
+
+Like most readers of \emph{Baskerville}, I greatly enjoyed
+S.~Rahtz's survey of \TeX{} front-ends in the December 1993
+number. I noticed that he had not mentioned one very
+interesting and useful such system---Tom Rokicki's
+implementations of \TeX{} for the \emph{NextStep} operating
+system---and I am writing to briefly discuss its most interesting
+features. \emph{NextStep} is a superior graphical user
+interface that sits on top of BSD4.3 Unix. Now that NeXT has
+ceased the manufacture of their trademark black Motorola
+hardware, the Intel-486 implementation of \emph{NextStep} is
+their flagship product.
+
+Although you can invoke `NeXT\TeX{}' via the usual command line,
+the value of this \TeX{} lies in the integrated environment,
+called \emph{\TeX{}View}, to which it belongs. Begin by preparing
+a usual source file with a \verb|tex| extension, and double-click
+to begin \TeX{}ing. \emph{\TeX{}View} automatically begins its
+preview as soon as the first page is ready. That is, while
+\TeX{} is still typesetting the remainder of the document, page 1
+is already there for your perusal. Simple mouse click commands
+zoom this display and drag and scroll the preview image in the
+preview window. \verb|dvips| is a part of \emph{\TeX{}View}, and
+so it is possible to include color in your typesetting, and very
+easily, too. \emph{NextStep} is built around Display
+PostScript, so \emph{\TeX{}View} readily offers all PostScript
+fonts in the document for onscreen display, and color if you use
+a color monitor. Of course, included \verb|epsf| files are also
+displayed. (Color is rendered in an appropriate shade of gray on
+the typical PostScript b\&w printer.) There is an option for
+`printing' to fax.
+
+I can't resist the temptation to note two extensions
+Tom has added to \TeX{} proper.
+If the first line of a source file is \verb|~&foo|, then the command
+\begin{verbatim}
+ tex myfile
+\end{verbatim}
+invokes the format file \verb|&foo|; that is, it
+is equivalent to the command \verb|tex &foo myfile|.
+Output stream~18 will pipe commands to Unix. It's possible
+to sort and input an index file (say) in
+one fell swoop via commands like:
+
+{\footnotesize
+\begin{verbatim}
+ \immediate\write18{mysort <index.raw >index.sort}
+ \input index.sort
+\end{verbatim}
+}
+
+\noindent in your source file.
+
+\signature{Alan Hoenig\\17 Bay Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743 USA\\
+\texttt{ajhjj@cunyvm.cuny.edu}}
+
+\section{Command line \TeX\ for ever}
+
+I notice from at least two articles in the current issue of
+\BV\ (Vol.~3, No.~2) that there appears
+to be some \emph{zeitgeist} within which the long-established,
+traditional and highly logical method of using {\TeX} and its adjuncts
+is brought into question; I refer, of course, to the articles
+by R. Allan Reese (p.~3, col.~1, para.~-2), and by your esteemed
+self (p.~4, col.~1, para.~-5).
+
+In particular, I wish to take issue with your assertion that:
+``Every {\TeX} user knows that the traditional command-line way of
+working (the `edit; compile; $\{$preview, print$\}$' cycle) is
+far from ideal.''
+This assertion, Sir, is blatantly and demonstrably
+flawed. There exists at least one {\TeX} user (and, I suggest Sir,
+many many more) who is \emph {completely} satisfied with this
+way of working, and who regards any and every attempt to protect
+the intellectually-challenged from the realities of \emph {real}
+computing by encapsulating trivial tasks in a so-called `development
+environment' as a fruitless and totally misguided activity.
+
+\signature{I remain, Sir, your most humble and obedient servant:\\
+Philip Taylor.}
+
+P.S. I see that our esteemed sometime Chairman, Malcolm Clark, now has
+a \emph{doppleganger} who is also contributing to the columns of \BV;
+who is this pretender to the throne who dares assert ``We've been nice
+guys for too long.''?
+
+\section{\protect\strikethrough{Jove} \LaTeX\ nods}
+
+I see from the current issue of \BV\ (Vol.~3, No.~2) that
+the dotfill leaders for the table of contents no longer align; is this yet
+another demonstration of the inferiority of {\LaTeX} when compared to the
+Real Thing?
+
+\signature{I remain, Sir, Yours etc.,\\ Philip Taylor}
+\end{Article}