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+% BELL.TXH; reference in TeXhax.8730
+
+Date: Thu, 16 Apr 87 17:37:57 PST
+From: <BELL%UKANVAX.BITNET>
+Subject: Documentation for earlier form letter submission.
+
+ Well, after receiving numerous responses regarding my form
+ letter format for (need I reiterate) PLAIN TeX, I realized
+ that I provided no way for people to guess what the correct
+ format for the letter file(s) and/or address file(s) are.
+
+ I am sending on a text version of our local guide as to the
+ usage. Unfortunately, since it uses a format that I developed
+ here for producing TeXnical Memoranda, I am unable to send
+ a TeXable version. Also, the examples refer to DCL (VAX/VMS)
+ commands---users of other operating systems forgive me. I am
+ certain that the file is too big to post in TeXhax, so hopefully
+ it will be archived along with the macro files sent earlier.
+
+ Ed Bell
+ Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
+ University of Kansas
+ Bitnet: BELL@UKANVAX
+ SPAN: KUPHSX::BELL (7.220)
+
+
+--------------------------Beginning of Document--------------------------------
+
+
+ AutoLetter
+ A TeX Letter Formatting Facility
+ E. V. Bell, II
+
+AutoLetter is a facility available for producing high quality letters capable
+of handling any number of people in a mailing list. Although the format of the
+address file is somewhat restrictive, it is still possible to create a form
+letter destined to be sent to a wide variety of people and still personalize
+each one.
+
+This document is designed to explain: (1) the few commands necessary to format
+the letter and personalize it; (2) the format of the address file; and,
+(3) how to generate labels for the letters.
+
+
+ Getting started
+
+For each form letter, you must create two files. The first is a file containing
+a list of the names and addresses of the people to whom the letters are being
+mailed. The second is a file containing the letter. Once these files have been
+created, you are ready to TeX them. There are relatively few TeX commands
+required in the letter, although any valid TeX command will work, including
+macro definitions, font changes, etc. In this way you can still utilize the
+power of TeX without sacrificing the simplicity of typing a form letter.
+Once these files are created, then type the following at DCL level:
+
+ $ tex autoletter
+
+AutoLetter will then read in some files and will prompt you for the names of
+the address and letter files. It handles everything from there. If you should
+happen to have TeX errors present in the letter, you should correct them
+before attempting to print the file. Your resulting DVI file will be called
+AUTOLETTER.DVI. LNTeX this file and print it to the laser printer.
+
+The way in which labels are formatted is similar. In this case, a different
+TeX facility is used (LABELS) and only the address file is needed. In
+this manner, it is not necessary to create labels for a group of letters unless
+it is desired. Also, it is possible to maintain a mailing list for the purpose
+of generating mailing labels without using the AutoLetter procedure.
+
+
+ The letter file
+
+There are relatively few special commands required for producing a letter with
+AutoLetter. Many of them are similar to or exactly the same as the ones listed
+in Appendix E of The TeXbook.
+
+The very first line in the file should contain the command \letterbody. This
+merely informs TeX to set up some parameters in a particular way. The
+salutation then follows. The salutation may include some commands which will
+personalize the letter in a number of different ways. If you wish to refer to
+the person by title and last name (e.g., Dr. Davidson, Mr. Desko, Ms. Comfort,
+etc.), you need only use the command \person. The persons title and last name
+will be substituted anywhere in the document where you use this command. If the
+person should have no known title, the phrase ``Sir or Madam'' is substituted.
+
+An alternative way to address someone would be by their first name. This could
+be whatever name you specify as the persons first name in the address file or
+an optional nickname. You may do this with the \familiar command.
+
+Finally, if in the salutation line you wish to refer to the addressee formally,
+you may use the \formal command. If, then, the persons title is Mr., the word
+``Sir'' will be substituted. If the persons title is Mrs., Ms., or Miss, the
+word ``Madam'' will be substituted. Finally, if the title is none of the above,
+it is the same result as typing \person).
+
+There are no special commands which are needed to produce the file from that
+point onward. You may specify any form of type you wish to use (roman,
+boldface, etc.) with the usual TeX commands. The letter is typeset by default
+in twelve-point roman and TeX places the date on every copy of the letter. Also
+by default, paragraphs are not indented. If you wish to have an paragraph
+indented on both sides, you can use the \narrow and \wide commands. TeXhax
+users should know at this point that these commands have been defined as:
+
+ \def\narrow{\advance\leftskip by3em \advance\rightskip by3em}
+ \def\wide{\advance\leftskip by-3em \advance\rightskip by-3em}
+
+When the body of the letter is finished, you specify the closing of the letter
+with the \closing command on a line by itself. The next line then contains the
+closing you wish to specify (e.g., Sincerely, Yours truly, etc., including the
+punctuation). The following lines until AutoLetter reaches a blank line, or one
+of the commands discussed below will be the placed after the signature space.
+The form, then, would be
+
+ \closing
+ Sincerely,
+ J. P. Davidson
+ Chairman
+
+The \annotations command is used to specify any special annotations required of
+the letter. These are specified no differently than any normal letter would be
+typed. Again, the \annotations command would be on a line by itself and each
+following line until a blank line is found would be typeset as a separate line.
+
+The \ps command is used to specify any post-scripts the author may wish. You
+need not type the usual ``P.S.'', however, as AutoLetter takes care of it.
+Again, leave a blank line after the post-script is finished.
+
+Finally, the last line in the document should have the command \endletter. This
+finishes the general description of the letter file. An example file follows
+(the result of which produces the last three pages of this document):
+
+--------------------------------Example----------------------------------------
+
+\letterbody
+Dear \familiar,
+
+This is the first in what I expect to be a series of canned \TeX\ routines
+for the office staff of the University of Kansas' Department of Physics and
+Astronomy. The obvious intent is to facilitate the usage of the departments
+VAX 11-750 computer and ease the shock of transition for either those not
+used to working on computers in general or those simply not used to working
+on a VMS system.
+
+I hope to provide to the department a durable but relatively flexible system
+whereby the office staff will be able to:
+
+\narrow
+\item{1.}Create standardized form letters for mailing to a large group of
+people.
+\vskip-\parskip
+\item{2.}Allow creation of book and journal formats which will allow for
+providing camera-ready text for publication.
+\vskip-\parskip
+\item{3.}Provide for both a means of uniformity of appearance of departmental
+documents when that is desired and for diversity of appearance when personal
+taste dictates.
+
+\wide
+This will, I trust, give you a brief idea of what I have intended. A format for
+producing an interdepartmental memo already exists and the ability to produce
+dissertations exists in at least two formats. This letter proves the capability
+of creating mass mailings or even of a single letter in a uniform format. I
+hope that you will all find these routines useful and productive.
+
+\closing
+Sincerely,
+E. V. Bell, II
+System \TeX nician
+
+\ps
+The \TeX\ routine which produced this letter is called AutoLetter. It is
+available to everyone on the system and users manuals are available.
+
+\endletter
+
+-----------------------------End of Example------------------------------------
+
+
+ The address file
+
+The format of the address file is very specific. The first six lines are
+reserved for the name of the addressee and the address as it is to appear in
+the letter follows on subsequent lines. Each entry is separated by an asterisk
+(*) on a line by itself. An example of an address file might be:
+
+--------------------------------Example----------------------------------------
+Mr.
+Edwin
+Ed
+V.
+Bell
+II
+1011 Indiana, Apt. \#6
+Lawrence, KS\ \ \ 66044-2952
+*
+
+Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
+
+
+
+
+University of Kansas
+Lawrence, KS\ \ \ 66045
+*
+Mr.
+R.
+Rick
+D.
+Desko
+
+Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
+University of Kansas
+Lawrence, KS\ \ \ 66045
+*
+-----------------------------End of Example------------------------------------
+
+Note that each part of the persons name (including their title) appears on a
+line by itself. The lines for the addressees name are:
+
+ (1) The persons title (e.g., Prof., Mr., Ms., etc.).
+ (2) The persons first name or initial.
+ (3) The name to use other than their first name if the salutation is
+ \familiar. (This can either be the same as (2) or a nickname.)
+ (4) The persons middle name(s) or initial(s).
+ (5) The persons last name.
+ (6) Additional name information (used for such things as ``Jr.'',
+ ``II'', or other things).
+
+Even if one or more parts of the name is unknown or irrelevant, a blank must
+be left for the entry. AutoLetter will reassemble the name as appropriate to
+certain commands. Also notice that if the letter is to an organization, as in
+the second entry, that you should leave all name lines blank except the one
+reserved for the first name. All other information would then appear as part of
+the address.
+
+
+ The LABELS facility
+
+The ability to create mailing labels, while not necessarily useful only in the
+generation of form letters, is still so closely tied to the subject that I
+hesitated to write another manual iterating much of the same material. It is
+useful to be able to generate mailing labels both in coordination with and
+separately from the AutoLetter facility. It is therefore provided as a separate
+utility.
+
+The LABELS procedure creates a page containing 33 labels, three columns of
+eleven labels. In order to use it, have the address file (described above)
+already created and type at DCL:
+
+ $ tex labels
+
+LABELS will then read in some files and will prompt you for the name of the
+address file, just as AutoLetter does. It handles everything from there. As
+always, if you should happen to have TeX errors present in the letter, you
+should correct them before attempting to print the file.
+
+Similarly to the AutoLetter procedure, your resulting DVI file will be called
+(this time) LABELS.DVI. LNTeX this file and print it to the laser printer.
+
+
+
+If you do not wish to use the AutoLetter facility directly, it is possible to
+just input the letter format file (with \input letter_format), but you will
+need to control the positioning of the date (as well as many other things)
+yourself. Enjoy!
+
+ E. V. Bell, II
+
+-----------------------------Ending of Document--------------------------------
+
+-------
+