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diff --git a/info/ltx3pub/vol-task.tex b/info/ltx3pub/vol-task.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..9c6aa497ea --- /dev/null +++ b/info/ltx3pub/vol-task.tex @@ -0,0 +1,993 @@ +%%% ====================================================================== +%%% @LaTeX-file{ +%%% filename = "vol-task.tex", +%%% version = "6.2a", +%%% date = "30 April 1993", +%%% time = "13:42:19.55 CDT", +%%% list-manager = "George D. Greenwade", +%%% address = "Department of Economics and Business Analysis +%%% College of Business Administration +%%% P. O. Box 2118 +%%% Sam Houston State University +%%% Huntsville, Texas, USA 77341-2118", +%%% email = "bed_gdg@SHSU.edu (Internet) +%%% BED_GDG@SHSU (BITNET) +%%% SHSU::BED_GDG (THENET)", +%%% telephone = "(409) 294-1266", +%%% FAX = "(409) 294-3712", +%%% supported = "yes", +%%% archived = "*Niord.SHSU.edu:[FILESERV.VOL-TASK], +%%% pip.SHSU.edu:/vol-task.tex", +%%% keywords = "LaTeX3, LaTeX, volunteer task list", +%%% codetable = "ISO/ASCII", +%%% checksum = "17979 993 4639 38497", +%%% docstring = "This is general volunteer task list in the +%%% development of LaTeX3. There are many tasks +%%% needing to be done in support of the LaTeX3 +%%% project which can be worked on concurrently with +%%% the development of the LaTeX3 kernel. +%%% Furthermore, some tasks require special expertise +%%% not found among the core programming team. +%%% Initial research, analysis, and work on these +%%% tasks by volunteers can greatly speed up the +%%% process of integrating a number of desirable +%%% features into LaTeX3. +%%% +%%% If you are interested in working on a particular +%%% task, the first step is to contact the volunteer +%%% list manager, noted above,for details. He will +%%% either immediately designate you as the `task +%%% coordinator' for that task, and assist you in +%%% getting answers to any initial questions you may +%%% have, or if someone else is already serving as the +%%% task coordinator for that task, you will be put in +%%% touch with that person, who will discuss with you +%%% the current status of the work and ways in which +%%% you might contribute. +%%% +%%% The checksum field above contains a CRC-16 +%%% checksum as the first value, followed by the +%%% equivalent of the standard UNIX wc (word +%%% count) utility output of lines, words, and +%%% characters. This is produced by Robert +%%% Solovay's checksum utility." +%%% } +%%% ====================================================================== +% This document can be run with ordinary LaTeX 2.09. +\documentstyle[twocolumn]{article} +%%%+%+%+%+% The innovative code delimited by ``%%%+%+%+%+%'' was provided by +%%%+%+%+%+% David Carlisle. It's function is to use the information from the +%%%+%+%+%+% file header directly in the processing of the document. +\makeatletter +{\obeylines% +\long\gdef\FHfield#1 + #2 = "#3"#4,{% + \global\@namedef{FH#2}{#3}% + \def\temp{#2}\ifx\temp\chksum\else\expandafter\FHfield\fi}% +\gdef\FHuse#1{\gdef^^M{\\}\csname FH#1\endcsname}}% + +\def\chksum{checksum} + +\@namedef{LaTeX-file}{\catcode`\@=12 \FHparse} +\long\def\FHparse#1{\FHfield#1\endinput} + +\begingroup +\catcode`\%=9 +\catcode`\-=11 +\catcode`\@=0 +\setbox0=\hbox{\obeylines\input\jobname.tex } +\endgroup +%%%+%+%+%+% Thanks, David!! + +\title{Volunteer work for the \protect\LaTeX3 project\thanks{Keywords: +\protect\FHuse{keywords}}\\} %% extract keywords from header +\author{\protect\LaTeX3 project \protect\\[5pt] +Frank Mittelbach\protect\\ +Chris Rowley\protect\\ +Michael Downes} + +\date{\FHuse{date}\\ %% extract date from header +Version: \FHuse{version}} %% extract version from header + +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% +% Adjustments for printing two columns with more text per page. +\oddsidemargin -0.65in \evensidemargin -0.65in \topmargin -0.75in +% Select paper size. +\def\firstletter#1#2\end{#1} +\typein[\papersize]{Intended paper size?^^J% +Choices: US letter size or A4; enter u or a, please:}% +\edef\setpapersize{\lowercase{\edef\noexpand\papersize{% + \noexpand\firstletter\papersize u\noexpand\end}}} +\setpapersize +\if a\papersize\relax + \typeout{% +OK, adjusting textwidth and textheight for A4 paper size} +% A4 paper size, 21cm x 29.7cm + \textwidth 19cm \textheight 26cm +\else + \typeout{% +Adjusting textwidth and textheight for US letter paper size} +% US letter-size paper, 8.5 x 11 in: + \textwidth 7.7in \textheight 9.7in +\fi +% +\tolerance 5000 \pretolerance 1000 +\ifx\undefined \emergencystretch\else \emergencystretch 2pc \fi +\hfuzz=\columnsep +% Reduce type sizes +\makeatletter +\let\Huge\huge \let\huge\LARGE \let\LARGE\Large \let\Large\large +\let\large\@normalsize \let\@normalsize\small \let\small\footnotesize +\let\footnotesize\scriptsize +\makeatother +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% + +\newcommand{\vollistmanager}{George Greenwade} +\begingroup \catcode`\%=12 \catcode`\_=12 \catcode`\@=12 +\gdef\vollistmgraddress{\relax + Internet: bed_gdg@SHSU.edu\\ + Bitnet: BED_GDG@SHSU\\ + THEnet: SHSU::BED_GDG\\ + Voice: (409) 294-1266\\ + FAX: (409) 294-3612\relax +} +\endgroup + +% Listing of the volunteer(s) for a given task can be done using +% the \coordinator, \email, and \volunteer commands: +% +% \coordinator{DATE}{NAME}\email{name@xyz.abc.volunteer} +% \othervolunteers +% \volunteer{NAME}\email{name@xyz.abc.de} +% \volunteer{NAME}\email{name@xyz.abc.de} +% . . . +% +% Percent sign can be used inside the argument of \email without a +% preceding backslash, provided that \email is not itself used +% inside the argument of some other command. + +\newcommand{\coordinator}[1]{\par\smallskip + \noindent{\it Coordinator\/} [#1]:\volunteer} + +\newcommand{\othervolunteers}{\par\noindent{\it Other volunteers:}} +\newcommand{\volunteer}[1]{\par#1\quad \ignorespaces} + +\newcommand{\email}{\begingroup \catcode`\%=12 \xemail} +% Auxiliary function for \email. It applies \meaning to the +% argument to make all the characters category 12. +\newcommand{\xemail}[1]{\def\temp{#1}\tt + \expandafter\xmeaning\meaning\temp\xmeaning\endgroup} +% Auxiliary function for \xemail. \newcommand cannot be used here. +\def\xmeaning#1->#2\xmeaning{#2} + +\newcommand{\ftpaddress}[1]{{\tt#1}} +\newcommand{\dirname}[1]{{\tt#1}} + +\newcommand{\timeestimate}[1]{\par \smallskip\noindent + {\it Estimated time required:} + #1.\par} + +\newenvironment{tasklist}[1]{\section{#1}}{} +\newcommand{\task}{\subsection} + +\newcommand{\AmSTeX}{AMS-\TeX\@} +\newcommand{\BibTeX}{{\sc Bib}\TeX\@} +\newcommand{\eg}{e.g., \ignorespaces} + +% \cs{xxx} is a robust command to print a control sequence name. +\chardef\bslash=`\\ +\newcommand{\cs}[1]{{\tt\bslash#1}} + +\edef\doublehat{{\noexpand\tt\string^\string^}} + +\begin{document} +\maketitle + +\section{Introduction} + +This is a call for volunteers to help in the development of \LaTeX3. +There are many tasks needing to be done in support of the \LaTeX3 +project which can be worked on concurrently with the development of +the \LaTeX3 kernel. Furthermore, some tasks require special expertise +not found among the core programming team. Initial research, +analysis, and work on these tasks by volunteers can greatly speed up +the process of integrating a number of desirable features into +\LaTeX3. Many of these features can be extensively developed and +tested under \LaTeX2.09 even before the \LaTeX3 kernel is available. + +Therefore we are publishing a list of tasks to the \LaTeX{} user +community through various channels and we ask readers to consider +contributing some time and effort (particularly, but not exclusively, +readers with expertise in the various areas touched on). The task +list is distributed in the form of a \LaTeX{} article; it is fairly +readable in electronic form, and it can be printed on paper if +desired. + +If you are interested in working on a particular task, see +Appendix~\ref{vlminfo} for details on how to volunteer. + +The task list will be updated in regular intervals. Time estimates are +measured in man-days or man-weeks, the values are guesses according to +our experiences. + +\begin{tasklist}{General tasks} + +\task{Volunteer list management} +Organization, publication and maintenance of the general volunteer +task list. + +\timeestimate{?} + +\smallskip +{\it Undertaken:} 22 July 1992 by \vollistmanager. + +\task{Validating \protect\LaTeX 2.09} +Writing test files for regression testing: checking bug fixes and +improvements to verify that they don't have undesirable +side effects; making sure that bug fixes really correct the problem +they were intended to correct; testing interaction with +various document styles, style options, and environments. + +We would like three kinds of validation files: +\begin{enumerate} +\item General documents. +\item Exhaustive tests of special environments/modules such as tables, +displayed equations, theorems, floating figures, pictures, etc. +\item Bug files containing tests of all bugs that are supposed to be +fixed (as well as those that are not fixed, with comments about their +status). +\end{enumerate} + +A procedure for processing validation files has been devised; details +will be furnished to anyone interested in this task. + +\timeestimate{2 to 3 weeks, could be divided up} + +\coordinator{25 August 1992}{Daniel Flipo} + \email{flipo@citil.citilille.fr} +\othervolunteers +\volunteer{Chris Martin} \email{cs1cwm@sunc.sheffield.ac.uk} + +\end{tasklist} + + +\begin{tasklist}{Syntax questions} + +\task{.sty metacomments for smart editors} +Develop conventions for documentation of styles which could be picked +up by editor packages to provide editing help. + +The idea is to place metacomments in .sty files which smart text +editors (in particular) can use to get information about the +`exported' (user interface) macros for that particular style. The +information would be useful for word completion and spelling checking, +at least. (The auc-tex package for GNU Emacs currently has such +information hard-wired for a number of common styles.) If the editor +has access to the \cs{documentstyle} line or suitable alternative +instructions it can poke about in the appropriate style files rather +than using its own database. + +Such information could be written out by a run with {\tt doc.sty} on +the basis of \verb=\Describe{Macro,Env}= commands in the {\tt.doc} +file and subsequently included in the {\tt docstrip}'ped {\tt.sty} +file. That's easy enough, but if it's to be generally useful the +result ought to be somewhat standardized and in a form suitable for +use by as many editors or other tools as possible. + +Would conventions for supplying other information this way be useful +(along the lines of the PostScript structuring conventions)? + +\timeestimate{probably 2-5 days over a longer period of time} + +\coordinator{25 August 1992}{David Love}\email{JANET: d.love@uk.ac.dl},\\ +\rule{23.5mm}{0pt}\email{BIT/INTERNET: d.love@dl.ac.uk} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Syntax proposal for bibliographical commands} +Extensions of current \LaTeX{} syntax for \cs{cite} commands and +bibliography commands. A number of specialties have conventions for +citations and bibliographies that \LaTeX{} 2.09 is ill equipped to +handle. + +David Rhead published several papers concerning the handling of +bibliographies and citations +\cite{texline:DRh90,texline:DRh91,unp:DRh92a,unp:DRh92b}. +Some of them have been distributed via the {\tt latex-l} mail list. +Counter-proposals or further argumentation for David Rhead's ideas +would be useful. + +\timeestimate{1--2 days} + +\coordinator{30 April 1993}{Pedro Jose Aphalo} +\email{Pedro.Aphalo@metla.fi} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Research on syntax for tables} +What features are important (and not covered)? Logical representation +of tabular material versus visual representation. Syntax proposal and +report. + +About tabular material presentation many interesting papers are +published. For example, general articles \cite{Nottingham:RBe86}, +\cite{XEROX:RBe85}, \LaTeX{} related \cite{unp:DCa90}, \cite{unp:DCa91} +\cite{unp:DRh91b}, logical table representation \cite{Lausanne:CVa92}. +Important work was done by Michael Spivak in \cite{TpC:MSp89} and of +course in his ``Tables to die for'' (T2D4). Standard books on +typesetting like \cite{CUP:JBu81}, \cite{TH:RMcL80}, +\cite{UCP:CMoS82}, \cite{W-G:JWh88} to name only a few, also usually +contain important information about tabular typesetting. What is +necessary, is a survey of the requirements for tabular material in +printing, a proposal for an extended standard syntax, and perhaps +proposal for syntax of extra features that could be provided +through a separate `super tables' module that is not loaded until the +user requests it. + +\timeestimate{2--6 weeks (could be shared by several volunteers)} + +\coordinator{20 September 1992}{Ed Sznyter}\email{ews@babel.com} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Research on syntax for chemistry} +The typography of chemical texts is rather different from, say, +mathematics. We need a taxonomist to classify the primary elements of +an article or book on chemistry and suggest syntax for user commands +to handle each element. What proportion of chemical diagrams can be +constructed with primitive line graphics such as given by the \LaTeX{} +picture environment (with suitable extensions)? Or should diagrams be +simply always done in some other graphics language and imported via +\cs{special}? + +\timeestimate{?} + +\coordinator{10 September 1992}{Chris Carruthers}\email{cjc@acadvm1.uottawa.ca} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Research on syntax for commutative diagrams} +Commutative diagrams occur often enough in mathematical literature +that even the first version of \AmSTeX{} back in 1983 or so included a +rudimentary facility for constructing rectangular commutative +diagrams. Since then several people have produced various +alternatives, most involving special fonts with line segments slanted +at various angles, and arrow heads. The commutative diagram macros of +L\AmSTeX{} have arrow directions specified as vectors with the units +being rows and columns rather than distances, \eg \verb'\arrow(1,2)' +means a diagonal arrow from the current element to the element one row +over and two columns down. + +There is a {\tt catmac.sty} by Michael Barr that uses the line fonts +of \LaTeX{} for drawing slanted arrows. The {\tt XY-pic} package by +Kristoffer Rose is reportedly usable with \LaTeX{} and comes with its +own line and arrowhead fonts. + +For \LaTeX3 we would like to see an analysis of the logical structure +of commutative diagrams and recommendations on user syntax. + +\timeestimate{2--4 days} + +\coordinator{8 October 1992}{Paul Taylor} +\email{pt@doc.ic.ac.uk} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} +\volunteer{Michael Barr}\email{barr@triples.Math.McGill.CA} +\volunteer{Kristoffer Rose}\email{kris@diku.dk} +\end{tasklist} + + +\begin{tasklist}{Research tasks} + +\task{Experimenting with \cs{emergencystretch}} +Testing the new features of \TeX3 where no experience is available so +far. Writing up a report. + +Research on \cs{emergencystretch}, in particular, is an important +area where the \TeX{} community doesn't have enough experience so +far, \eg what are good values in what situations, why? What happens +if\ldots\ and so on. This would also make a good article for {\em +TUGboat} if the report were given some finishing touches afterwards. + +\timeestimate{$\approx$ 4 days plus 2 days for publication} + +\coordinator{\FHuse{date}}{None yet}\email{} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Research on indexing commands} +What kinds of indexes are needed for various fields? What kinds of +indexes are needed for various specialties? What kind of \cs{index} +commands/syntax need to be provided for marking entries? What kind of +commands need to be provided for printing indexes after they have been +processed by a program like Makeindex? + +\timeestimate{$\approx$ 1-2 weeks} + +\coordinator{11 February 1993}{Dave Love}\email{dcl@ncsc5.att.com} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + + + +\task{Research footnote/endnotes conventions} +What conventions are used for various specialties? What user commands +and syntax would be recommended? Report about the results. + +\timeestimate{$\approx$ 1-2 weeks perhaps divided into disciplines} + +\coordinator{\FHuse{date}}{None yet}\email{} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% +%%% Modified into two tasks per MJD, 17-SEP-1992 13:53 +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% +\task{Syntax diagrams} +Designing a command syntax (and implementation in \LaTeX2.09) for +syntax diagrams used to illustrate programming language syntax. + +Reference: +\begin{verbatim} +@article(tub:MPl81, + AUTHOR = {Michael F. Plass}, + TITLE = {Charting your Grammar with {\TeX}}, + JOURNAL = tub, + YEAR = 1981, + VOLUME = 2, + NUMBER = 3, + PAGES = {39-56}, + keywords = {TeX, Macros, Syntax diagrams} +) +\end{verbatim} + +The described syntax is probably not appropriate for \LaTeX{} and the +implementation needs refinement since it was done for \TeX79 but it is +a good starting point. + +\timeestimate{1-2 days for syntax} +\timeestimate{4-8 days for prototype implementation} + +\coordinator{23 September 1992}{David Morgan}\email{morgan@socs.uts.edu.au} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{BNF notation} +Designing command syntax and prototype \LaTeX2.09 implementation for BNF +(Backus-Naur) notation used to describe syntax of programming languages. + +\timeestimate{1-2 days for syntax} +\timeestimate{3-5 days for prototype implementation} + +\coordinator{28 September 1992}{Mike Piff}\email{M.Piff@sheffield.ac.uk} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% +%%% End Modifications of 17-SEP-1992 13:53 +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% + +\end{tasklist} + + +\begin{tasklist}{Research tasks (cont.)} + +\task{Research on use of shorthand forms} +In SGML there is a concept called `short ref' which means for example +that the double quote character \verb="= can be defined to produce +directional quotes, blank line can be interpreted as end of +paragraph, and so forth. + +What kind of similar shorthand forms in ASCII files may be desirable +for \LaTeX{} users, \eg \verb|=>| to be converted to $\Rightarrow$, +\verb|/=| or \verb|<>| to be converted to $\neq$, \verb|'?| to be +converted to upside-down Spanish question mark, \verb|"u| to be +converted to umlaut \"u, and so forth. What conventions are currently +in use for various kinds of documents? + +Something along these lines is currently done in \AmSTeX{} with +the \verb'@' character: \verb'@-' is a shorthand meaning `nonbreaking +hyphen', \verb'@,' is a shorthand meaning one-tenth of a thinspace, +\verb'@>' is a shorthand for an extensible right arrow, and so forth. + +It is envisioned that in \LaTeX3 the user will be allowed to designate +certain characters to be shorthand initiator characters. For +efficiency reasons, the set of allowed initial characters will +probably be restricted to nonalphanumeric only. + +\timeestimate{?} + +\coordinator{23 September 1992}{Julio Sanchez}\email{jsanchez@gmv.es} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Research on figures and captions} +What rules are in common use for placement and formatting of floating +figures and their associated captions? Propose syntax for user +commands. Write report. + +Placement rules for floats and their captions are so far very limited +in batch formatters like \TeX{}. We are interested in rules for such +placement which are used in practice, algorithms, and possible user +syntax. What could be a good user syntax for putting captions above, +below, on the side, centered or top or bottom or left or right? Do we +need to allow different action for different classes of floats? What +do we need for multi-figure groups and their captions? + +\timeestimate{2-4 weeks (could be divided in sub-tasks)} + +\coordinator{21 September 1992}{Sebastian Rahtz}\email{spqr@minster.york.ac.uk} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} +\volunteer{Claus Langhans}\email{Claus_Langhans@wildcat.fido.de} + +\task{Research on the use of {\protect\doublehat} % that is, ^^? or ^^xx +conventions} +Check the actual use of the {\doublehat} convention for special +characters in the \LaTeX{} community by polling as many users, +organizations, mail-lists, usenet groups, etc.\ as possible. +Write report. + +In \TeX{} the \verb=^^= notation is sometimes used for access to +unusual characters ($< 32$ or $> 126$). It would be useful to +separate this function from the superscript function by assigning it +to some character other than \verb|^|, if that would not be too large +an inconvenience for users. One application, for example, would be to +change \verb|^| and \verb|_| to be active characters so that they can +always keep track of current math style, which would allow a better +definition for \cs{mathchoice} and simplify many things having to do +with math fonts. It seems that the \verb=^^= notation is indispensable +only when the character is used in a control sequence name or as a +macro argument delimiter (or in hyphenation patterns?). Note: +document styles are less concern since they will have to be mostly +rewritten for \LaTeX3 anyway. + +\timeestimate{$\approx$ 3-5 days} + +\coordinator{\FHuse{date}}{None yet}\email{} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Research on typographical conventions and requirements in + multilingual environments} + +Typographic conventions differ from one language/country to another. +Collect information about such conventions and try to identify the +basic data-types and operations required in \LaTeX3, so that most or, +ideally, all features necessary for the support of many languages can +be implemented in the \LaTeX3 programming language. + +It would be helpful also to include anything whose provision is +already supported by the babel system and/or other systems: eg +hyphenation. + +\timeestimate{$\approx$ 2-3 weeks (could be divided in sub-tasks)} + +\coordinator{9 December 1992}{Bernard Gaulle (interim)} + \email{gaulle@circe.fr} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% +%%% Next task added 9-FEB-1993 15:17:30, per FMi +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% + +\task{Research on the most commonly used \LaTeX{} styles} + +Even though \LaTeX3 will internally not be fully code-compatible with +\LaTeX{} 2.09, it is highly desirable that a well-written \LaTeX{} +2.09-compatible document can be formatted with \LaTeX3 with little or +no rewriting. To achieve this, the currently most popular \LaTeX{} +macros will be rewritten for \LaTeX3. But which are the most popular +\LaTeX{} macros? + +A questionnaire has been pre-tested and completed. Plans are to +distribute this to $\approx$ 10 sites throughout the world, a fair +amount to each. This will, hopefully, come close to a real stratified +sample survey. + +Volunteers are needed to hand out the form to an unsuspecting group of +\LaTeX{} users, punch the data (fairly easy - we only keep a frequency +count), and mail the frequencies to Rolf Lindgren. He wants the +filled-in forms as well, to be available to others who might want to +do research on \LaTeX{} use. + +\timeestimate{1 hour to administer the form, 2-3 hours to process the +competed forms, 1 hour to translate the form if necessary} + +\coordinator{28 January 1993}{Rolf Lindgren}\email{rolf.lindgren@usit.uio.no} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% +%%% End Modifications of 9-FEB-1993 15:17:30 +%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% + +\end{tasklist} + + +\begin{tasklist}{Misc items} + +\task{Math font handling} +Test math font handling in the latest release of NFSS and write up +detailed comments. + +Last year there was some discussion among the \LaTeX3 programmers and +others on how to handle math fonts under an enhanced release of NFSS +for \LaTeX3. The discussion finally drifted off into areas that are +far beyond the scope of the \LaTeX3 project but the actual questions +that were raised have not yet been answered. The only contribution +that came close was the detailed suggestion and experience report by +Sebastian Rahtz about the alpha release for an extended text font +handling which was sent around via the {\tt latex-l} list. + +\timeestimate{1--2 days} + +Thinking about a proper math font handling taking into account the +papers already sent around. + +\timeestimate{2--4 days} + +\coordinator{\FHuse{date}}{None yet}\email{} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Converting numbers to textual form} + +Currently counter values can be displayed in certain styles, \eg as +roman numerals. But it may be interesting to extend the available +commands by cardinal and ordinal representations, \eg 5 +$\longrightarrow$ `five' or `fifth' (for example, if you wanted to +refer to `the fifth item' in a list using something like \LaTeX{}'s +\cs{ref}.) Spivak's L\AmSTeX{} has \verb=\cardinal= and \verb=\ordinal= +macros to do this, for handling cross-references such as `the fifth +item in the list' where `fifth' is supposed to be generated by a +\verb=\ref= command. The main question: How much do we need this +capability? Should it be standard, or merely a nice option for those +who want it? Can it be easily extended to support various language +conventions? Are there other significant uses besides the +cross-reference idea? + +\timeestimate{1 day} + +\coordinator{\FHuse{date}}{None yet}\email{} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\end{tasklist} + + +\begin{tasklist}{Misc items (cont.)} + +\task{Rewrite of MakeIndex in WEB} +Convert/rewrite the C source code of MakeIndex. +For consistency it would seem desirable to have all auxiliary programs +designed for use with \LaTeX3 to be compilable in the same way +as \TeX{}. Currently this means use of the WEB language, with or +without the CWEB intermediate step. + +Furthermore, the MakeIndex program could use some work to deal with +a few shortcomings that have become evident with the passing of time +and extended usage. + +\timeestimate{?} + +\coordinator{6 February 1993}{Dave Love}\email{dcl@ncsc5.att.com} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Write other auxiliary programs} +Create programs for support tasks related to \LaTeX{} documents but +not part of the primary typesetting functions. + +Question: what other auxiliary programs do we need? Conjectures: +Compiled version of {\tt docstrip}? Programs to help designers in +creating document styles? Program for dealing with graphics files in +various formats (\eg read Bounding Box comments from a PostScript file +and compute scaling and translation numbers for passing to a \LaTeX{} +\cs{special} command?) Checksum utility by R.~Solovay for updating +Nelson Beebe's standardized file headers. Auxiliary program to help +in constructing complicated tables (decimal point alignment, row +spanning, other fancy effects that are hard to do in \TeX{} +currently)? Auxiliary program similar to Type \& Set to do +interactive page-breaking/float placement? + +\timeestimate{Arbitrarily long} + +\coordinator{\FHuse{date}}{None yet}\email{} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Bibliography style programming} +Write bibliography styles for \BibTeX1. The current version of +\BibTeX{} is 0.99. A reimplementation of \BibTeX{} for \LaTeX3 is +under way, by Oren Patashnik. When this is finished, or perhaps even +before, suitable standard bibliography styles for \LaTeX3 need to be +written. + +\centerline{*** Pending because of status of \BibTeX1 ***} + +\timeestimate{1-3 days per style} + +\coordinator{23 September 1992}{Not applicable at present}\email{} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + +\task{Bibliography style requirements} + +Collect available \BibTeX.99 styles and if possible further journal +and publisher requirements regarding bibiographies and analyze them. +Summarize the functionality of each style, whether or not it is easily +programmable with the current \BibTeX{}, what special functions would +be helpful, etc. + +\timeestimate{1-3 weeks for collecting information} + +\timeestimate{1-3 hours for each style} + +\coordinator{18 September 1992}{Robert Tolksdorf} +\email{tolk@cs.tu-berlin.de} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + + +\task{Survey of existing \LaTeX{} style options} +Using David Jones' TeX-Index (and any other useful sources), evaluate +the status of the many \LaTeX2.09 options currently available, \eg +whether they are up-to-date, whether the authors still support them, +or if unsupported, whether they are interesting enough to make it +worth while to seek a new maintainer for them. + +Write a report indicating the status of each style option, a short +description of its features and, if it is not maintained, if you think +it is worth upgrading or maintaining it. + +TeX-Index is an index of TeX macros. From its documentation: +\begin{quotation} +The most recent +version is always available by anonymous FTP +from \ftpaddress{theory.lcs.mit.edu} in +the directory \dirname{pub/tex/TeX-index}. + +Copies can also be obtained from the following +locations: +\begin{description} +\item[archive.cs.ruu.nl] + \dirname{TEX/\linebreak[0]DOC/\linebreak[0]TeX-index.\linebreak[0]Z} +\item[ftp.th-darmstadt.de] + \dirname{pub/\linebreak[0]tex/\linebreak[0]documentation/% +\linebreak[0]styles-and-macros.\linebreak[0]Index.\linebreak[0]Z} +\item[ftp.math.utah.edu] + \dirname{pub/\linebreak[0]tex/\linebreak[0]tex-index} +\item[ftp.uni-stuttgart.de] + \dirname{/soft/\linebreak[0]tex/\linebreak[0]documentation/% +\linebreak[0]TeX-index} +\item[ftp.diku.dk] + \dirname{pub/\linebreak[0]TeX/\linebreak[0]misc/% +\linebreak[0]TeX-Index.\linebreak[0]Z} +\item[Niord.SHSU.edu] + \dirname{[fileserv.\linebreak[0]tex-index]\linebreak[0]tex.% +\linebreak[0]index} +\item[TeX.ac.uk] + \dirname{[tex-archive\linebreak[0].doc]\linebreak[0]TeX-index.% +\linebreak[0]txt} +\item[ymir.claremont.edu] + \dirname{[anonymous.\linebreak[0]tex.\linebreak[0]documentation]% +\linebreak[0]tex-index.\linebreak[0]txt} +\end{description} +\end{quotation} + +The file is available for retrieval via electronic mail by including: +\begin{verbatim} + SENDME TEX-INDEX +\end{verbatim} +in the body of a mail message to \email{FILESERV@SHSU.BITNET} +(\email{FILESERV@SHSU.edu}). To facilitate mailing across networks, the +file is distributed in 8 parts. + +\timeestimate{1/2-1 day per style} + +\coordinator{15 October 1992}{David M. Jones} +\email{dmjones@theory.lcs.mit.edu} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} + + +\task{Timing tests} +Run tests to compare speed of various possibilities. + +To make the \LaTeX3 kernel sufficiently fast it is necessary to +write efficient code. This means testing several variants against each +other to see which one is fastest. One example is the case of global +versus local assignments for temporary registers. In the recent issue of +TUGboat \cite{tub:LSi92} speed issues for token registers have been +discussed. + +\timeestimate{2--3 days} + +\coordinator{20 September 1992}{Jonathan Fine}\email{J.Fine@pmms.cam.ac.uk} +\othervolunteers +%\volunteer{NAME}\email{} +\volunteer{Phillip E. Parker}\email{PPARKER@TWSUVM.UC.TWSU.EDU} + +\end{tasklist} + +\begin{thebibliography}{Rhe92b} + +\bibitem[Bea85]{XEROX:RBe85} +Richard~J. Beach. +\newblock Setting tables and illustrations with style. +\newblock Technical Report CSL-85-3, Xerox Corporation, Research +Center, Palo Alto, Califonia 94304, May 1985. + +\bibitem[Bea86]{Nottingham:RBe86} +R.~J. Beach. +\newblock Tabular typography. +\newblock In J.~C. van Vliet, editor, {\em Text processing and document + manipulation}, British Computer Society Workshop Series, pages 18--33, + Cambridge, April 1986. Cambridge University Press. + +\bibitem[But81]{CUP:JBu81} +Judith Butcher. +\newblock {\em Copy editing: the Cambridge handbook}. +\newblock Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, second edition, 1981. + +\bibitem[Car90]{unp:DCa90} +David Carlisle. +\newblock Some notes on the longtable environment. +\newblock Available from \TeX{} servers, December 1990. + +\bibitem[Car91]{unp:DCa91} +David Carlisle. +\newblock narray.sty. +\newblock Available from \TeX{} servers, July 1991. + +\bibitem[Chi82]{UCP:CMoS82} +{\em The Chicago Manual of Style}. +\newblock University of Chicago Press, Chicago, London, 13th edition, +1982. + +\bibitem[Fin91]{unp:JFi91} +Jonathan Fine. +\newblock Some basic control macros for {\TeX}. +\newblock Presented at a \LaTeX3 workshop 1991 in London, February 1991. + +\bibitem[Fin92]{tub:JFi92} +Jonathan Fine. +\newblock Some basic control macros for {\TeX}. +\newblock {\em {TUG}boat}, 13(1):75--83, April 1992. + +\bibitem[McL80]{TH:RMcL80} +Ruari McLean. +\newblock {\em The Thames and Hudson Manual of Typography}. +\newblock Thames and Hudson, London, 1980. + +\bibitem[Rhe90]{texline:DRh90} +*David Rhead. +\newblock Towards {\BibTeX} style-files that implement principal +standards. +\newblock {\em {\TeX}line}, (10):2--8, May 1990. + +\bibitem[Rhe91a]{texline:DRh91} +*David Rhead. +\newblock How might {\LaTeX3} deal with citations and reference lists? +\newblock {\em {\TeX}line}, (13):13--20, September 1991. +\newblock Suggestions for \LaTeX3. + +\bibitem[Rhe91b]{unp:DRh91b} +David Rhead. +\newblock Some ideas for improving {\LaTeX}. +\newblock Suggestion for \LaTeX3, July 1991. + +\bibitem[Rhe92a]{unp:DRh92a} +David Rhead. +\newblock Short form citations: how a manual might describe the +suggested user interface. +\newblock University of Nottingham {\tt JANET: + David\_Rhead@uk.\linebreak[0]nottingham.\linebreak[0]ccc.\linebreak[0]vme}, + May 1992. + +\bibitem[Rhe92b]{unp:DRh92b} +David Rhead. +\newblock Short form citations: some examples. +\newblock University of Nottingham {\tt JANET: + David\_Rhead@uk.\linebreak[0]nottingham.\linebreak[0]ccc.\linebreak[0]vme}, + May 1992. + +\bibitem[Sie92]{tub:LSi92} +L.~Siebenmann. +\newblock Elementary text processing and parsing in {\TeX} --- +the appreciation of tokens ---. +\newblock {\em {TUG}boat}, 13(1):62--73, April 1992. + +\bibitem[Spi89]{TpC:MSp89} +Michael~D. Spivak. +\newblock {\em {L\AmSTeX} The Synthesis}. +\newblock The \TeX plorators Corporation, Houston, 1989. + +\bibitem[Van92]{Lausanne:CVa92} +Christine Vanoirbeek. +\newblock Formatting structured tables. +\newblock In C.~Vanoirbeek and G.~Coray, editors, {\em Electronic +Publishing '92}, pages 291--309, Cambridge, April 1992. Cambridge +University Press. + +\bibitem[Whi88]{W-G:JWh88} +Jan White. +\newblock {\em Graphic Design for the Electronic Age}. +\newblock Watson-Guptill, Xerox Press, New York, 1988. + +\end{thebibliography} + +\noindent {\bf NOTE:} References denoted by ``*" are available +electronically. For retrieval via electronic mail, include: +\begin{verbatim} + SENDME LATEX3.key_from_reference* +\end{verbatim} +in a mail message to \email{FILESERV@SHSU.BITNET} +(\email{FILESERV@SHSU.edu}). For example, David Rhead's 1990 reference +above, Rhe90, is {\tt LATEX3.Rhe90*}. + +These files are also available for anonymous ftp retrieval from +\ftpaddress{Niord.SHSU.edu} in the directory \dirname{[FILESERV.LATEX3]}. +The file {\tt LATEX3.00INDEX} in that directory has a brief description +of the files included in this collection (and may be retrieved via +electronic mail by including {\tt SENDME LATEX3.00INDEX} in the body of +a message to {\tt FILESERV}). + + +\newpage + +\appendix +\section{Volunteer list manager name and address} +\label{vlminfo} +The manager of the volunteer list is: +\begin{center} +\begin{minipage}{13.5pc} +\vollistmanager\\ +\tt\vollistmgraddress +\end{minipage} +\end{center} + +If you are interested in volunteering for one of the listed tasks, +please start by contacting the coordinator for the task in which you +are interested, if a coordinator name is given. Otherwise contact the +volunteer list manager. The proposed organization of volunteers is +as follows: +\begin{itemize} +\item The first person to volunteer for each task will automatically be +accepted and designated `task coordinator', without regard to their +expertise. Responsibilities: keep in contact with any other volunteers +that later volunteer for the same task; avoid duplication of effort; +collect and organize the results of volunteer work on that task. + +\item The first job of a task coordinator is to gather together +information relevant to the task (such as previous discussions on the +{\tt LaTeX-L} mail list, articles published or unpublished mentioned +in the task list, etc.). For this you may need some assistance. If is +not already subscribed to the {\tt LaTeX-L} list, you should subscribe +in order to receive announcements about the progress of the \LaTeX3 +project. To do this, send mail to +\email{listserv@vm.urz.uni-heidelberg.de}, with one line as the body +of the message (substituting your own name): +\begin{verbatim} + subscribe LaTeX-L Your-first-name Your-surname +\end{verbatim} + +\item The second job of a task coordinator is to write a `task +specification' containing more details than were in the volunteer +task list. It should describe the goals and any restrictions that +apply. This task specification will need to be reviewed by someone on +the \LaTeX3 kernel team, and afterwards it can be sent out to any +additional volunteers for the same task, as a guide for the work. + +\item If other persons volunteer later for the same task, the volunteer +list manager will put them in contact with the task coordinator. +Arrangements for dividing the work and keeping in touch should then +be made by the task coordinator; in addition, if a later volunteer +has greater expertise or more spare time or other useful +qualifications, he/she may become the task coordinator by mutual +agreement among the volunteers who are working on that task. +\end{itemize} + +\end{document} |