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diff --git a/macros/latex/contrib/nicetext/README b/macros/latex/contrib/nicetext/README new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..db49e02d30 --- /dev/null +++ b/macros/latex/contrib/nicetext/README @@ -0,0 +1,157 @@ + + README for the NICETEXT bundle + + Minimal Markup for Documenting, Text Filtering, ... + + (c) 2009-2015 Uwe Lueck http://contact-ednotes.sty.de.vu + + + == General Idea == + +The NICETEXT bundle supports "minimal" markup syntax for rather +simple kinds of text. The code you type should show little more +characters than are printed, though you get LaTeX quality. We +try to do away with backslashes, technical terms, and curly +braces (clumsy to type ... - "syntactic sugar"). + +Main focus is easy documentation of LaTeX packages. +Preprocessing by Perl or so is replaced by TeX macros +(reviving/generalizing the `docstrip' idea), including +expandable, safe, correct string substitution and typographical +enhancements of plain text for LaTeX input. + + + == Packages == + +`wiki.sty' addresses general kinds of texts. `niceverb.sty' is +made for documenting LaTeX packages. `niceverb.sty' especially +offers [almost-]WYSIWIG for meta-variables (macro arguments) +and for referring to commands (and their syntax) in footnotes, +section titles etc. E.g., to get the syntax description + + \foo[<opt-arg>]{<mand-arg>} +you just type + \foo[<opt-arg>]{<mand-arg>} +!-) + +`fifinddo.sty' provides basic setup for text filtering, +especially string substitution. `makedoc.sty' extends it to +provide a simple script language for transforming plain text +package files into LaTeX input files [manual!?]. One LaTeX run +can perform preprocessing and typesetting. + + + == Comparisons == + +One source of inspiration is the markup syntax of editing +Wikipedia pages. `wiki.sty' of the bundle offers something +similar as a LaTeX front-end for italics, boldface, sectioning, +and certain list-like environments. This is also similar to +`easylatex', + + http://www.ctan.org/pkg/easylatex + +which is more powerful and uses Perl. NICETEXT, by contrast, +consists just of LaTeX packages, working on any TeX +installation [!? note restrictions in `fifinddo.pdf']. +Cf. also preprocessor packages `txt2tex' and `txt2latex'. + +Regarding "self-documentation," there is a difference to +current `\DocInput', similar ideas are in `gmdoc' and +`lineno.sty', see `niceverb.pdf' and `makedoc.pdf'. Standard +`doc.sty' and `contrib' extensions of it are rather avoided. + +There are several *LaTeX macro* packages for processing text or +databases or for editing TeX's input stream while typesetting +-- see `fifinddo.pdf'. What seems to be new here is +*expandable string substitution* and safe, correct detection of +substrings -- discussed in `fifinddo.pdf'. + + + == Documentation == + +`fifinddo.pdf' describes `fifinddo.sty', typeset from +`fifinddo.tex'. `makedoc.pdf' describes `makedoc.sty', typeset +from `makedoc.tex'. `mdoccheat.pdf' is a list of script +commands, typeset from `mdocchea.tex'. `niceverb.pdf' describes +`niceverb.sty', typeset from `niceverb.tex'. Typesetting them +anew (for customizing printout) requires `makedoc.cfg', +`mdoccorr.cfg', and the *.sty files. + +`wikicheat.pdf' is a one-page manual of `wiki.sty'. The file +`wiki.sty' contains additional documentation as plain text. +Note that certain features must be activated by commands in the +document environment. + +`FILEs.txt' describes all the files contained in the bundle in one +line for each. Some descriptions too much for a line: + + * SrcFILEs.txt describes TeX source files (macros, documentation) + together with their most recent version strings and revision + dates. + + * nicetext.RLS summarizes each upload/release in a line or a + little more. With the `typeoutfileinfo' package, the command + line + + typeoutfileinfo nicetext.RLS + + produces a display of the most recent release that has been + installed on your system. `latexfileversion' and `ltxfileinfo' + probably provide a similar feature. + + + == Templates/Dialogue == + +txt to TeX functionality through \MakeDocCorrectHook can be +tried and applied with templates `fdtxttex.tpl' and +`makedoc.tpl' and in a dialogue started by running +`fdtxttex.tex'. Running `copyfile.tex', you get a dialogue +for "compressing" blank lines or text encoding conversion. + +`substr.tex' should typeset the version of Harald Harders' +`substr.sty' next at your TeX installation. `arseneau.tex' +should typeset documentation of a few packages by Donald +Arseneau. MY results are `substr.pdf' and `arseneau.pdf'. + + + == License == + +Copying, distributing, modifying, using the files of the +`nicetext' bundle are allowed under the terms of the +LaTeX Project Public License, either version 1.3a or any later +version, the latest version is at + + http://www.latex-project.org/lppl.txt + +There is NO WARRANTY, and you must CARE indeed with `fifinddo' +and `makedoc', they will OVERWRITE existing files without +warning (because their main purpose is updating). + +The bundle is AUTHOR-MAINTAINED in the sense of the LPPL. + +Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Uwe Lueck, + + http://www.contact-ednotes.sty.de.vu + +Please report bugs, problems, and suggestions via the previous +web form. + + + == Installing/Required == + +`makedoc.sty' requires the `moreverb' package from + + CTAN:/macros/latex/contrib/moreverb + +You find the latest public version of the NICETEXT bundle at + + http://mirror.ctan.org/macros/latex/contrib/nicetext/ + +A TDS version `nictext.tds.zip' is available at + + http://mirror.ctan.org/install/macros/latex/contrib/ + + + ________________________________ + [This file 2015/11/09 Uwe Lueck] |