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diff --git a/macros/latex209/contrib/laletter/README b/macros/latex209/contrib/laletter/README new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..400bd81124 --- /dev/null +++ b/macros/latex209/contrib/laletter/README @@ -0,0 +1,144 @@ +LALETTER.STY + +This is a LaTeX style that is used at the Los Alamos National +Laboratory to format letters in accordance with rules established +in the Laboratory's "Office Procedures Manual." There is a choice +of Computer Modern fonts or PostScript fonts. Letters can be +printed in Roman or typewriter typefaces. Multiple addresses can +be printed on a letter. A letter can be sent to a mailing list; +mailing labels and return addresses can be printed for each letter +on the mailing list. The following features can be included in a +letter: a salutation, a subject line, a reference line, a +complimentary close, a signature line, an enclosures list, an +attachments list, a copy list, or a distribution list. + +For more information read the "1989 Conference Proceedings" issue +of "TUGBOAT." Or read the accompanying "LaTeX Letter Reference" +in the file laletter.ref. + + +THE FILES + +There are four files that have to do with the LaTeX letter style +at Los Alamos National Laboratory. + +laletter.doc is the commented style file. +laletter.sty is the uncommented style file. +laletter.ref is an ASCII version of the laletter manual. +lettest.tex is a test file for laletter.sty that can also be used + as a template for users' own letters. + + +ALTERING THE STYLE FILE + +If you need to adapt the style file to your own institution's +letters, you should first run lettest.tex through latex and print +the dvi file. Then read laletter.ref to get a feel for the +variety of output that can be expected. + +The easiest way to change the header is to design a letter header +for your organization that will fit in place of + + Los Alamos + Los Alamos National Laboratory + Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 + +You can then alter the commands that change the fonts (search for +\@latwentyeight and \@spectwelve), and alter the \put commands in +\@printmemopaper that print out the header. Also get rid of the +"University of California" \put statement. + +Your company's style may demand that you alter the part of the +header that prints the date, mail stop, telephone, and so forth. +In that case you will have to change the relevant \put statements +in \@printletterpaper, as well as those in +\@printfirstpagerightheader. + +The numbers in the parentheses in the \put statements are in +points to the right from the left edge of the paper and down from +the top edge of the paper. + +You may need to mess around with the value of \@countbotheader. +This variable is used for three purposes. It is the distance to +the bottom of the left side of our header (Los Alamos, NM 87545), +as well as the distance to the bottom of the right side of our +header (TELEPHONE:). It is also used by \def\@printto to figure +out where to begin printing the address. If your header is all in +one column, or if your header's right and left sides have +different vertical placement, make appropriate alterations. + +Hopefully, you can live with most of our letter's style, such as +the way addresses, signatures, and distribution lists are done. +I tried to make the code as modular as possible for the sake of my +own sanity, but I'm sure that I missed a lot of opportunities to +make it easy to alter the style for new stylistic requirements. + +To use PostScript fonts with laletter.sty, you must be using +ArborText's DVIPS. If you are using another PostScript device +driver, you will have to alter the appropriate \font commands in +\@chooseheaderfonts and \@choosebodyfonts. You will have to make +fancier changes if you are using classification labels. + +At the end of laletter.doc, there is a list of all the variables +and macros used in laletter.sty that are not defined in LaTeX. +Search for "END OF LALETTER.DOC". There are also two lists of the +more important macros defined in laletter.doc. One is sorted +alphabetically, and the other is sorted by line number. + + +CHANGING THE .DOC FILE INTO A .STY FILE + +I use sed (a UNIX utility) to turn my laletter.doc file into a +laletter.sty file. If you put the commands below into a file +named sedfile, run + + sed -f sedfile laletter.doc > laletter.sty + +s/%.*/%/g +s/[ ][ ]*/ /g +s/^ // +/^[ ]*%/d +/^[ ]*$/d +//d + +The parts of the lines that read [ ] are actually square +brackets enclosing a blank and a tab character. + +Line 1 removes everything that follows %s. +Line 2 converts multiple blanks into single spaces. +Line 3 gets rid of blanks at the beginning of lines. +Line 4 gets rid of lines containing only blanks and comments. +Line 5 gets rid of lines containing only blanks. +Line 6 gets rid of lines containing Control-L characters. + +This script only works because I follow certain conventions when I +write TeX code. For example, if you use a blank line instead of +an explicit \par token, the sed script will fail. + +\def\x{abc + +def} + + is NOT the same as + +\def\x{abc +def} + +There may be other constructions that don't work with this sed +script, so be careful. It IS really nice to have a commented doc +file as well as its quicker running sty file, so it may be worth +the extra care that it takes. + + +WHERE I AM + +Feel free to write e-mail (sxs@lanl.gov) or phone (505-667-5460) +or write a letter: + + Steve Sydoriak + Los Alamos National Laboratory + Group C-2, MS B253 + Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 + +I might be able to help you stumble through some awkward piece of +code. |