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+\newcommand{\itemp}[1]{\item[{\series{bx}\selectfont #1}\hfill\ ]}
+%\newcommand{\notin}{\in\hspace*{-3.5mm}/}
+\font\mfont=logo10
+\hyphenchar\mfont=-1
+\def\METAFONT{{\mfont METAFONT}}
+\def\README{\verb|readme.eng| or \verb|readme.ger|}
+\def\vierdos{{\sc 4DOS}}
+\def\amspell{{amSpell}}
+\def\qedit{{Qedit}}
+\def\wpf{{Wordperfect}}
+\def\bs{$\backslash$}
+\def\turbop{{Turbo Pascal}}
+\def\turboc{{Turbo C}}
+\def\babel{{\sf babel}}
+\def\nfss{{\sf NFSS}}
+\def\bibdb{BiBDB}
+\def\makeindx{MakeIndx}
+\def\dvidrv{{\sf dvidrv}}
+\def\mfjob{{\sf MFJob}}
+\def\gs{{Ghostscript}}
+\def\bmtofont{{\sf BM2FONT}}
+\def\texshell{{\TeX Shell}}
+\def\texhelp{{\TeX Help}}
+\def\emtex{{em\TeX }}
+\def\minitex{{\sc \sf 4all\TeX}}
+\def\viertex{{\rm 4\kern-.125em\TeX}}
+\def\texcad{\TeX cad}
+\def\emtex{{em\TeX }}
+\def\minitex{{\sc \sf 4all\TeX}}
+\def\bibtex{{BiB\TeX }}
+\title{Shells for \TeX }
+\author[Phons Bloemen]{Phons Bloemen\\
+Information \& Communication Theory\\
+ Dept. of Electrical Engineering\\
+ Eindhoven University of Technology\\
+ The Netherlands\\{\tt Phons@EI.ELE.TUE.NL}}
+
+\begin{article}
+{\sl [Editor's note: I am grateful to
+Phons Bloemen and Gerard van Nes (editor) for permission to reprint this
+article from MAPS 93.2, the journal of the Nederlandstalige \TeX\
+Gebruikersgroep.]}
+
+\section{Introduction}
+The well-known \emtex\ package of Eberhard Mattes has brought
+\TeX\ and its companions into the reach of the PC-compatible computers.
+Besides a good implementation of \TeX\ and \METAFONT\ (even for various
+processors like 8088, 80168 and 80386, which make use of
+additional features like `protected mode', and special `big' versions),
+\emtex\ offers an excellent previewer, which works on various
+graphic screens from Hercules to (S)VGA. There are also printer
+drivers for HP Laserjet and for nearly all dot matrix printers
+(by making a little configuration {\tt .dot} file). A dozen
+handy utilities come with the package, like \bibtex, \makeindx,
+\texcad, and \mfjob.
+
+Because this is a collection of various programs, some way of
+integration must be found, especially for users who want to make
+\TeX\ their main document preparation system, and do not want to
+be bothered by MSDOS commands. Furthermore, an integrated
+environment consisting of an editor with function keys for the
+various \TeX\ operations and utilities would greatly improve the
+acceptation of \TeX\ by a large group of users, especially in
+'\wpf\ country: The Netherlands'.
+
+I reviewed two environments by installing them on my home
+\emtex\ installation, and on a `clean 1990 \emtex\ distribution'.
+The latter is the distribution of 6 high-density disks of \emtex,
+as it was released in 1990. Since, there have been various
+updates on several programs, but more about that later.
+My own \emtex\ distribution runs on a 386/25Mhz clone, and is
+up-to-date, with the beta-test releases of \TeX, \dvidrv\ and
+\METAFONT\ installed. I also installed \babel\ and \nfss, and a large
+collection of fonts, and the \amspell\ spell checker. The
+packages were also tested on a 286/8Mhz clone with Hercules
+display. After installation, I used the two environments to make
+some documents (including this one).
+
+\section{\texshell}
+\texshell\ is an integrated environment for the \emtex\ family,
+authored by J\"urgen Schlegelmilch. It is based on Borland's Turbo
+Vision, and it looks a lot like the integrated environment of
+Borland's programming languages like \turboc\ and \turbop.
+Version 2.6 comes in a {\tt .ZIP} archive of 619 kilobytes.
+It can be obtained from various FTP-servers,
+like {\tt ftp.uni-stuttgart.de}. The archive contains a German and an
+English version. Version 2.6 was released in September 1993. Most of the
+evaluation is based on version 2.5.2.
+
+\subsection{Installation}
+The installation is simple: unzip the archive and the files will be placed
+in the correct directory in the \verb|\emtex| hierarchy.
+Then the file \verb|\emtex\TEXSHELL.CFG| must be edited to
+record the drive on which it is installed. It is possible to
+install \texshell\ in a user-defined directory, but this is not recommended.
+No files of the already installed \emtex\ need to be changed.
+Start the program with
+\begin{verbatim}
+c:\emtex> texshell
+\end{verbatim}
+Now the \texshell\ manual advises you to check the {\em Options} menu,
+to examine and adjust the other options to your own needs. The
+{\em Options} menu has a consistency check built in: if you enter
+something impossible (a reference to a program you
+do not have, or an incorrect path name), the input window will
+not disappear, and the cursor keeps blinking on the error. The
+preloaded configuration is sufficient for a base installation of
+\emtex\ (i.e. the `1990' distribution, with the german format files).
+
+\subsection{Customization}
+If you want to change the external commands, or install new ones,
+you have to dig into the manual. \texshell\ is very powerful
+in calling external programs, but it takes some study to understand how
+to make such a call.
+
+There are a few predefined menu options for the `standard'
+\emtex\ utilities such as \dvidrv, \bibtex, \texcad, \makeindx,
+these also have their own predefined `hotkeys'. With respect to
+the dvi-drivers: it is possible to install a screen
+previewer, a draft and a final printer (in most cases: {\tt
+dviscr, dvidot, dvihplj}). This flaw has been corrected in version
+2.6: here you can install up to 32 printing devices, and a screen
+previewer. There is also a {\em User} menu,
+where you can install your own programs: I tested this with
+\amspell.
+
+For all external programs, the installation procedure
+is the same: you can choose from a series of {\em
+templates} to construct a command-line to call external programs
+like \TeX\ itself, {\tt dviscr}, {\tt dvidot} and so on.
+These `templates' depend on the filename being edited, the format file used
+(\TeX, \LaTeX) and various directory names you can install in the {\em
+Options} menu.
+Furthermore, you can assign an {\em environment} to each call. Settings in
+this environments are provided as DOS environment variables to the
+program when it is called from \texshell. If you call a batch file as
+external command, the COMSPEC variable must be set in the environment
+(this is not mentioned in the manual)! The process of
+installing your own tools is tedious, and there are a few caveats.
+
+For the `bare metal hackers': the configuration file {\tt
+TEXSHELL.CFG} is a plain ASCII file. It looks a lot like a
+Windows {\tt .INI} file, and you can edit it to your wishes.
+
+\subsection{Editor}
+The editor provided by \texshell\ is much like a standard
+\turbop/\turboc\ editor. The command structure is like old
+Wordstar with its Ctrl-K and Ctrl-Q commands, it works very quickly.
+The editor has a limit of 64 kilobytes per file, but it may have several
+files opened at the same time. It is possible to transfer text
+from one file to another using a clipboard and cut-n-paste.
+There are 10 function keys to put macros under. The editor provides
+wordwrap, but there is no way to make this the default. It also provides
+full mouse support for pointing the cursor, moving, sizing, closing
+windows and menu bar selection.
+
+The package looks very colorful. On the slow machine with the
+Hercules display, the default `colors' do not look very well.
+A little playing with the `color customization' menu improved
+things a lot, but the program does not recognize monochrome
+displays.
+
+There is a nice edit file selection scheme, which again much
+resembles the one used in \turbop. The editor provides a `primary'
+\TeX\ file: when \TeX\ is run, it starts with this file.
+\texshell\ records its configuration together with the primary
+file, by writing a {\tt .DSK} file.
+
+\subsection{Compile and preview}
+There is a menu {\em TeX} on the menu bar which gives access to
+these functions. Most of them have a `hotkey'. A very nice
+feature is an separate menu to view the log file of the command
+just executed in a {\em Log Window}, varying from \TeX\ to previewer
+and \bibtex. The `e' option of \TeX\ (provided when there is an error)
+is fully implemented, and with Ctrl-Q E / Ctrl-Q W you can go to the
+next/previous \TeX\ error or warning! You can also use the {\em
+Log Window} to find out from which file an error originated, by
+point-and-shoot on the errors in the log file. Great if
+you are editing a big document, or are playing around with
+user-written style files.
+
+The previewer can be operated by a `hotkey' without any problems
+(only the installation of \mfjob\ took some time, but everything works fine).
+
+\subsection{Help system}
+F1 gives context sensitive help: it provides help for the
+function you have selected. There is `help on Help' and with Sft-F1 you
+can browse through an index and view the whole help file. The
+help files are in English or German. There is also online \TeX\ help:
+in an edit window you can put the cursor on a \TeX\ command,
+and get help on that command with Ctrl-F1.
+
+\subsection{Manuals}
+The \texshell\ manual seems to be `not yet ready'. It is more a
+listing of all the features of every window. It contains a little
+section on what files you should have, and how to install
+\texshell. Then there is a extended explanation of the use of
+{\em templates} and {\em environments}, and how to install new
+commands. The last section of the manual explains how to use \texshell:
+it is a list of command grouped per menu on the menu bar, and a
+list of the editor functions. Everything is documented, but there
+is no such thing as a `guided tour'. There is an appendix
+containing a revision history.
+
+\subsection{Miscellaneous}
+This section contains a few remarks on other features of the
+system.\begin{itemize}
+\item Installation of new format files is simple when you have
+generated the appropriate {\tt .FMT} files. However, it is not
+possible to assign \emtex\ command line options to each format
+file. Version 2.6 has a new option to do this, but you can also
+work around it with batch files.
+\item \texshell\ provides good printing support. Before printing there
+is a menu to enter first and last page, and the number of pages to print.
+The `complete' print job is given as a default. You can enter your
+own \dvidrv\ options (if you want to print two A5 sheets sideways).
+\item \texshell\ provides no spelling support. With some effort, I
+managed to install \amspell\ in \texshell, using the {\em User}
+menu and a couple of batch files. \amspell\ provides all spelling
+checking you want.
+\item \texshell\ does not support \METAFONT\ when run `stand-alone'
+You then have to install it in a batch file in the {\em User} menu.
+\METAFONT\ is supported through \mfjob\ for automatic font generation.
+\item I had to change the `default' {\tt TEXSHELL.CFG} to
+customize it to my needs (installed \amspell, \METAFONT, \mfjob,
+\bibdb). Contact me for copies of the {\tt TEXSHELL.CFG}) file.
+\end{itemize}
+
+\section{\viertex}
+\viertex\ is authored by Wietse Dol, Erik Frambach and Maarten
+van der Vlerk, from the University of Groningen. This integrated
+environment is based on JP Softwares \vierdos\ and SemWares \qedit.
+The system is a large
+collection of \vierdos\ `batch' {\tt .BTM} files, which perform the
+various file-handling actions and call the programs from the
+\emtex\ collection. To make the system work
+nice, the authors have written several little utility programs to
+perform selection functions.The system was written to
+operate in networked environments, where the \emtex\ files are
+placed on a Novell network server, and the users run the programs
+from the network disk.
+The review is based on version 2.15 of \viertex.
+I will make some references to version 2.20: this is a
+'$\beta$test-version' for the upcoming version 3.0 of \viertex.
+
+\subsection{Installation}
+
+\viertex\ was founded as a `complete' system, containing
+the complete \emtex\ package, \amspell, \gs\ and so on.
+The archive {\tt obelix.icce.rug.nl} in Groningen has organized the
+package in several parts: take a look at the various {\tt .TXT} files.
+The shell itself hides in {\tt 4TEX.ARJ}. This package is
+intended for use on an existing `standard' \emtex\ installation.
+It is about 3 megabytes, and contains the \vierdos\ {\tt .BTM}
+files, updates to various \emtex\ utilities, and the shareware
+distributions of {\tt PKZIP}, \qedit\ and \vierdos\ version 4. As a bonus,
+over a 100 new style files will flood your \verb|\emtex\texinput| directory.
+The \viertex\ shell itself is about 300 `compressed' kilobytes,
+and the `isolated' shell can be installed on an existing em\TeX\ installation.
+
+Installation is done as follows: \begin{itemize}
+\item Unpack the archive in the root of your \emtex\ drive with {\tt
+c:\bs $>$ arj x -v a:4texupgr.arj}.
+The use of {\tt ARJ} is necessary because the archive spans more
+than one floppy (and {\tt ARJ} compresses better than {\tt PKZIP
+1.1}). The whole package is put into the right directories.
+\item Some \emtex\ files must be deleted or moved: the `compilers' {\tt
+tex.exe, btex.exe} etc. must be moved to \verb|c:\emtex\compilers|,
+and the utility programs {\tt bibtex.exe, texchk.exe,
+makeindx.exe, texcad.exe, texchk.exe} to \verb|c:\emtex\utils|.
+\item You must put {\tt `LASTDRIVE=T'} in your {\tt CONFIG.SYS}
+\item You must edit \verb|c:\emtex\btm\system.set| and
+\verb|c:\emtex\btm\texuser.set|
+to configure the system to your needs. If you have a `standard'
+\emtex, you don't have to touch {\tt system.set}. In {\tt
+texuser.set} you have to set your personal defaults. Both files
+provide extended comments on each of the options, but they are
+quite long at first sight.
+\end{itemize}
+The system is started with
+\begin{verbatim}
+c:\emtex\btm> tex
+\end{verbatim}
+There are two batch files {\tt tex.bat} and {\tt tex.btm}: if you
+are already running \vierdos, it will not load it again (However,
+there are some restrictions to your personal {\tt 4DOS.INI} file,
+and you must have loaded {\tt KSTACK}). If you are running MSDOS
+or DRDOS, a new \vierdos\ command shell will be loaded with the
+right settings. After a while, the main menu of \vierdos\ is
+presented.
+
+\subsection{Customization}
+All customization of \viertex\ is done via the configuration files
+{\tt texuser.set} and {\tt system.set}. There is not much need
+for the possibility to install `own' utilities, because there are
+a lot of utilities predefined, like \gs, various graphics
+utilities like \bmtofont, bibliography maintenance with \bibtex\ and
+\bibdb, spelling check with \amspell\ and much, much more. Even some
+commercial software like {\sc Word Finder} and {\sc Euroglot} is supported.
+However, recent versions of \viertex\ do offer the opportunity to install
+own utilities, in user-defined menus.
+
+A system that is made out of `human-readable' batch files ({\tt
+.BTM}) is a paradise for `hackers': if you study the manual of
+\vierdos\ (included in the distribution), you can
+add your own enhancements to the system. Not recommended to keep
+compatibility with the official release, but hard to resist.
+
+\subsection{Editor}
+The editor of the \viertex\ system is the shareware editor \qedit. The
+authors have defined a set of macros to use with \qedit. These extra macros
+provide `hotkeys' to start the \emtex\ `compiler' and the previewer, to
+start the \amspell\ spell checker, the \bibdb\ bibliography database
+program.
+
+An editor help screen is brought up by F1, and it shows the standard
+\qedit\ editor commands, as well as the special extensions. The
+\qedit\ editor is capable of having more files open at the same time.
+Spell-checking is done by \amspell\ on a word basis in the editor, or on
+file basis from the main menu. Before \amspell\ is started, you can
+choose your language.
+
+The mouse is supported in the \qedit\ editor for cursor pointing, block
+definition and window switching. In the main menus, the mouse can be used
+to point to menu choices. \viertex\ also provides the `primary file' system
+as described in \texshell. It also records its configuration together with
+the primary file, using the extension {\tt .OPT}.
+
+\subsection{Compile and preview}
+The \emtex\ `compilers' are started from the main menu in most cases.
+There are also `hotkeys' to start them from the editor.
+A nice option is to start the \emtex\ compiler and previewer from the
+editor with a block selected: then
+only that block of text is \TeX ed and shown. \viertex\ is intelligent about
+choosing the right documentstyles for such a text block: it examines the
+primary file and puts its preamble together with a surrounding {\tt \bs
+begin\{document\}} and {\tt \bs end\{document\}} around the text block.
+The error processing is not as good as that of \texshell: the {\tt `e'}
+option works, and you can view the log files, but that is all. The error
+checking will be improved in version 3, according to the authors.
+
+The complete \viertex\ system comes with \LaTeX\ format files with
+\babel\ and \nfss\ installed. The format file
+contains hyphenation patterns for English, German, French and Dutch.
+In \emtex's memory organization, they set aside 65K words for
+hyphenation patterns where 36K should be enough according to my
+information. This leaves little main memory to do the real \TeX\ jobs
+in (like processing elaborate tables and figures). So the
+notorious message {\tt TeX capacity exceeded} appears (too) soon\ldots.
+Version 2.20 has the capability to generate new formats `on the fly'
+where you can choose the languages to include from a menu. It then
+makes a format with just enough space for the hyphenation patterns you
+choose. A \TeX\ with 7 languages loaded is possible!
+
+\subsection{Help system}
+\viertex\ provides two different help systems. First, there is help
+available for each of the menus of the system explaining the various
+options in short. Second, there is a good `online' \TeX help system
+called \texhelp. This is a popup command which you can access everywhere
+with Alt-F2, Alt-F3, Alt-F4. It provides help on the \TeX\ command the
+cursor is on, and you can navigate through its index. \texhelp\ is a TSR
+program, taking 9 Kb of main memory, and 250 Kb EMS / disk swap space. The
+help is in English, but it is possible to install a help file in a
+different language.
+
+\subsection{Manuals}
+The \viertex\ manuals are very elaborate. In fact, they provide
+information
+on every aspect of the whole \emtex\ system, and all its utilities. Chapter
+2 is fully devoted to using \viertex\ itself, and to install it. It contains
+a section of format-file generation, and installing \babel\ and \nfss.
+
+Then the manual covers the following topics in brief, concise sections:
+the \emtex\ `compilers' themselves, the \dvidrv\ programs, Postscript,
+bibliography and index support, the \amspell\ spell-checker, a section on
+importing graphics in various ways (\texcad, \bmtofont), some miscellaneous
+utilities like {\tt detex}, the TSR programs like \texhelp\ and
+commercially available translation programs, and finally something about
+fonts and \METAFONT /\mfjob\ font generation. This is more than a manual, it
+is an example of how a `local guide' should look like.
+
+The manual concludes with a list of sources for more information, like
+\TeX\ users groups (TUG, NTG), and distribution lists ({\tt TEX-NL}). An
+extended bibliography for further reading is added.
+
+\subsection{Miscellaneous}
+\begin{itemize}
+\item \viertex\ provides support for different types of printers. The
+printer type can be chosen from a menu in the {\em Output} menu. There it
+is also possible to enter the printer port, first and last page, and
+the number of pages to print. You can enter your own \dvidrv\ options
+Postscript printers are supported via {\tt dvips}, and even the use of
+\gs\ to get the postscript files on a simpler printer is possible (not
+tested).
+
+In earlier versions, the printer support was poor, especially for matrix
+printers: only a 9-pin was supported, and there was no opportunity to
+install user-defined printers. This was reported to the author,
+together with a proposal for a better way to do it (\viertex\ hacking
+is easy). Version 2.20 contains much better printer support.
+\item \viertex\ provides an extra {\em Graphics} menu
+where you can do all
+types of conversions of pictures to get them into your \TeX\ documents,
+provided the necessary programs are installed. It also provides
+extra {\em \bibtex} and {\em \makeindx} menus to
+manage bibliography databases and automatic indexing.
+\item Because \viertex\ was initially developed to run on a network, there
+is an extra menu called {\em \TeX batch}. Here you can send print jobs to
+network printers and batch \TeX\ jobs to fast computers on the network.
+\end{itemize}
+
+\section{Conclusions}
+To conclude this review I give a short `pro-and-con' list for both systems.
+First I want to remark that the authors of both systems did a good job, and
+that the systems are still in a development phase. The use of a `shell'
+around the \emtex\ system is very useful, and it can speed up things even
+for experienced \TeX\ users. It is also a step on the way to make
+\TeX\ more attractable to the `average \wpf\ user', and to a \TeX\ `
+beginners package'. Some attention must be given to the fact that \TeX\
+'beginners' should not be bothered by lengthy installation procedures: it
+should be `plug-and-play'.
+
+\texshell\ in brief:
+\begin{itemize}
+\item[+] The use of Turbo Vision gives \texshell\ a professional look.
+\item[+] There is an excellent system of tracing \TeX\ errors in your file.
+\item[+] The package is rather small (about 300K).
+\item[+] Powerful mechanism to call external programs.
+\item[+] The package is reasonably fast, even on slow machines.
+\item[--] Hard to configure. A major drawback, if there is a `universal'
+{\tt TEXSHELL.CFG} file which covers the complete \emtex\ distribution and
+some related things, this would ease the installation in a great way.
+\item[--] Lacks `integration' of some utilities like \amspell.
+\item[--] The manual needs some rewriting (especially if it is
+going to be used as a beginners guide).
+\end{itemize}
+\viertex\ in brief:
+\begin{itemize}
+\item[+] The package covers almost everything in the \emtex\ package, and
+even more.
+\item[+] Excellent manual, discusses also the \emtex\ utilities.
+\item[+] The \TeX\ help is given by a stand-alone TSR program.
+\item[+] Spell-checking with \amspell\ is an integrated part.
+\item[--] The package is slow (annoying on the 286 clone).
+\item[--] The package is rather bulky, because it is packed with a lot of
+other stuff. The shell itself is 300K.
+\item[--] Installation procedure is elaborate.
+\item[--] The use of `human-readable' programs makes the system
+vulnerable to users who `customize' it by changing the program
+itself. But this also may be an advantage\ldots
+\end{itemize}
+
+\end{article}
+