BSR2dvi --- a 'DVI export' tool for Textures The "BSR2dvi" program (beta version of September 2002) is TeX freeware for *wholesale* extraction of portable TeX DVI files from Textures, a Macintosh-specific implementation of TeX, created and marketed by Blue Sky Research (www.bluesky.com). "BSR2dvi" will perfectly suit editors/publishers needing batch oriented tools. If experience is your favorite tutor, there is no need to read beyond this point until you meet some problem. ----------- Textures has an extensive following won over by its semi-interactive user interface. But it does not directly produce a TeX DVI file (=DeVice Independent output format file). DVI is essential as input for such widely ported TeX utilities as:- dvispell, xdvi, dvips, or dvipdfm, not to mention many handy viewers. Textures uses instead a collection of Macintosh resources called the 'typeset', made up of segments of DVI alternating with segments of private data. In versions >= 2 of Textures, only the Textures program itself has hitherto been able to reliably derive a DVI file; indeed, one has to follow the 'Save As ...' menu-option (also a hidden menu selection is required in some versions). "BSR2dvi" is reasonably small & fast; it has a batch oriented 'drag-and-drop' user interface. It should be situated with respect to freeware tools already supplied by Blue Sky Research (=BSR). Indeed, in this perspective: -- It is a 'DVI export' tool neatly performing the opposite service to BSR's own freeware tool "DVIimport" of 1994. -- It is a working replacement for the DVI export functionality of BSR's now obsolete "dvitool" desk accessory of the 1980s, but with a batch oriented 'drag-and-drop' user interface. Thus, "DVIimport" and 'DVIexport'="BSR2dvi" together finally provide a full update of "dvitool". -- It is a smaller, faster, alternative to the DVI export facility offered by "Textures.FREE". Note that, for export of ASCII TeX typescript in its portable Knuthian ".tex" form, there is another free BSR tool, namely "DeleteType" of 1992; it has a 'drag-and-drop' user interface and is a natural working partner for "BSR2dvi". Caveat: if TeX's \special commands are used, it may or may not be necessary to have a TeXpert adjust the DVI file in order to enjoy the \special features in the target environment. EPSF (Encapslated PostScript File) \special integration is still the only exceedingly common \special command. Usually, no DVI adjustment is needed if one uses "boxedeps.tex" for the EPSF integration, along with its particular setting \SetEPSFMultiSpecial (in place of \SetTexturesEPSFSpecial). For LaTeX-only syntax, see boxedeps.sty. Limitation: dropping directories on the "BSR2dvi" icon currently has no effect. To extract DVI files from a collection of files spread over many directories you can drag from among files presented by the System utility "Sherlock" (or "Find File"); this is usually safer and more convenient than it would be to drop whole directories. In this vein, note that dropping, onto "BSR2dvi", files containing no typeset material does nothing at all to the contents. This fact can simplify dragging; indeed it it need not be very discriminating. "Sherlock" is also helpful in herding droves of DVI files produced by "BSR2dvi", along with their related auxiliary files and directories:- Make a copy of the whole directory containing the Textures files and use "BSR2dvi" to extract DVI files to the copied directory. Then use Sherlock again to delete unwanted material -- presumably the ".tex" files and such like. Unfortunately there seems to be a Macintosh system bug preventing mass deletions using Sherlock whenever there are several files of the same name involved. The included utility "SerialKiller" eliminates this problem. "BSR2dvi" is fast to launch, and fast to act. But only under Systems >= 7 will normal 'drag-and-drop' function. For some (most?) Systems <=6.xx, the older 'joint-launch' user interface will work instead. Further, early releases of System 7 may want sweetening by addition of the extensions called "Dragging Enabler" and "DragLib", which have since been integrated into the System. Macintosh systems <= 7.5x are freely distributed by Apple Inc. As is well known, many Mac Systems suffer occasional failures of the needed 'drag-and-drop' service. In particular, the "BSR2dvi" icon may fail to darken and launch when Textures icons are dropped on it. To cure this try two remedies. (i) In case you have several volumes (drives), first push a copy of "BSR2dvi" onto the System volume. (ii) Rebuild desktop files by rebooting the Mac while holding down the Option and Apple keys. Failure mode: In case "BSR2dvi" fails to extract a (hopefully valid) DVI file from a Textures typesetting file with some 'typeset' resources, it will alert the user by producing instead a file with the expected name root and the expected position alongside its Textures parent file, but having Macintosh type "_dvi" and suffix "_dvi", rather then the normal type "DVI2" and suffix ".dvi"; "BSR2dvi" will then 'BEEP' on exiting; whereupon you should search for such failures either visually, or using "Find File" (or "Sherlock"); then double click on one failure and follow instructions. This "BSR2dvi" version is 'beta'. Hopefully, it will function on most (all?) Macintosh computers under Systems <= 9.x, and also in classic mode under Macintosh OSX. Please report bugs, misfeatures, and misinformation to the author at the email address found in the program. Some debugging apparatus is present and can be activated on request. Laurent S. September 2002 DISTRIBUTION: CTAN directory dviware/BSR2dvi/ Interim updates: http://topo.math.u-psud.fr/~lcs/BSR2dvi/ VERSION HISTORY: September 2002: Second release on CTAN, alpha July 2002: Interim update May 2002: First release on CTAN, beta