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