path: root/info/digests/tex-mag/v1.n3

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*  TTTTTTT       X     X M     M        GGGGGG  A Mostly Unofficial           *
*     T           X   X  MM   MM       G        Publication for Users         *
*     T   EEEEEEE  XXX   M M M M   A   G    GG  Of the TeX Computer           *
*     T   E       X   X  M  M  M  A A  G     G  Typesetting System.           *
*     T   EEEE   X     X M  M  M AAAAA  GGGGGG                                *
*         E                     A     A         Volume 1, Number 3            *
*         EEEEEEE              A       A        Distribution: 175 or so...    *
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March 25, 1987

Contents:
\preview......................................................................1
The Resume Macro..............................................................2
Introduction to LaTeX: Part one...............................................3
The Toolbox...................................................................4

__1
\preview{I'm on my way I'm making it...}

Hi there! Those of you who pay much attention to the beginning of this
magazine (in the neighborhood of the masthead) will have already noticed
that distribution has already broken into three figures. As much as I'd
like to credit this to a fine job of editing the mag, it's really because I
*thought* I had posted a notice about TeXMaG on TeXHAX in December (I
didn't) and a recent plea to TeXHAX for contributions to the ToolBox
resulted in a sudden doubling of my readership (and two contributions).

Exciting things in this issue are: a resume macro, just in time for the
job-hungry class of `87; the first installment in the promised introduction
to LaTeX (which will result in a nice manual suitable for framing being
produced sometime late this year---say October, but don't hold me to that);
and the ever-present ToolBox.

By the way, I'm always receptive to article submissions...

G'day
-Don Hosek                  <DHOSEK@HMCVAX>
   or the long version:     <DHOSEK%HMCVAX.BITNET@FORSYTHE.STANFORD.EDU>
__2
The Resume Macro for Plain TeX          By Don Hosek <DHOSEK@HMCVAX.BITNET>

One of the most  common word processing needs among college students is the
ability to type a resume.  The resume macro following this article seeks to
fill this need.

To use the macro, the first line of your file should be
      \input resumemac
After  this you should enter the  heading  information.  The default  is to
center the name, address, and date at the top of the page. You may select a
different style  with the commands  \leftheading  (left justified heading),
\rightheading (right justified),  or \specialheading  (the name and address
are printed across the top of the page with a rule below them, and the date
right justified on the following line).  You should specify your name using
\name{your name here},  followed by your address in \address{...}  with the
lines of the address separated by \\s. For example,
      \address{Platt Campus Center\\
               Harvey Mudd College\\
               Claremont, CA}
Finally,  you  should  have  the  date  specified  with \date{the date}  or
\date\today if you want today's date on the resume.

The body of the resume consists of repeated \tag...\endtag pairs. You enter
each item on the resume with a \tag command as follows:
      \tag{Education}
      Paragraph(s) about your education go here.
         .
         .
      \endtag
TeX will automatically break the lines  and format the text for you. If you
want to  include a  list of dates   and places (for example places you have
worked, you may enter them as:
      \(Dates go here)Wherever it was that you worked goes here, ended with
      a double-backslash.\\
You  may  use  as  many  \(...)...\\  constructions  as  you  like  in  the
information text for each tag.  The only  restriction is  that \par  is not
permitted inside of each item.

You may need to modify  the fonts to  conform to your system's selection of
fonts and magnifications.
%%%----------Cut Here------------------------------------------------------
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%
%   Resume macro file for plain.TeX.
%
%   To Use:
%     \input resumemac
%     \magnification=\magstep0 (Or whatever sice is desired)
%     \name{Your Name Here}
%     \address
%       Type your address
%       In this space.
%     \endaddress
%     \date{Either type it yourself, or use \today}
%     \tag{Whatever the category is}
%         Information for this item...
%                   .
%                   .
%                   .
%     \endtag
%     Repeat \tag...\endtag as necessary.
%     Inside of \tag...\endtag, you may use \(dates)what happened then\\ for
%     itemized lists.
%
%     To set the heading format say:
%     \centerheading    (for centered headings)
%     \leftheading      (for left justified headings)
%     \rightheading     (for right justified headings) or
%     \specialheading   (for a special ``letterhead'' style heading.)
%     Before you enter the heading commands
%
%     Use \magnification to modify text sizes.
%
%   Written By Don Hosek <DHOSEK@HMCVAX.BITNET>
%   From TeXMaG, Vol. 1, No. 3
%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

%%%
%%% Initializations...
%%%
\newskip\interTAGskip
\newbox\TAGbox          \newbox\INFObox
\newdimen\TAGboxhsize   \newdimen\INFOboxhsize  \newdimen\INFOboxlength
\newdimen\DATEhsize     \newdimen\DATEINFOhsize
\hsize=6.5truein        \vsize=9.0truein        \interTAGskip=12pt
\parindent=0pt
\TAGboxhsize=1.0truein  \INFOboxhsize=5.4truein % Take care that TAGboxhsize +
                                                % INFOboxhsize = hsize - 0.1in
\DATEhsize=.75truein    \DATEINFOhsize=4.3truein % Take care that DATEhsize +
                                                 % DATEINFOhsize is <=
                                                 % INFOboxhsize
\let\wheretoputit=c     \let\\=\cr
\nopagenumbers

%%%
%%% Fonts...
%%% Change am.. to cm.. if you are using that series of fonts.
%%% System wizards may modify this section to conform to system needs and
%%% user desires.
%%%
\font\NAMEfont=ambx10 scaled 1440   \font\TAGfont=ambxsl10
\font\smallADDRESSfont=amr9

%%%
%%% The top macros...
%%%
%%% First off is the ever-popular \today macro...
%%% (cribbed from LaTeX's Letter format.) (They probably cribbed it from Knuth
%%% I'm sure.)
%%%
\def\today{\ifcase\month\or
  January\or February\or March\or April\or May\or June\or
  July\or August\or September\or October\or November\or December\fi
  \ \number\day, \number\year}

%%%
%%% \specialline is a special version of \line that permits you to select
%%% centered, right or left adjusting via an option in []s.
%%%
\def\specialline[#1]#2{ % Why does this look like LaTeX?
   \ifx#1l\leftline{#2}
     \else\ifx#1r\rightline{#2}
       \else\centerline{#2}
       \fi
     \fi}

%%%
%%% \name is pretty straightforward.
%%%
\def\name#1{\specialline[\wheretoputit]{\NAMEfont#1}}

%%%
%%% \address isn't. It uses a \halign to line up the address where it should
%%% be... Note that this file sets \\=\cr so that all the little kiddies who
%%% use LaTeX can pretend that this is LaTeX. (If I get a chance, a LaTeX .sty
%%% file *is* coming...)
%%%
\def\address#1{\ifx\wheretoputit r\let\rskip=\hfil
     \let\lskip=\hfill
     \else\ifx\wheretoputit l\let\rskip=\hfill
       \let\lskip=\relax
       \else\let\rskip=\hfill
         \let\lskip=\hfill
         \fi
       \fi
   \halign{\line{\lskip##\rskip}\cr#1\crcr}}
%%%
%%% \date. To specify today, type: \date\today
%%%
\def\date#1{\specialline[\wheretoputit]{#1}}

%%%
%%% Now for the meat and potatoes macro: \tag...\endtag
%%%
%%% \tag
%%%
\def\tag#1{\def\TAGinfo{#1} % Communication to \endtag
   \setbox\INFObox=\vbox\bgroup\hsize=\INFOboxhsize}

%%%
%%% \endtag
%%%
\def\endtag{\egroup
   \vskip\interTAGskip
   \setbox\TAGbox=\vbox{\hsize=\TAGboxhsize
     \raggedright\hyphenchar\TAGfont=-1
     \tolerance=20000 % Don't get uptight about lines.
     \hbadness=10000 % And don't talk about it either.
     \TAGfont \TAGinfo \vfill}
   \tabskip=0.1in
   \valign{##\vfill\cr
     \box\TAGbox\cr
     \box\INFObox\cr}}

%%%
%%% Now that wasn't too bad, now was it?
%%% Next we create the \dates...\enddates macros to make a few other things
%%% easier
%%%

%%%
%%% \(dates)
%%% whatever happened during that time\\
%%%
\def\(#1)#2\\{\par
   {\tabskip=0pt %change tabskip only inside this macro.
   \vskip4pt plus 2pt minus3pt
   \valign{##\vfill\cr
     \vbox{\hsize=\DATEhsize\leftskip=0pt plus1fill#1}\cr
     \noalign{\hskip2em}
     \vbox{\hsize=\DATEINFOhsize#2}\cr
     \noalign{\hfill}}}
   \par}

%%%
%%% Heading options:
%%%
%%% \leftheading
%%%
\def\leftheading{\let\wheretoputit=l}

%%%
%%% \rightheading
%%%
\def\rightheading{\let\wheretoputit=r}

%%%
%%% \centerheading
%%%
\def\centerheading{\let\wheretoputit=c}

%%%
%%% \specialheading
%%%
\def\specialheading{\let\wheretoputit=r
   \def\name##1{\def\NAME{##1}}
   \def\address##1{{\def\\{, }
      \line{{\NAMEfont\NAME}\hfil{\smallADDRESSfont##1}}}
      \smallskip
      \hrule
      \smallskip}}
%%%------Cut here again----------------------------------------------------

__3
An Introduction To LaTeX                By Don Hosek <DHOSEK@HMCVAX.BITNET>
 Part One: Everything You Will Ever Need To Know

Why use LaTeX?  It doesn't  do anything that  can't be  done with plain TeX
(although some things might take more effort),  and it can't do some things
that can  be done with plain TeX.  The answer is because  of LaTeX's use of
the *document style*.  By setting parameters of the format independently of
the document,  changes in the formatting of the paper,  article,  book,  or
whatever are made much simpler. Also,  much of the formatting is ``hidden''
from the user, keeping him from worrying about the details. Now that you're
sold on LaTeX, let's get down to the details.

(Note to people familiar to TeX: skip this paragraph, you'll be bored.) TeX
(and LaTeX)  react a  little bit  differently to  characters  typed at  the
keyboard than you would expect them too.  When you type  quotation marks in
your manuscript, you should not use the " key on your keyboard. Since books
actually use different types of quotation marks at the beginning and end of
a quote,  so should you.  On your terminal's keyboard,  there should be two
keys marked ` and ' (If you can't  find these keys,  look for  somebody who
knows these things, and ask them).  These are the keys that you will use to
type quotation marks---for the opening quotation marks,  type ``,  and  for
closing quotation marks,  type ''.  Single quotation marks  can be obtained
similarly using  ` and '.  You should  also be  aware that  there are three
dashes  used in  typesetting.  A hyphen (type -)  is used  for  words  like
mother-in-law;  an en  dash  (type --)  is often  used for  ranges of  page
numbers,  and so forth, such as pages 21--25;  and an em dash (type ---) is
the punctuation mark used to indicate a pause in a sentence---like this.  A
few characters can not be used in ordinary text. They are:
     # $ % ^ & ~ _ ^ \ { }
In addition,  the following  are permitted  only in math mode (more on this
later):
     | < >

(The people who already knew the information in the last paragraph can come
back now.)  Now that you've dealt with how TeX deals with information typed
at the keyboard,  you're ready to  start using LaTeX.  Create a  file using
your system's editor with  a filetype of ``tex''  (ask a local expert about
this if you aren't sure of how to do it). In it, put the following:
 \documentstyle{article}
 \begin{document}
    It doesn't really matter    if you put extra spaces at the beginning of
 a line or in between words---\LaTeX\ will ignore them. If you wish to
 start a new paragraph, leave a blank line.

 Like that one. The paragraph indentation will be handled automatically.
 If you wish to ``footnote'' text, it is very simple.\footnote{The footnote
 number will even be supplied.}
 \end{document}

You can  ask a  local expert  how to  run LaTeX  (sorry it can't be handled
here---it varies from system to system).  The play-by-play of what is going
on in the file will be covered here.

The first  line of  the file  is \documentstyle{article}.  This selects the
style that  your text will  be printed in.  Their are at least two document
styles that exist on all systems: article and report. (Your system may have
others, ask a local expert.)  (Aren't local  experts wonderful?) You  could
have  specified  additional  options  on  the  \documentstyle command.  For
example,  by default,  your paper was set in ten point type.  If you wanted
to use twelve point type you could have typed \documentstyle[12pt]{article}
(or  \documentstyle[11pt]{article} for  eleven point type.)  If you want to
use two options,  you may specify them by separating them with commas;  for
example,   12  point  type  in  two  columns  may  be  obtained  by  typing
\documentstyle[12pt,twocolumn]{article}.

Next  in the  file is  \begin{document}.  This tells LaTeX that the text of
your  paper  is  about  to  begin.   You  should  have no  text before  the
\begin{document}.  This matches the \end{document} at the end of the paper.
Everything after \end{document} is ignored as well.

\LaTeX is the command for  typesetting the LaTeX logo. At this point, it is
worth noting  that when  LaTeX reads the  input file, it ignores any spaces
following a command,  like \LaTeX,  that ends with a letter.  Therefore, if
you want to  follow \LaTeX  with a space, you use the \ (backslash followed
by a space)  command,  which  wholeheartedly convinces  LaTeX that  \you do
indeed  want  a  space.  This  is  not  always  the  case, however; you may
want to  end a sentence with LaTeX,  in which  case,  you do *not*  want to
type \LaTeX\ .  since this  will generate  an  unwanted  space  after LaTeX
giving something that looks like ``LaTeX .''

Finally,  as you  have seen,  footnoting is fairly simple.  All you need to
do is type  \footnote{with the footnote  text inside  of braces  like it is
here.}  LaTeX will automatically give the footnote a number and place it at
the bottom of the current page.

Armed with  this information,  you know  now everything you need to typeset
most simple documents using LaTeX.
-----------------------------------------------
Editors note:  Your comments  are strongly  desired on this introduction to
LaTeX.  Should it include more information? Less information? Is it written
clearly? How can it be improved? Is the information to basic? Too advanced?
Let me know.

When the  series has  reached its  completion, a manual containing a nicely
edited version of everything  said in  the articles will  be made available
through the  listserv fileserver (yes,  I hope to  have something  set  up.
Soon, I hope.)
__4
*The ToolBox*

This month's toys come from Barbara Beeton <bnb@xx.lcs.mit.edu> (or to some
gateways: <bnb@mit-xx.arpa>...  hopefully the latter will be obsolete after
March 31, (I can only hope)).  Her submissions are variant ``laps,''  which
need to be seen to be understood.
%%%----------Cut Here------------------------------------------------------
%%% File: Laps.TeX
\catcode`\@=11   % Let's pretend @ is a letter
%         Vertical `laps'; cf. \llap and \rlap
\long\def\ulap#1{\vbox to \z@{\vss#1}}
\long\def\dlap#1{\vbox to \z@{#1\vss}}

%         And centered horizontal and vertical `laps'
\def\xlap#1{\hbox to \z@{\hss#1\hss}}
\long\def\ylap#1{\vbox to \z@{\vss#1\vss}}

%         And a `lap' centered on its midpoint
\long\def\zlap#1{\ylap{\xlap{#1}}}

\catcode`\@=12   % That's enough pretending for one day.
%%%----------Cut Here Again------------------------------------------------

If anybody can come up with a *useful* application for any of these bizaare
laps, I'd sure like to see it. -Ed.
__5
TeXMaG is an independantly published  electronic magazine available free of
charge  to  all interested  parties  reachable  by electronic  mail.  It is
published monthly on the last weekend of each month, except when conditions
prevent  publication.  Subscription requests  should be  sent to  Don Hosek
<DHOSEK@HMCVAX.BITNET>  or send the following message to LISTSERV@BYUADMIN:
SUBS TEXMAG-L Your_Full_Name.  Back issues  are  available  from  Don Hosek
<DHOSEK@HMCVAX.BITNET>. Article submissions, contributions for the Toolbox,
and  letters to  the  editor  are  always  welcome  and  should be  sent to
<DHOSEK@HMCVAX.BITNET>.

Other publications of interest to TeX users are:

TeXHAX. Arpanet mailing list for persons with questions, suggestions, etc..
about TeX, LaTeX, metafont and related programs.  Submissions for this list
should  be sent to  <TeXHAX@SU-SCORE.ARPA>.  BITNET users may  subscribe by
sending the following command  (as an interactive  message or as  the first
line of a mail message) to LISTSERV@TAMVM1:  SUBS TEX-L your_full_name. The
list  is peer-linked  to other listserves  in the United States and Europe.
Internet    subscribers   may   subscribe   by   sending   a   request   to
<TeXHAX-REQUEST@SU-SCORE.ARPA>.  The  TeX-L  mailing  list is a ``hybrid;''
i. e., it is both an  ARPAnet redistribution, and a BITNET discussion list.
Submissions for TeX-L (only --- they will _not_ be forwarded to TeXHAX) may
be sent to TeX-L@TAMVM1

Unix-TeX.  Arpanet mailing  list specifically  for users of TeX on the Unix
operating   system.    Submissions   for  this   list  should  be  sent  to
<Unix-TeX@WASHINGTON.ARPA>.    Requests to  be added  or deleted  from  the
mailing list should be sent to <Unix-TeX-Request@WASHINGTON.ARPA>.

TUGBoat.  A publication by the TeX Users Group.  An excellant reference for
TeX users. For more information about joining TUG or subscribing to TUGBoat
send (real) mail to:
            TeX Users Group
            c/o American Mathematical Society
            P. O. Box 9506
            Providence, RI 02940-9506, USA
Remember, there is no apostrophe in TeX Users Group.

Special thanks to Steve Howes of BYU for permitting me to use the BYU list-
serve.
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