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-rw-r--r--Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-projects.tex116
1 files changed, 57 insertions, 59 deletions
diff --git a/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-projects.tex b/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-projects.tex
index c3aff8dad9e..7d789e1389a 100644
--- a/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-projects.tex
+++ b/Master/texmf-dist/doc/generic/FAQ-en/faq-projects.tex
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-% $Id: faq-projects.tex,v 1.12 2010/06/02 23:10:24 rf10 Exp rf10 $
+% $Id: faq-projects.tex,v 1.15 2011/02/08 22:17:17 rf10 Exp rf10 $
\section{Current \TeX{}-related projects}
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ support for new Web standards.
\item[GELLMU]\CTANref{gellmu}
\item[MathTeX]\CTANref{MathTeX}
\item[MimeTeX]\CTANref{MimeTeX}
-\item[TeX4HT]\CTANref{tex4ht}
+\item[tex4ht]\CTANref{tex4ht} (but see \url{http://tug.org/tex4ht/})
\end{ctanrefs}
\Question[Q-textrace]{Making outline fonts from \MF{}}
@@ -207,7 +207,6 @@ in MetaType1 format.
\Question[Q-WYGexpts]{The \TeX{} document preparation environment}
-
``\Qref*{Why \TeX{} is not \WYSIWYG{}}{Q-notWYSIWYG}''
outlines the reasons (or excuses) for the huge disparity of user
interface between ``typical'' \TeX{} environments and commercial word
@@ -262,11 +261,7 @@ tracking with automatic fast recompilations (through the use of dumped
formats) is
\href{http://pauillac.inria.fr/whizzytex/}{\Package{WhizzyTeX}}
which is best used with a previewer by the
-same author. A simpler package in a similar spirit is called
-\href{http://www.activetex.org/}{\Package{InstantPreview}} and makes
-use of a continuously running copy of \TeX{}
-(under the moniker of \texttt{TeX daemon}) instead of dumping formats to
-achieve its speed.
+same author.
Another \ProgName{emacs} package called
\href{http://preview-latex.sourceforge.net}{\Package{preview-latex}}
@@ -461,7 +456,9 @@ Few would deny that \BibTeX{} is ripe for renewal: as originally
conceived, it was a program for creating bibliographies for technical
documents, in English. People have contributed mechanisms for a
degree of multilingual use (whose techniques are arcane, and quite
-likely inextensible); and specialist \BibTeX{} style files are
+likely inextensible), while an extension (\ProgName{bibtex8}) allows
+use with 8-bit character codes, thus providing some multilingual
+capabilities. In addition, specialist \BibTeX{} style files are
available for use in non-technical papers.
\BibTeX{} uses a style language whose mechanisms are unfamiliar to
@@ -474,71 +471,72 @@ Oren Patashnik (the author of \BibTeX{}) summarises the issues as he
sees them, in a % !line break
\href{http://tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb24-1/patashnik.pdf}{\acro{TUG} conference paper from 2003}
that seems to suggest that we might expect a
-\BibTeX{}~1.0\dots{}which hasn't (yet) appeared.
+\BibTeX{}~1.0 \dots{} which hasn't (yet) appeared.
In the absence of \BibTeX{}~1.0, what do we need from the bibliography
system of the future?~--- simple: a superset of what \BibTeX{} does
-(or can be made to do), implemented in a simpler style language, with
-coherent multilingual capabilities.
+(or can be made to do), preferably implementing a simpler style
+language, and with coherent multilingual capabilities.
+
+There are two parts to a bibliography system; processing the database
+of citations, and typesetting the results. The existing \bibtex{}
+system provides a means of processing the database, and there are
+macros built into \latex{}, as well as many \latex{} packages, that
+process the results.
+
+Of the direct \BibTeX{} replacements, only two have been submitted to
+\acro{CTAN}: Cross\TeX{} and \ProgName{biber}.
-Of the direct \BibTeX{} replacements, the only one whose authors have
-sufficient confidence to submit to \acro{CTAN} is Cross\TeX{}.
Cross\TeX{}'s language feels familiar to the existing user of
\BibTeX{}, but it's redesigned in an object-oriented style, and looks
-(to a non-user) as if it may well be adequately flexible.
+(to a non-user) as if it may well be adequately flexible. It is said
+to operate as a \bibtex{} replacement.
Cross\TeX{}'s team respond to queries, and seem well aware of the
-need for multilingual support. Cross\TeX{} is probably a development
-to watch.
-
-Two interesting alternative approaches, that the author has
-investigated, are \Package{amsrefs} and \Package{biblatex}.
-\Package{Amsrefs} does away with \BibTeX{} altogether, while
-\Package{biblatex} (at least for now) makes rather limited use of
-\BibTeX{}. Both are heavily dependent on \LaTeX{}'s support.
-
-\Package{Amsrefs} uses a transformed \extension{bib} file, which is
-expressed as \LaTeX{} macros. (The package provides a \BibTeX{} style
-that performs the transformation, so that a \LaTeX{} source containing
-a \cmdinvoke{nocite}{*} command enables \BibTeX{} to produce a usable
-\Package{amsrefs} bibliography database.)
+need for multilingual support, though it isn't currently offered.
+
+\ProgName{Biber} is intimately associated with the \latex{} package
+\Package{biblatex}; it is logically a \bibtex{} replacement, but is also
+capable of using bibliography databases in its own
+\ProgName{biblatexml} (\acro{XML}-based) format. \Package{Biblatex}
+can also use \bibtex{}, but \ProgName{biber} opens up a far wider
+range of possibilities, including full Unicode support.
+
+\Package{Biblatex} is a processor for the output of an application
+such as \ProgName{biber} or \bibtex{}; the style of citations and of
+the bibliography itself (in your document) is determined by the way
+your \Package{biblatex} style has been set up, not on some
+\bibtex{}-\latex{} package combination. \Package{Biblatex}'s
+structure thus eliminates the collections of \BibTeX{} styles, at a
+stroke; it comes with a basic set of styles, and details are
+determined by options, set at package loading time. The author,
+Philipp Lehman, evaluated the whole field of bibliography software
+before starting, and as a result the package provides answers to
+many of the questions asked in the bibliography sections of these
+\acro{FAQ}s.
+
+\Package{Biblatex} was released as experimental software, but it's
+clear that many users are already using it happily; Lehman is
+responsive to problem reports, at the moment, but a \emph{de facto}
+set of expert users is already establishing itself. A set of
+contributed styles has appeared, which cover some of the trickier
+bibliography styles. The road map of the project shows that we are
+now working on the final \emph{beta} releases before the ``stable''
+\Package{biblatex}~1.0.
+
+Finally, \Package{Amsrefs} uses a transformed \extension{bib} file,
+which is expressed as \LaTeX{} macros. (The package provides a
+\BibTeX{} style that performs the transformation, so that a \LaTeX{}
+source containing a \cmdinvoke{nocite}{*} command enables \BibTeX{} to
+produce a usable \Package{amsrefs} bibliography database.)
\Package{Amsrefs} is maintained by the AMS as part of its author
support programme,
-
-\Package{Biblatex} uses \BibTeX{} simply to sort the citations using
-\Package{biblatex}'s own style; the style of citations and of the
-bibliography itself is determined by the way your \Package{biblatex}
-style has been set up. This structure eliminates the collections of
-\BibTeX{} styles, at a stroke; the package comes with a basic set of
-styles, and details are determined by options, set at package loading
-time. The author, Philipp Lehman, evaluated the whole field of
-bibliography software before starting, and as a result the package
-comes with answers to many of the questions asked in the bibliography
-sections of these \acro{FAQ}s.
-
-\Package{Biblatex} is released as experimental software, but it's
-clear that many users are already using it happily; Lehman is
-responsive to problem reports, at the moment, but a set of expert
-users is already establishing itself. A set of contributed styles has
-appeared, which cover some of the trickier bibliography styles. The
-road map of the project shows one more \emph{beta} release before the
-``stable'' \Package{biblatex}~1.0.
-
-A related project is
-\href{http://biblatex-biber.sourceforge.net/}{\ProgName{biber}}
-(it's called \ProgName{biblatex-biber} on SourceForge simply to
-distinguish it from an older, defunct, \BibTeX{} replacement
-project). \ProgName{Biber} is a \ProgName{Perl}-based system to
-produce a \BibTeX{} replacement that is specifically tuned to the
-requirements of \Package{biblatex}. While it supports the
-`traditional' \BibTeX{} interface, \ProgName{biber} provides an
-interface language designed for \Package{biblatex}, including use of
-Unicode to ease the generation of multilingual citations.
\begin{ctanrefs}
\item[amsrefs.sty]\CTANref{amsrefs}
\item[biber]\CTANref{biber}
\item[biblatex.sty]\CTANref{biblatex}
+\item[bibtex8]\CTANref{bibtex8}
\item[\nothtml{\rmfamily}biblatex contributions]\CTANref{biblatex-contrib}
\item[\nothtml{\rmfamily}CrossTeX]\CTANref{crosstex}
\end{ctanrefs}