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+VISIBLE -- Advice for placing new LaTeX files.
+
+Author: Uwe L"uck, http://www.contact-ednotes.sty.de.vu,
+2004/10/18;
+aided by Karl Berry.
+
+--derived from a TUGboat (vol. 24) article on Ednotes.
+
+
+
+* The problem: *
+
+E.g., a user downloads a LaTeX file from CTAN. Or: often there
+is a pair of a .dtx and an .ins file for producing a .sty file.
+("Run LaTeX on the .ins file ..." This may be difficult enough,
+but we assume now that the user manages this.) Typically the
+user is told to put the (.sty) file to a folder "where LaTeX
+can find it", or "visible to TeX". Indeed, the user cannot use
+the file otherwise. However, some users have had no idea how to
+arrange things so that (La)TeX finds the file.
+
+Unfortunately, the procedure for this is somewhat non-trivial
+indeed. It depends very much on the user's LaTeX installation,
+so it is difficult to indicate a procedure that helps everyone.
+
+
+* Principles for solutions: *
+
+Technically, the searching agent is the TeX program, not LaTeX
+--we choose our wordings accordingly here. LaTeX is rather a
+kind of input ("format") to the TeX program. (If this doesn't
+make sense to you, don't worry about it.)
+
+I think of three kinds of approaches:
+
+1. Put the file into the folder where the files you are editing
+are (call them "job files" here). This is easy; but if the user
+wants to use the file for another project pursued in a different
+folder, the approach would require another copy of the file--or
+a link! Therefore, it has been common to place macro (.sty) or
+similar files in folders that TeX searches independent of the
+folder containing the job files.
+
+2. Put the file into a folder that TeX has searched so far.
+
+3. Put the file anywhere (or into an extra folder newly created
+with care)--and extend the set of folders that TeX searches
+accordingly. The TeX installation ("shell") usually offers a
+facility for this--which unfortunately is not always known to
+the user.
+
+
+* Advices from TeX Users Groups: *
+
+I recommend to study the following web pages. The first two of
+them deal with installation more generally and give some hints
+that I consider worth to remind of.
+
+ http://tug.ctan.org/installationadvice
+
+ http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=instpackages
+
+These prefer approach 3 of the above, especially the TDS
+standard of arranging folders, see
+
+ http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=tds
+
+The narrower subject matter is concerned at
+
+ http://{www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=wherefiles
+
+
+* Easy tricks that I prefer: *
+
+I must confess that I have never worked with the shells that are
+chosen as examples on these web pages. Moreover, some Windows
+users may find the examples little helpful. So my personal hints
+use approach 2 of the above.
+
+o Typically, the file is from CTAN folder
+ /tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/, and you find a folder
+ .../latex/contrib/ in the installation at your workplace.
+ Then the latter should be a good guess for placing the new
+ file.
+
+o You may find a folder .../texinput/ (or TeXinput!?) which
+ should be another good guess.
+
+o Search your installation for files with the same file name
+ extension (usually `.sty'), try their folder.
+
+(Updates are a special case of the last idea, of course.)
+
+
+Ok, if all this doesn't help, you may ask at comp.text.tex
+or your local TeX guru.
+
+
+Good luck!
+
+