% $Id: faq-intro.tex,v 1.29 2012/02/07 21:46:08 rf10 Exp $ % this environment is for the benefit of new-style file generation \begin{introduction} % suppress section numbers until end environment \nothtml{\csname c@secnumdepth\endcsname=-1 } \section{Introduction} This is a set of Frequently Asked Questions (\acro{FAQ}) for English-speaking users of \TeX{}. The questions answered here cover a wide range of topics, but typesetting issues are mostly covered from the viewpoint of a \LaTeX{} user. Some of the questions answered have little relevance to today's users; this is inevitable~--- it's easier to add information than it is to decide that information is no longer needed. The set of answered questions is therefore in a state of slow flux: new questions are answered, while old questions are deleted~\dots~but the whole process depends on the time available for \acro{FAQ} maintenance. You may use the \acro{FAQ} \begin{itemize} \item by reading a printed document, \item by viewing a \acro{PDF} file, with hyperlinks to assist browsing: copies are available formatted so that they could be printed on \CTANhref{faq-a4}{A4 paper} or on % ! line break \CTANhref{faq-letter}{North American ``letter'' paper}, \htmlonly{or} \begin{typesetversion} \item by using the \acro{FAQ}'s web interface (base \acro{URL}: \URL{http://www.tex.ac.uk/faq}); this version provides simple search capabilities, as well as a link to Google for a more sophisticated search restricted to the \acro{FAQ} itself, or \end{typesetversion} \item via Scott Pakin's \CTANhref{visualFAQ}{Visual FAQ}, which shows \LaTeX{} constructions with links to \acro{FAQ} explanations of how they may be created. \end{itemize} \begin{typesetversion} \subsection{Finding the Files} Unless otherwise specified, all files mentioned in this \acro{FAQ} are available from a \acro{CTAN} archive, or from a mirror of \acro{CTAN}~--- see \Qref[question]{later discussion}{Q-archives}% ! space \narrowonly{, which gives details} of the \acro{CTAN} archives\wideonly{ and}\narrowonly{, including} how to retrieve files from them. %% If you don't have access to the internet, the %% \Qref*{\texlive{} distribution}{Q-CD} offers off-line snapshots of the %% archives. The reader should also note that the first directory name of the path name of every file on \acro{CTAN} is omitted from what follows, for the simple reason that, while it's always the same (\path{tex-archive/}) on the main sites, mirror sites often choose something else. To avoid confusion, we also omit the full stop from the end of any sentence whose last item is a path name (such sentences are rare, and only occur at the end of paragraphs). Though the path names are set in a different font from running text, it's not easy to distinguish the font of a single dot! \end{typesetversion} \begin{htmlversion} Almost all files suggested in answers in these \acro{FAQ}s are available from \Qref{\acro{CTAN} archives}{Q-archives}, and may be reached via links in the file list at the end of the answer. In particular, documentation (when available) is linked from the \acro{CTAN} Catalogue entry, which is also listed in the file list. Unless doing so is unavoidable, the answers do not mention things not on the archive. An obvious exception is web resources such as supplementary documents, etc. \end{htmlversion} \latexhtml{\subsection*{Origins}}{\textbf{Origins}} The \acro{FAQ} was originated by the Committee of the \acro{UK} \TeX{} Users' Group (\acro{UK}~\acro{TUG}) as a development of a regular posting to the \emph{Usenet} newsgroup \Newsgroup{comp.text.tex} that was maintained for some time by Bobby Bodenheimer. The first \acro{UK} version was much re-arranged and corrected from the original, and little of Bodenheimer's work now remains. \htmlignore The following people (at least~--- there are almost certainly others whose names weren't correctly recorded) have contributed help or advice on the development of the \acro{FAQ}: William Adams, % spotting dead url Donald Arseneau, % indefatigable Rosemary Bailey, % lots of initial set of maths answers Barbara Beeton, % one of first reviewers outside cttee Karl Berry, % often provides comments & suggestions Giuseppe Bilotta, Charles Cameron, Fran\c{c}ois Charette, % update of q-xetex Damian Cugley, Michael Dewey, Michael Downes, % (RIP) on (ams)maths stuff Jean-Pierre Drucbert, % corrected my interpretation of minitoc David Epstein, % comment on q-algorithms, suggestion of tex-sx Michael Ernst, % alert on confusing colloquialism Thomas Esser, Ulrike Fischer, % spotted boondoggle in q-tabcellalign % args like \section improvement; general typos Bruno Le Floch, % alert to mess in q-latex3 Anthony Goreham, Norman Gray, Enrico Gregorio, % new definition for q-seccntfmt Werner Grundlingh, % xparse for *-commands Eitan Gurari, % (RIP) comparative html translators William Hammond, % lots of work on xml-related answers John Hammond, % corrections to q-protect John Harper, % patient help with q-robust ;-) Gernot Hassenpflug, % impetus and suggestions for q-printvar Troy Henderson, % metapost tutorials update Hartmut Henkel, Stephan Hennig, % text about vc in Q-RCS John Hobby, Morten H\textoslash gholm, % eagle eyes in search for problems Berthold Horn, % lots of stuff on fonts Ian Hutchinson, % comparative html translators Werner Icking, % (RIP) answer on tex-music William Ingram, % extension of transcinit David Jansen, % error in errmissitem example code Alan Jeffrey, % another founding father Regnor Jernsletten, David Kastrup, % inter alia, suggested mention of lilypond Oleg Katsitadze, % revision of q-eplain Isaac Khabaza, % kindersley book Ulrich Klauer, % pointed out twaddle in TeXpronounce Markus Kohm, % help with functionality of Koma-script Stefan Kottwitz % picked up text of q-wideflt David Kraus, % help with tocbibind (spotted embarrassing typo :-} ) Ryszard Kubiak, % comment about q-driver Simon Law, Uwe L\"uck, % correction of typo Daniel Luecking, % typos Aditya Mahajan, % rewrite of q-context Sanjoy Mahajan, Diego Andres Alvarez Marin, % suggestion of lacheck Andreas Matthias, % most recently q-isitanum Steve Mayer, % proof reading Brooks Moses, % editorial suggestion Peter Moulder, % improvement of q-widows Iain Murray, % alternative solution in q-hyperdupdest Vilar Camara Neto, % explain breakurl pkg, suggest use of numprint Dick Nickalls, Ted Nieland, Hans Nordhaug, Pat Rau, Heiko Oberdiek, Piet van Oostrum, Scott Pakin, % bug reports (at least) Oren Patashnik, Manuel P\'egouri\'e-Gonnard, % improvement of q-luatex Steve Peter, % comprehensive review, lots of typos etc Sebastian Rahtz, % without whom there would be no... Philip Ratcliffe, % help with a bibtex oddity, editorial comment Chris Rowley, % founding father Jos\'e Carlos Santos, % assiduous reader of new versions Walter Schmidt, Hans-Peter Schr\"ocker, Joachim Schrod, Uwe Siart, % correction for manymathalph Maarten Sneep, % summary of c.t.t thread for outszwrng, inter alia Axel Sommerfeldt, % suggested rewrite of q-hyperdupdest Philipp Stephani, % xlation of komascript keyval stuff James Szinger, % who responded on c.t.t to request for answer Nicola Talbot, % correction of link Bob Tennent, % urw classico + sansmath Tomek Trzeciak, % suggested docmute and standalone together Ulrik Vieth, Mike Vulis, % details of micropress offerings Chris Walker, % revtex alert, ite suggestion (q-labelfig) Peter Wilson, % several, incl functionality of memoir Joseph Wright, % help with keyval, l3keys, etc. Rick Zaccone, Gregor Zattler % typo spotted and Reinhard Zierke. That list does \emph{not} cover the many people whose ideas were encountered on various lists, newsgroups or (lately) web forums. Many such people have helped, even if simply to highlight an area in which \acro{FAQ} work would be useful. \endhtmlignore % \LastEdit{2011-10-12} % not to be typeset or converted to html... \end{introduction}