Subject: TeXhax Digest V96 #1

From: Majordomo list server <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 20:43:04 +0000

TeXhax Digest              Monday, 8 January 1996       Volume 96 : Number 001

(incorporating UKTeX Digest)

Today's Topics:

    Re: TeXhax Digest V95 #18
    Re: TeXhax Digest V95 #18
    some questions from a newcomer
    more questions!
    LaTeX2e
    modes.mf 3.0 available

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Sebastian Rahtz <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 09:16:38 GMT
Subject: Re: TeXhax Digest V95 #18

 > From: Andre HECK <[email-masked]>
 > Date: Tue, 05 Dec 95 17:25:31 +0100
 > Subject: Chemical TeX/LaTeX
 > 
 > My daughter heard that specific chemistry-oriented TeX/LaTeX packages
 > were available, without more details unfortunately. My search in the
 > ctan archives were unsuccessful.
 > Anyone knows more about this matter? If so, is there any shareware 
 > available?
there are several; look for chemtex, and xymtex; the latter, from
Japan, is described in an article in the next issue of
TUGboat. Another package, described by J Hagen at this years EuroTeX,
is published in the EuroTeX 95 proceedings, an article which will be
reprinted in TUGboat early next year

Sebastian Rahtz
Secretary, TUG

------------------------------

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 95 13:58:13 -0800
Subject: Re: TeXhax Digest V95 #18

J. Greg Davidson, who hates being misquoted, writes

   I find that most people I show TeX to dislike it on sight and decline
   my offer to help them learn to use it.  At the same time, they're
   interested in SGML and planning to convert existing documents to and
   write new documents in that form.  This is the source of our big
   opportunity.

   My biggest gripe about TeX is that I find writing and understanding
   TeX macros to be difficult...

   As people move towards keeping documents in SGML form, they will be
   looking for a good text formatter to use in conjunction with their
   SGML documents.

Many people think that SGML offers a solution to the problems of
document preparation.  They're wrong.  SGML is just a statement of
the problem.  The goals of SGML--a markup language that separates
logical structure from formatting directions--are precisely the goals
of LaTeX.  However, LaTeX is a program to produce real output--not just
a syntax for wishing what the document should look like.  It is this
difference that is the primary reason why LaTeX input is a lot uglier
than SGML; the difference between TeX syntax and SGML syntax has
little to do with it.

SGML syntax has some nice features.  However, if you look at the
HTML3.0 syntax for describing equations, you will discover that no-one
in his right mind would want to type any significant amount of
mathematics in SGML.  Should HTML ever become expressive enough for
mathematical documents (at the moment, the only math symbols HTML3.0
provides are \sqrt, \lnot, and \pm), one would have to create those
documents either with a WYSIWYG editor or by translating from a more
TeX-like syntax.

We've learned a lot in the last dozen years, and we know how to do
some things better than Don did in TeX.  But it's by no means clear
that we know how to create a system with the power of TeX that would
make adding new features very much easier.  Think of all the work
that's been done to give unsophisticated users the power of a
programming language.  After 30 years, there still doesn't seem to be
anything better than Basic.

Leslie Lamport

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (gabriele migliorini)
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 95 15:27:26 +0100
Subject: some questions from a newcomer

	Dear readers,
		i just began working with LaTeX, and I am waiting for
a friend of mine to take me back from England a copy of the Companion
(here in Italy, English and american books cost twice their price, for
you get a very unfair exchange rate from bookshops) I'd like to get
some little help before getting the book, even if I fear my questions
could seem too much stupid for the expert ones. Two kind of problems:

Text: how do I do to write a paragraph (or some paragraphs) and keep
all of them on the same page? I remember that (a long time ago) in
word perfect there was a function to put in a couple of markers
telling to keep all the text in beetween on the same page. By now, I
tried to resolve my problem by putting the paragraph in a minipage,
but this cannot function with in paragraph stuff.

Graphics: I poked around to understand how to include graphics in my
documents, and I found many suggestions. Now, I've seen that (to me)
the best format are those whose commands ger embedded right into the
dvi file. I've seen that pstricks and eepic do thins kind of job, but
both are written for LaTeX209; I cannot let pst function, but eepic
seems great, with both XFIG and gnuplot. Now, my question: is there
anybody who knows if there are incompatibilities w/epic-eepic other
than the ones I didn't see? And what about PSTricks?

Now, I have to thank everybody, and tell an happy new year to all the 
readers, those that will help me, and those who will be bored by my English 
an my questions. I apologize!.

Sincerely,
	gabriele

[email-masked]

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (gabriele migliorini)
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 95 16:17:26 +0100
Subject: more questions!

I remembered just now that I need one more information about LaTeX:
I'm writing about rotary motions, and I enocounter many rotations
vectors; the standard practice is to use the normal greek letters
you'd use for an angle, and tell the vector character typing the name
in bold face. I can do that with standard {\bf a}, but the command
{\bf \omega} doesn't work. How can I fix this behavior? Now, I'm to
ask if there is someone willing to tell me the reason why the \left
and \right verbs before opening and closing brackets and braces cannot
be implicitly told by LaTeX: if i'm writing a fraction like (\frac
{abc}{def}), I get small brackets; don't you think the standard
behavior should be to prepone an mplicit \left or \right to any
opening and closing bracket? (I see that |a|b|c| could break this
semantics, but I think you could make the bars use the explicit
notations and the other delimitations the implicit one) I thank you,
sincerely.

	gabriele

------------------------------

From: Andrew Jones $STAFF <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 16:29:11 +0000
Subject: LaTeX2e

To whom it may concern, I have a few problems which need solving, and 
do not know where to go for advice:

I currently possess just LaTeX, but wiped it off my system, when 
trying to make room for something else. Stupidly, I did not back it 
up and recall that I had some problems trying to install it last 
time, having to change various lines in various files, both in emtex, 
and in my Config.sys and autoexec.bat files. As you may gather, I am 
pretty well a beginner with TeX. Does anyone know of anyone who would 
be able guide me through the reinstallation?

Secondly, when I originally installed it, I had it set up to print on 
a Star LC10 9-pin dot matrix. I now possess a Canon BJ-10ex. I 
managed to get various printer drivers, none written speciically for 
this model, but none of them seem to work. Any suggestions?

Finally, I was given your address from a visiting lecturer who uses 
LaTeX enormously. It rekindled my interest in Latex, and I would 
dearly love to get it properly re-installed once again. However, I 
notice that LaTeX2e is mentioned a great deal. What are the 
advantages, if any, of switching to this? I am currently using a 
386sx-20 with a 70 MB HDD, but am hoping to upgrade to a 486DX2-66 
with a 400MB HDD and CD-ROM in the near future.

I would gratefully appreciate any information that you can give me.

Yours sincerely         Andrew Jones at Trent College
the near future

------------------------------

From: "K. Berry" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 14:55:22 -0500
Subject: modes.mf 3.0 available

I have released version 3.0 of modes.mf.  You can get it by anonymous ftp from

	ftp.cs.umb.edu:pub/tex/modes.mf

and shortly from ftp.cdrom.com:pub/tex/modes.mf and the ctan sites in
/tex-archive/fonts/modes/modes-3.0.mf.  finger [email-masked] for a
list of all the CTAN sites and mirrors.  The mailing list
[email-masked] receives most TeX-related announcements; email
[email-masked] to join.

You can also get it by email from if you cannot ftp: email
[email-masked] with a body of `sendme modes'.

News:
- - most importantly, a new and much cleaner way of doing write/white
  changes, compatible with the DC fonts as well as CM, etc. This *does*
  affect the rasterization to some extent, but in the cases I tried, it
  was no worse, and sometimes better.
- - a small test file, modetest.tex, included.
- - new modes for the Amiga ShowDVI previewer, PC previewing,
  high-resolution fax, LJ 5, Canon BJC, Lexmark Optra 4049 R, Agfa 3400PS.
- - default localfont now ljfour.
- - screen_rows, screen_cols interchanged to match plain.mf.
- - TeX formatting improved, but still not completely working.

As always, thanks to the contributors, and further additions and
improvements are welcome.  Please send bug reports or suggestions to
[email-masked] (email tex-fonts-request to join the mailing list).

General information:

modes.mf is a collection of Metafont mode_def's.  It also makes common
definitions for write/white printers, `special' information, and
landscape mode.  It uses up too much memory for the table sizes in the
original mf.web, so you either have to increase the sizes (as in Web2c)
or rename the file and remove unneeded modes.  I can't decipher mf.web
well enough to understand how to make the modes use less memory; if some
Metafont hacker can tell me, I'd very much like to hear it.

If you have mode_def's which are not listed below, or corrections to the
existing ones, please send them to me.  Improvements to the exposition,
particularly in how to create a new mode_def, are also welcome.

[email-masked]

mode_def agfafzz =                      % AGFA 400PS
mode_def agfatfzz =                     % AGFA P3400PS
mode_def amiga =                        % Commodore Amiga
mode_def aps =                          % Autologic APS-Micro5
mode_def apssixhi =                     % Autologic APS-Micro6
mode_def atariezf =                     % Atari ST SLM 804 printer
mode_def atarinf =                      % Atari 95dpi previewer
mode_def atarins =                      % Atari 96x96 previewer
mode_def atariotf =                     % Atari ST SM 124 screen
mode_def bitgraph =                     % BBN Bitgraph at 118dpi
mode_def bjtenex =                      % Canon BubbleJet 10ex
mode_def boise =                        % HP 2680A
mode_def canonbjc =                     % Canon BJC-600, 360x360dpi
mode_def canonex =                      % CanonEX in LaserWriter Pro 630
mode_def canonlbp =                     % e.g., Symbolics LGP-10
mode_def cg =                           % Compugraphic 8600
mode_def cgl =                          % Compugraphic 8600 landscape
mode_def cgnszz =                       % Compugraphic 9600
mode_def crs =                          % Alphatype CRS
mode_def cx =                           % Canon CX, SX, LBP-LX
mode_def datadisc =                     % DataDisc
mode_def newdd =                        % DataDisc with special aspect ratio
mode_def declarge =                     % DEC 19-inch, 1280 x 1024
mode_def decsmall =                     % DEC 17-inch, 1024 x 768
mode_def deskjet =                      % HP DeskJet 500
mode_def docutech =                     % Xerox 8790 or 4045
mode_def dover =                        % Xerox Dover
mode_def eighthre =                     % EightThree (83x83)
mode_def epsdrft =                      % Epson at 120x72dpi
mode_def epsdrftl =                     % Epson at 120x72dpi landscape
mode_def epsfast =                      % Epson at 60x72dpi
mode_def epsfastl =                     % Epson at 60x72dpi landscape
mode_def epson =                        % 9-pin Epson MX/FX family
mode_def epsonl =                       % 9-pin Epson MX/FX family landscape
mode_def epsonact =                     % Epson Action Laser 1500
mode_def epsonlo =                      % Epson at 120x216dpi
mode_def epsonlol =                     % Epson at 120x216dpi landscape
mode_def epstylus =                     % Epson Stylus
mode_def fourfour =                     % FourFour (44x44) (really low-res)
mode_def gtfax =                        % 204 x 196dpi G3fax
mode_def gtfaxl =                       % 204 x 196dpi G3fax landscape
mode_def gtfaxlo =                      % 204 x 98dpi G3fax
mode_def gtfaxlol =                     % 204 x 98dpi G3fax landscape
mode_def highfax =                      % 200 x 200dpi G3fax
mode_def hprugged =                     % HP RuggedWriter 480
mode_def ibm_a =                        % IBM 38xx (\#1)
mode_def ibmd =                         % IBM 38xx (\#2)
mode_def ibmega =                       % IBM EGA monitor
mode_def ibmegal =                      % IBM EGA monitor landscape
mode_def ibmfzon =                      % IBM 4019
mode_def ibmfztn =                      % IBM 4029-30, 4250
mode_def ibmpp =                        % IBM ProPrinter
mode_def ibmppl =                       % IBM ProPrinter landscape
mode_def ibmsoff =                      % IBM 6154 display
mode_def sherpa =                       % IBM 6670 (Sherpa)
mode_def ibmteot =                      % IBM 3812
mode_def ibmtetz =                      % IBM 3820
mode_def ibmtont =                      % IBM 3193 screen
mode_def ibmtosn =                      % IBM 3179 screen
mode_def ibmtosnl =                     % IBM 3179 screen landscape
mode_def ibmvga =                       % IBM VGA monitor
mode_def ibx =                          % Chelgraph IBX
mode_def itoh =                         % CItoh 8510A
mode_def itohl =                        % CItoh 8510A landscape
mode_def itohtoz =                      % CItoh 310
mode_def itohtozl =                     % CItoh 310 landscape
mode_def iw =                           % Apple ImageWriter
mode_def jetiiisi =                     % HP Laser Jet IIISi
mode_def lasf =                         % DEC LA75
mode_def lexmarkr =                     % IBM (Lexmark) Optra R (4049)
mode_def linolo =                       % Linotype Linotronic [13]00 at 635dpi
mode_def linolttz =                     % Linotype Linotronic L-300 with RIP-50
mode_def linoone =                      % Linotype Linotronic [13]00 at 1270dpi
mode_def linotzzh =                     % Linotype Linotronic 300 at 2540dpi
mode_def ljfive =                       % HP LaserJet 5
mode_def ljfour =                       % 600dpi HP LaserJet 4
mode_def ljlo =                         % HP LaserJet at 150dpi
mode_def lmaster =                      % 1000dpi LaserMaster
mode_def lnzo =                         % DEC LN01
mode_def lpstz =                        % DEC lps20
mode_def lqlores =                      % Epson LQ-500, 180x180dpi
mode_def lqmed =                        % Epson LQ-500, 360x180dpi
mode_def lqmedl =                       % Epson LQ-500, 360x180dpi landscape
mode_def lview =                        % Sigma L-View monitor
mode_def lwpro =                        % Apple LaserWriterPro 810
mode_def macmag =                       % Mac screens at magstep 1
mode_def mactrue =                      % Mac screens at 72dpi
mode_def ncd =                          % NCD 19-inch
mode_def nec =                          % NEC 180dpi
mode_def nechi =                        % NEC-P6 at 360x360dpi
mode_def neclm =                        % NEC PC-PR406LM 320dpi
mode_def nectzo =                       % NEC PC-PR201 series 160dpi
mode_def nexthi =                       % NeXT 400dpi, Newgen
mode_def nextscrn =                     % 100dpi NeXT monitor
mode_def nineone =                      % NineOne (91x91)
mode_def nullmode =                     % TFM files only
mode_def onetz =                        % OneTwoZero (120/120)
mode_def onezz =                        % OneZeroZero (100x100)
mode_def ocessfz =                      % OCE 6750-PS
mode_def okidata =                      % Okidata
mode_def okidatal =                     % Okidata landscape
mode_def okifte =                       % Okidata 410e in 600 DPI mode
mode_def pcscreen =                     % also, e.g., high-resolution Suns
mode_def pcprevw =                      % preview on pc screen
mode_def phaser =                       % Tektronix Phaser PXi
mode_def prntware =                     % Printware 720IQ
mode_def qms =                          % QMS (Xerox engine)
mode_def qmsostf =                      % QMS 1725
mode_def qmsoszz =                      % QMS 1700
mode_def ricoh =                        % e.g., TI Omnilaser
mode_def ricoha =                       % e.g., IBM 4216
mode_def ricohlp =                      % e.g., DEC LN03
mode_def sparcptr =                     % Sun SPARCprinter
mode_def starnlt =                      % Star NL-10
mode_def starnltl =                     % Star NL-10 landscape
mode_def sun =                          % Sun and BBN Bitgraph at 85dpi
mode_def supre =                        % Ultre*setter at 2400dpi
mode_def toshiba =                      % Toshiba 13XX, EpsonLQ
mode_def ultre =                        % Ultre*setter at 1200dpi
mode_def vs =                           % VAXstation monitor
mode_def vtftzz =                       % Varityper 4200 B-P
mode_def vtftzzhi =                     % Varityper 4300P at 2400dpi
mode_def vtftzzlo =                     % Varityper 4300P at 1200dpi
mode_def vtfzszw =                      % Varitype 5060W, APS 6
mode_def vtszz =                        % Varityper Laser 600
mode_def xrxesnz =                      % Xerox 8790 or 4045
mode_def xrxfzfz =                      % Xerox 4050/4075/4090/4700
mode_def xrxnszz =                      % Xerox 9700
mode_def xrxtszz =                      % Xerox 3700

------------------------------

End of TeXhax Digest V96 #1
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