TeXhax@cs.washington.edu (TeXhax Digest) (04/27/89)
TeXhax Digest Monday, March 27 1989 Volume 89 : Issue 27
Moderators: Tiina Modisett and Pierre MacKay
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Today's Topics:
Where does one obtain public domain version of Tex and LaTex
Integrating the VAX EDT or EVE editor with TeX and LaTeX?
PSFIG -- Has it been updated and where is it available?
Re: DECUS TeX Collection tape--a query
Re: spell checker
Suggestion: Submissions to TeXHax in TeX source code
Needed: AmSTeX macro
Query regarding nested ifs
Figure placement in LaTeX
Complex Double Column Macros
Re: Conflicting settings for \strutbox in LaTeX
What is the difference between \crcr versus \cr?
Latex style file for filling text around figure
Re: VM/CMS format for tapes
BibTeX support for abstracts
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 89 15:39:23 CST
From: Ken Wang <NTUT035%TWNMOE10.BITNET@UWAVM.ACS.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Subject: Where does one obtain public domain version of Tex and LaTex
Keywords: TeX, LaTeX
Hi! Could anyone out there tell me how to get copies of Tex and
LaTex with no charges? Thanks in advance.
Ken Wang
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 89 12:58 EST
From: VAX Academic Assistant <COLMENARES@FORDMURH>
Subject: Integrating the VAX EDT or EVE editor with TeX and LaTeX?
Keywords: LaTeX, TeX, VAX EDT, VAX EVE
I have two questions. For the record, we are running version 2.1 under VMS 4.6.
QUESTION # 1
Is there a way to integrate the VAX EDT or EVE editor with TeX and LaTeX?
For example, I ran the following program (the error is intentional):
\documentstyle{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{itemie} %%% there is an error on this line
\item one
\end{itemize}
\end{document}
I received the following message indicating there's an error on line 3 (as I
expected) and LaTeX displays a ?. If I type a ?, among other choices, I am
instructed to type "E to edit your file." When I type E, I receive the message:
You want to edit file DSK3:[COLMENARES.BITNET]TEST.TEX;1 at line 3
No pages of output.
Transcript written on DSK3:[COLMENARES.BITNET]TEST.LIS;1.
Can I force TeX and LaTeX to automatically invoke the editor and perhaps
place the editor's cursor on the line with the error?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 MAR 89 18:05:26 PDT
From: "Micro Mauler" <MICRO2.SCHWER@CRVAX.SRI.COM>
Subject: PSFIG -- Has it been updated and where is it available?
Keywords: PSFIG
After Ethan Munson's very nice review entitled, ``Last Word on
TeX and Mac-Generated Figures'' (Jan 89 Tex-HaX), I started
mucking around with a 1987 vintage version of PSFIG (a set of
PostScript macros for including MacDraw generated PostScript into
LaTeX documents via Arbortex's DVIPS) I obtained way back when.
The Mac prolog file is for AppleDict version 13, currently at 65
or higher, and there was no BBFIG for determining BoundingBox
sizes. I looked for a more current version on linc.cis.upenn.edu
without success; I couldn't find anything in pub.
Is anyone, in particular the author Trevor Darrell, maintaining
or upgrading PSFIG to be compatible with some of the newer object
oriented draw programs such as MacDrawII and Canvas? I'd also
like to get a copy of BBFIG for determing BoundingBox dimensions
of PostScript files.
Thanks, --Len Schwer Micro2.Schwer@crvax.sri.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 89 12:58 EST
From: VAX Academic Assistant <COLMENARES@FORDMURH>
Subject: Re: DECUS TeX Collection tape--a query
Keywords: tape, dviware, printer
QUESTION # 2
I will be attending DECUS in May. The library offerings include a DECUS
TeX Collection tape. Does anyone know if the tape includes drivers for the
QMS Lasergrafix 2400 printer?
Many thanks,
Josephine Colmenares
colmenar@fordmurh
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 89 16:40:39 CST
From: Cliff Bergman <S2.CHB@ISUMVS.BITNET>
Subject: Re: spell checker
Keywords: TeX, spell checker
Jo Schambach asked for a spell checker that can be used with TeX or LaTeX.
I am using SPRINT on an IBM PC clone. SPRINT has a built-in speller, but
more important, it has a powerful macro language that allows one to modify
the user interface. I have done this with the speller, so that
every control sequence, and all text in math mode is ignored.
Actually, I have things rigged up to do a number of useful
TeX-related chores.
I can't send you SPRINT (although it is quite cheap--about $120 from
Borland). I would be glad to send you my code, if you would like it.
Cliff Bergman
s2.chb@isumvs.bitnet
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 89 09:56:11 CST
From: svb@cssun.tamu.edu (Stephan v. Bechtolsheim)
Subject: Suggestion: Submissions to TeXHax in TeX source code
Keywords: TeX
I am in favour of asking people to submit their questions to
TeXhax in TeX source code. We should have a couple of macros to be used
for that purpose so a submission would read as follows:
\From{.....}
\Subject{....}
EmailAddress{.....}
asd
asd
\BeginVerbatim
....
EndVerbatim
This would allow all submissions to be nicely printed; it requires
a little extra effort, of course.
What do you think?
Stephan Bechtolsheim
%%% Moderators' Note: How does this interact with the RFCs for mail
%%% formats? TeX coding for the body of the message is fine, and
%%% the sort of thing that is recommended by J.E. Pittman ought to
%%% be more widely used for the submission of macros, but the
%%% moderators had to learn the hard way that you do not play with
%%% the formats in mail headers. It doesn't seem to be a good idea
%%% to change the format even within the digest, since many readers
%%% undigestify the contents, and use the standard From: line to
%%% generate the return address. I don't think they would thank us
%%% for making that difficult.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 89 09:56:12 CST
From: svb@cssun.tamu.edu (Stephan v. Bechtolsheim)
Subject: Needed: AmSTeX macro
Keywords: macro, AmSTeX
Has anybody written a macro \leftmath which
1. Makes all displayed equations come out left flush, indented by some
fixed amount.
2. Also redefines \align, \aligned, \alignat, \multline, \gather, \gathered
Thanks.
Stephan Bechtolsheim
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 89 09:56:17 CST
From: svb@cssun.tamu.edu (Stephan v. Bechtolsheim)
Subject: Query regarding nested ifs
Keywords: LaTeX, nested if
Assume the following nested ifs:
\if [1]...
then text 1
\if [2] ...
then text 2
\else
else text 2
\fi [2]
\fi [1]
Now assume that instead of \if [2] there is a macro
\IfSomething which when expanded delivers a \if.
Everything is fine as long as \if [1] is true because
then \IfSomething is expanded. But if \if [1] is false
then \fi [2] will terminate the \if [1] and it's all wrong.
Is there anyway to define a macro \IfSomething in such a way
that TeX will recognize it as a potential conditiona'' when
conditional text is being skipped?! How do you solve this problem?
Stephan Bechtolsheim
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 89 22:15:41 EST
From: Ashwin Ram <ram-ashwin@YALE.ARPA>
Subject: Figure placement in LaTeX
Keywords: LaTeX, figures
I like to separate figures from the text using a horizontal line, e.g.,
something like:
\begin{figure}[tbp]
\makebox[\textwidth]{\hrulefill}
...
\makebox[\textwidth]{\hrulefill}
\end{figure}
The problem is that I would like the horizontal line to appear only on
the "text side" of the figure. In other words, if the figure appears
at the top of the page, I want only the line at the bottom of the
figure to separate it from the rest of the text below; if it appears
at the bottom of the page, I want only the line at the top of the
figure to separate it from the rest of the text above; and if it
appears on a page by itself, I want either both lines or none
(depending on my mood :-)).
How do I achieve this? Is there a way to test where the figure is currently
being placed? At present I've been resorting to running LaTeX, looking at the
output, and manually adding or removing the appropriate line.
Thanks,
Ashwin.
ARPA: Ram-Ashwin@cs.yale.edu
UUCP: {decvax,ucbvax,harvard,cmcl2,...}!yale!Ram-Ashwin
BITNET: Ram@yalecs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 89 16:04:29 EST
From: smith%sandalphon@harvard.harvard.edu (Steve Smith)
Subject: Complex Double Column Macros
Keywords: TeX, LaTeX, macros
I am looking for a sophisticated TeX or LaTeX double column macro capable
of the following:
i) Double/Single column capability on the same page (LaTeX
starts a new page each time its format is switched from
\doublecolumn to \singlecolumn).
ii) The ability to split the opposing column of a large displayed
equation. I.e.,
The right column will be split played equation that appears
when the equation within it. These rules are
------------------------------
a^n = b^n + c^n +d^n + e^n + f^n + ... + z^n
______________________________
appears in the left column. affected if the split appears
Splitting must occur with on the top or bottom of a page.
horizontal rules to separate The columns must be balanced
a split column from the dis- and may include single column
material that spans the entire page.
This format mimics that of many IEEE journals. Is there an IEEE.sty
LaTeX style file anywhere? Have any TeX hackers attacked this problem?
I currently use double column macros cannibalized from a Knuth paper on
literate programming (included in VMS TeX releases). These provide
balanced double columns with single column text on the same page,
but have no fancy large displayed equation/split column capability.
I must admit, examination of the TeX macros performing only i) proves
a daunting experience for those wishing to embellish them with ii).
Steven Smith
smith%sandalphon@harvard.harvard.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 89 09:56:09 CST
From: svb@cssun.tamu.edu (Stephan v. Bechtolsheim)
Subject: What is the difference between \crcr versus \cr?
Keywords: LaTeX, \crcr, \cr
Why do macros like \eqalign and \eqaligno use
\crcr
to terminate the preamble? I mean what is the difference
compared to using \cr to terminate a preamble?
Thanks.
Stephan Bechtolsheim
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 89 11:26:24 PST
From: KARNEY%PPC.MFENET@CCC.MFECC.LLNL.GOV
Subject: Re: Conflicting settings for \strutbox in LaTeX
Keywords: LaTeX, \strutbox
Here is Leslie Lamport's answer to the question about \strutbox's that I
asked recently...
Thanks for the observation. The first setting of \strutbox is, indeed,
useless and should probably be removed.
What is the "right" definition of \strutbox? (I vote that it be set
according to the unstretched \baselineskip so that it tracks the point
size but in independent of \baselinestretch...
I think that the current setting is the right one. The \strut command
is used to simulate a \baselineskip space in places where TeX refuses
to put one in, so it seems appropriate to key it to the actual
\baselineskip. If someone wants a dimension that depends on the point
size, they can do something like
{\rm\global\foo=1em}
Anyway, it's a minor point. The only valid use of \baselinestrecth
that I know of is to produce wide spacing for copy editing--in which
case, the small differences introduced by struts are irrelevant.
Leslie Lamport
KARNEY
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 89 15:24:03 EST
From: "John P. Rouillard" <rouilj@umb.edu>
Subject: Latex style file for filling text around figure
Keywords: LaTeX, style file
I was looking for this a month or so ago, and I am hoping someone has
already done the work and is willing to share.
We are writing our lab reports using LaTeX on pc's and suns.
We have a number of columnar figures (figures taller than wide) that we
would like to put in a figure environment and have the text filled in
on the right or left around the figure.
It would look like:
| stuff full length above |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Fig 1. A Blank Block |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| rest of page |
Sample call.
\begin{figure}[tbph][width of figure][side of page to align (right above1}
... figure stuff here
\end{figure}
Given this call, LaTeX would put the figure in. Ideally It would
check \textwidth and see if there is enough room to put the figure
in. The figure should still be able to float to the next page
if necessary but keep its width and location.
As a hack, this can be done with two minipages side-by-side, but the text
that gets filled in beside the figure has to be figured out by trial
and error. And when the file is updated everything goes down the tubes.
This problem is akin to producing two columns of stuff $x$ inches long
in the middle of the page of single column text. This sort of thing
is seen in magazines all the time.
I am trying to conver the department to using LaTeX, and fixing this
problem would go a long way toward shutting up the resistors.
If I don't get any replies, I'll have to work on it over the summer
when I have the time. Any hints about where to start looking, offers
of help... will be appreciated.
aTdHvAaNnKcSe -- John
The opinions expressed above are all mine and belong to nobody else. To
U-Mass I am just a number.
Person: John Rouillard Physics Major
U.S. Snail: Physics Department; U-Mass Boston; Harbor Campus; Boston, MA 02125
E-Mail: rouilj@umb.umb.edu | husc6!umb!rouilj | harvard!umb!rouilj
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 89 20:32:36 CST
From: Don Hosek <U33297%UICVM.UIC.EDU@UWAVM.ACS.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Subject: Re: VM/CMS format for tapes
Keywords: VM/CMS, tapes
[This note was originally intended to be some information which I was
sending to Peter Abbott to forward to whoever would be making a CMS
version of the Aston Archive, but I've decided to send it to the
TeXhax and UKTeX mailing lists since it contains some generally useful
information on organizing TeX on CMS]
There are a couple things to be aware of in transferring files from
the VMS environment to CMS which could cause some problems: the first
and most important is that CMS has a flat file structure, i.e., no
subdirectories. The implications of this are that for on-line storage,
everything needs to be in a limited number of minidisks with as few
duplications of names as possible... also all redundancies should be
removed (e.g., multiple copies of TEX WEB etc.) On our system, we have
a minidisk with TeX and its related files, another with MF, and a third
for unsupported extras (e.g., a chess font and miscellaneous macros from
TeXMaG, TeXhax, and the like). Each font set (e.g., 300dpi ww, 300dpi wb,
1270dpi etc.) has its own minidisk as does each device driver... Device
drivers are then called using a front-end exec resident on the disk with
TeX. To use TeX, all that is _necessary_ is to link to the TeX disk (MF
requires linking to that disk and the TeX disk, but only for access to
device drivers and TFM's for GFtoDVI). Most users also link to the disk
with the unsupported macros because of all the neat stuff there.
For the archive tape, I would recommend using CMS TAPE (simply because its
fairly straightforward and has help, unlike VMFPLC2 (what's the point of that
program anyway?) a tape mark should be placed between each group of related
files, in the case of the Aston archive, this would generally correspond to
divisions into subdirectories.
I hope this information is useful to any and all who receive it.
dh
Don Hosek Internet: U33297@UICVM.UIC.EDU
3916 Elmwood Bitnet: U33297@UICVM
Stickney, IL 60402 DHOSEK@YMIR
Work: 312-996-0658 UUNet: dhosek@jarthur.claremont.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 89 20:57:32 EST
From: "Robert S. French" <rfrench@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>
Subject: BibTeX support for abstracts
Keywords: BibTeX
A while back I posted a message to TeXHax asking about BibTeX (0.99a)
support for abstracts (such as displaying an "abstract" field along
with a bibliography entry). I didn't get any responses from people
who had already done this, but did get a number of requests for the
code if I ever found it. I finally got around to implementing this
myself.
Below are the context diffs for the "acm.bst" file to create the new
acm-abstracts.bst file. They should translate fairly directly to
other .bst files. To use them, create an (optional) "abstract" field
in your bibliography entries that contains random LaTeX-processable
text. This text will be included in a "quote" environment after the
reference. For books, you can include a "toc" field (table of
contents) which should consist of the table of contents entries, each
preceeded by "\item". They will be formatted in an "itemize"
environment after the reference.
Note: This is the first (and hopefully only :-) .bst hacking I've ever
done, so I've probably done things strangely. It works, though...
Please send any bug reports or suggestions to me...
Rob French
rfrench@athena.mit.edu
*** acm.bst Tue Mar 1 16:00:45 1988
--- acm-abstracts.bst Sat Mar 25 20:56:12 1989
***************
*** 8,16 ****
% 1/24/88 (OP&HWT) Updated for BibTeX version 0.99a, Oren Patashnik;
% corrected the abbreviations to "Mar." and "Sept.";
% THIS `acm' VERSION DOES NOT WORK WITH BIBTEX 0.98i.
ENTRY
! { address
author
booktitle
chapter
--- 8,18 ----
% 1/24/88 (OP&HWT) Updated for BibTeX version 0.99a, Oren Patashnik;
% corrected the abbreviations to "Mar." and "Sept.";
% THIS `acm' VERSION DOES NOT WORK WITH BIBTEX 0.98i.
+ % 3/25/89 (RSF) Support for abstract and toc fields.
ENTRY
! { abstract
! address
author
booktitle
chapter
***************
*** 29,34 ****
--- 31,37 ----
school
series
title
+ toc
type
volume
year
***************
*** 615,620 ****
--- 618,642 ----
" \cite{" * crossref * "}" *
}
+ FUNCTION {do.abstract.toc}
+ { add.period$
+ write$
+ newline$
+ abstract missing$
+ { skip$ }
+ { "\begin{quote}" write$
+ abstract write$ "\end{quote}" write$
+ }
+ if$
+ toc missing$
+ { skip$ }
+ { "\begin{itemize}" write$
+ toc write$ "\end{itemize}" write$
+ }
+ if$
+ ""
+ }
+
FUNCTION {article}
{ output.bibitem
format.authors "author" output.check
***************
*** 631,636 ****
--- 653,659 ----
if$
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 663,668 ****
--- 686,692 ----
format.date "year" output.check
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 677,682 ****
--- 701,707 ----
format.date output
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 710,715 ****
--- 735,741 ----
format.chapter.pages "chapter and pages" output.check
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 734,739 ****
--- 760,766 ----
format.chapter.pages output
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 756,761 ****
--- 783,789 ----
format.pp.pages output
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 780,785 ****
--- 808,814 ----
format.date output
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 795,800 ****
--- 824,830 ----
format.date "year" output.check
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 808,813 ****
--- 838,844 ----
format.date output
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
empty.misc.check
}
***************
*** 824,829 ****
--- 855,861 ----
format.date "year" output.check
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 844,849 ****
--- 876,882 ----
publisher output
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 859,864 ****
--- 892,898 ----
format.date "year" output.check
new.block
note output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
***************
*** 870,875 ****
--- 904,910 ----
new.block
note "note" output.check
format.date output
+ do.abstract.toc
fin.entry
}
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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%%%
%%% Current versions of the software now in general distribution:
%%% TeX 2.95 metafont 1.7
%%% plain.tex 2.94 plain.mf 1.0
%%% LaTeX 2.09 ( 8/10/88) cmbase.mf see cm85.bug
%%% SliTeX 2.09 gftodvi 1.7
%%% tangle 2.9 gftopk 1.4
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%%% pltotf 2.3 pktogf 1.0
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