[comp.text.desktop] WYSIWYG vs Programmable

chuq%plaid@Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (05/05/87)

Date: Fri, 1 May 87 11:22:36 edt
From: Paul Fishwick <fishwick@bikini.cis.ufl.edu>

There should be more discussion on issues between these two - I am informally
comparing LaTeX/TeX (which I have used for about a year) against Interleaf's
TPS package on my SUN 3/52 (which I only just recently received). Peter made
the important point that the two camps are converging -- hopefully this will
make better publishing packages. A few notes on TPS. Universities can get it
for $995 (SUN,VAXSTATION,APPOLLO). It is very comprehensive and includes
many capabilities for autonumbering,autoreferencing,table-of-contents,
and indexes. One can format equations using the EQN-compatible editor which
pops up while composing text. Graphics can be imported or created using
a MacDraw-type capability (although the graphics creation is superior to
MacDraw in many ways). Real time kerning and pagination. Making slides for
presentations is a breeze.

I must admit that I see little advantage so far to using LaTeX or TeX for about
95% of what I do in writing conference & journal papers. TPS 3.X also has
a comprehensive book making facility. I might change my mind after I have
gained more experience with TPS, but for now going back to LaTeX feels like
the stone age. I still use LaTeX, though, when co-authoring (i.e. the need
for transmitting using a common medium) or doing something for the 5% not
mentioned above.

I would really like to hear more about people using Interleaf's package --
especially comparing it against packages such as troff,tex,scribe,runoff,
etc.

-paul


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Chuq Von Rospach	chuq@sun.COM		[I don't read flames]

There is no statute of limitations on stupidity