RADA@microvax-a.computer-science.liverpool.ac.uk (ROY RADA) (01/02/90)
To Free Software Foundation and gnu-manual@cs.uiuc.edu,
Subject: May I use Emacs to deliver a book?
I'm trying to arrange for the publishing of my book entitled
"Hypertext". I would also like to provide a diskette with
an electronic copy of the book. I've spoken with the people
responsible for several hypertext products. Their products
are attractive because they have easy-to-use interfaces and
handle graphics. Their products can also be delivered
almost free in a read-only mode.
However, giving people the opportunity to write as well as
to read seems critical. The editor at one publishing house
that has published an electronic hypertext notes that a
read-only electronic delivery vehicle is not ideal. So I
would like to provide my book with a tool that supports
reading and writing. May I use Emacs for this?
I'm a regular user of emacs and my Ph.D. students have used
emacs to build discussion systems, a hypertext browser, and
hypertext to text and text to hypertext conversion programs.
I've had classes use a simple x-windows plus emacs
environment to collaboratively annotate my book. One of my
students is now trying to translate my book into Emacs INFO.
But I have no experience with providing software that people
comfortably use. Any guidance that you could give on my
project would be appreciated. I have many specific
questions a sample of which follow:
* Do you have any extensions to Emacs that would be par-
ticularly suited to a delivering a document.
* The source file of my book has been marked with com-
mands from the Unix Document Workbench. I suppose I
must remove the picture generating and font changing
commands.
* I use GNU Emacs on Unix workstations. My secretary has
on MS-DOS a copy of Emacs (we know little about that
copy). I would think that my book would be more acces-
sible to people were it available for MS-DOS systems.
What is the relationship between the Unix and the MS-
DOS versions?
I found your two addresses from Emacs manuals. Should I be
addressing this letter to someone else? Please help me get
in touch with someone who would care to respond to me.
Thank you, Roy
Tangentially, regarding the UIUC address, I got my Ph.D. in
computer science from UIUC in Jan. 1981.