S.P.Q.Rahtz@ecs.soton.ac.uk (Sebastian Rahtz) (10/20/90)
UKTeX Digest Friday, 19 Oct 1990
Volume 90 : Issue 36
Today's Topics:
RE: non-centred displays
Re: bug in enumerate or ifthen.sty? (UKTeX V90 #35)
Resent: Latex
re: Misplaced text
\ifthenelse and enumerate problems
\ifthenelse and enumerate
A report of the UK TUG meeting at Aston
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- ------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 Oct 90 17:34:39 -0000
>From: P.TAYLOR@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAX
Subject: RE: non-centred displays
Nigel Chapman <N.CHAPMAN@UK.AC.UCL.CS> asked about manipulating the
horizontal positioning of \eqalign's; I'm not certain exactly what
he wanted to achieve, but it's quite easy to manipulate them ...
>>> i am presently looking at some centred equations, which frankly look
>>> awful, so i was womdering whether anyone out there has already tackled
>>> this job -- or indeed {\it does\/} know of some \everydisplay magic that
>>> could do it instead.
\input a4
$$\eqalign{T(n)\le T(2^{\lceil\lg n\rceil})
&\le c(3^{\lceil\lg n\rceil}-2^{\lceil\lg n\rceil})\cr
&<3c\cdot3^{\lg n}\cr
&=3c\,n^{\lg3}.\cr}$$
$$\eqalign{T(n)\le T(2^{\lceil\lg n\rceil})
&\le c(3^{\lceil\lg n\rceil}-2^{\lceil\lg n\rceil})\cr
&<3c\cdot3^{\lg n}\cr
&=3c\,n^{\lg3}.\cr}\
\displaywidth = 0.5 \displaywidth $$
$$\eqalign{T(n)\le T(2^{\lceil\lg n\rceil})
&\le c(3^{\lceil\lg n\rceil}-2^{\lceil\lg n\rceil})\cr
&<3c\cdot3^{\lg n}\cr
&=3c\,n^{\lg3}.\cr}
\displaywidth = 0.5 \displaywidth \displayindent = \displaywidth$$
\end
Philip Taylor,
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College,
(The University of London at Windsor)
- ------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 Oct 90 18:16:10 +0000
>From: CA_ROWLEY@UK.AC.OPEN.ACS.VAX
Subject: Re: bug in enumerate or ifthen.sty? (UKTeX V90 #35)
Martin,
> \def\boldvar#1{{\hbox{\bf #1}}}
try replacing \hbox by \mbox ...
and remember that, if I were Leslie
Lamport you would not get an answer
to this for many reasons,
including:
you used \def instead of \(re)newcommand
you used \hbox which is NOT LaTeX.
> My ifthen.sty is dated: 28 October 1986
> My latex.tex is dated: <8 Feb 1990>
nice to see you are to date in Durham!
chris
- ------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 17:49:09 -0000
>From: John Nissen <jn@uk.co.gmsws>
Subject: Resent: Latex
Resent mail follows:
- - -------
To: ABBOTTP@uk.ac.aston
Cc: pauline%sunfs%uk.co.gec-epl@uk.ac.ukc
>From: jn
Date: Tue Oct 9 12:57:33 1990
- - -------
To: Peter Abbott
University of Aston
cc: Pauline Wright (pro Don Ward
ex GEC Electrical Projects)
>From: John Nissen
GEC-Marconi Software Systems
Elstree Way
Borehamwood
HERTS WD6 1RX
Telephone: +44 81 906 6182 (direct)
Telephone: +44 81 953 2030 (switchboard)
Facsimile: +44 81 906 6362
Telex: 22777 GEC BWD G
We have been using Latex for several months on several large projects,
running it on both Unix and VMS.
I have just seen at note written by Don Ward lately of GEC Electrical
Projects, dated March 1, 1989. In it he mentions use of (a) Latex for VDM and
Z, (b) Latex on PCs, (c) device independent output file with (d)
post-processing for dot matrix printers, and (e) Latex previewing.
I am interested in (a) for formal methods. I am interested in (b) and (d) as
I have a Toshiba T1000 laptop; how much space is needed? My dot-matrix
printer is a Panasonic KX-P1081. What is the format for (c)? It is an
interesting concept. As regards (e), previewing would be valuable when we
use Latex on large complex documents. At present the main disadvantage of
Latex as compared to say WriteNow on an Apple Mac is the lack of WYSIWYG, and
previewing might get over this problem to some extent. Could one preview on a
VT220?
Could you send me information about (a) to (e)?
Can you recommend a good book on Latex for our library?
Don also mentions a users group and newsletter with you as a contact. How
much would it cost me or my company to join the user group and receive the
newsletter? Can I get the latest software via email?
Are there other people in GEC using Latex to any extent? I know many who are
using Interleaf for desk-top publishing.
I'd like to discuss Latex for email with you some time.
- - -------
- ------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 20:02:55 -0400
>From: LEICHTER%COM.LRW@UK.AC.NSFNET-RELAY
Subject: re: Misplaced text
In a recent UKTeX, Martin Ward reports a problem with an interaction between
a macro he has defined an itemized lists. The relevant portion of the macro
is:
\def\S{\boldsub{S}}
\def\boldvar#1{{\hbox{\bf #1}}}
\def\boldsub#1#2%
{\ifthenelse{\equal{#2}{}}%
{\boldvar{#1}}
{\ifthenelse{\equal{#2}{'}}%
{\ifmmode\boldvar{#1}'\else$\boldvar{#1}'$\fi}
{\ifmmode\boldvar{#1}_{#2}\else$\boldvar{#1}_{#2}$\fi}}}
When \S appears as the first thing after \item, the placement of the resulting
S and the item number (for an enumerate) is all wrong - the S appears before
the item number. When an \mbox{} command is interpolated between \item and
\S, all is well.
The problem here is a failure to "follow the rules". \hbox is not a LaTeX
command - the supported way to make a horizontal-mode box in LaTeX is \mbox.
Had the definition of \boldvar used \mbox, everything would have worked as
expected.
Now, obviously you can't ALWAYS use LaTeX commands - \ifmmode isn't a LaTeX
command and there is no LaTeX equivalent, but you do have to understand why
LaTeX provides certain constructs that are apparently simply the equivalents
of TeX constructs. \mbox{} is simply
\def\mbox{\leavevmode \hbox}
(well, really it's
\def\mbox#1{\leavevmode \hbox{#1}}
which is unfortunate but I suppose makes LaTeX more uniform: Things like
catcode changes {\em never} work in arguments to LaTeX macros, even if the
case of macros, like \mbox, where they could easily have been supported.)
The \leavevmode is there to avoid exactly the kind of behavior that Mr. Ward
is seeing. Item leaders are not actually typeset by the \item command;
rather, they are stored and inserted into the text, using \everypar, when the
next paragraph begins. This is necessary to provide correct handling of
items that start with itemized lists, for example.
With the original definition of \S, the \hbox doesn't begin a paragraph. The
paragraph only begins with the first character after the \S. The item number
is thus not typeset until after the \S. Interpolating the \mbox{}, or using
\mbox in the definition of \S, works because the \leavevmode in the \mbox
causes a paragraph to begin, triggering the insertion of the item number.
-- Jerry
- ------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 90 10:31:04 +0000
>From: PM1MJP@UK.AC.SHEFFIELD.PRIMEA
Subject: \ifthenelse and enumerate problems
Martin Ward writes:
> Is this a bug in enumerate or the ifthen.sty file?
> The \S command is so I can type \S{} for a bold S, \S' for S'
> and \S1 for S_1 etc. both inside and outside math mode.
> \documentstyle[ifthen]{article}
> \def\S{\boldsub{S}}
> \def\boldvar#1{{\hbox{\bf #1}}}
> \def\boldsub#1#2%
> {\ifthenelse{\equal{#2}{}}%
> {\boldvar{#1}}
> {\ifthenelse{\equal{#2}{'}}%
> {\ifmmode\boldvar{#1}'\else$\boldvar{#1}'$\fi}
> {\ifmmode\boldvar{#1}_{#2}\else$\boldvar{#1}_{#2}$\fi}}}
> \begin{document}
> Consider the following cases: \\
> This puts the S in the wrong place:
> \begin{enumerate}
> \item \S{} is primitive\dots
> \item \S{} is complicated\dots
> \end{enumerate}
> This does the right thing:
> \begin{enumerate}
> \item \mbox{} \S{} is primitive\dots
> \item \mbox{} \S{} is complicated\dots
> \end{enumerate}
> What is going on here?
> \end{document}
The enumerate environment is still in vertical mode when processing the
\item command. The \vbox produced by \ifthenelse is contributed to the
vertical list.
Try
\def\S{\leavevmode\boldsub{S}}
Mike Piff
- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From Dr M. J. Piff, Department of Pure Mathematics, PO Box 597,
Hicks Dreadful Noisy Building Site, Hounsfield Road,
SHEFFIELD S10 2UN, England.
Tel. SHEFFIELD(0742) 768555 Extension 4431.
JANET MPiff@UK.AC.SHEF.PA or MPiff@UK.AC.SHEF.IBM
- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 90 14:20:35 +0000
>From: PM1MJP@UK.AC.SHEFFIELD.PRIMEA
Subject: \ifthenelse and enumerate
Martin Ward used \ifthenelse to implement symbols in and out of math mode.
Here is one way of implementing bold symbols which can be used in and out of
maths mode, primed with any number of primes, and also used as subscripts and
superscripts.
Mike Piff
\documentstyle{article}
\newif\ifMmode \Mmodefalse
\def\boldsym#1{%
\relax% to fool array and other alignments
\bgroup
\ifmmode
\Mmodetrue
\else
$\Mmodefalse
\fi
{\bf #1}%
\Continuebold
}
\def\Nothing{} \def\Prime{'}
\def\Continuebold#1{%
\def\Sub{#1}% subscript
\ifx\Sub\Nothing% empty
\let\Next\Finishoff
\else
\ifx\Sub\Prime
\def\Next{^\bgroup\prime\Absorbprimes}%
\else
\def\Next{_{#1}\Finishoff}\fi
\fi
\Next
}
\def\Absorbprimes{\futurelet\Next\Seeifprime}
\def\Seeifprime{%
\ifx\Next'%
\def\Next{\Getprime}%
\else
\def\Next{\egroup\Finishoff}%
\fi
\Next
}
\def\Getprime'{\prime\Absorbprimes}
\def\Finishoff{\ifMmode\else$\fi\egroup}
\def\S{\boldsym S}
\begin{document}
$S'$ \S' \S''' \S{}
$ \S' \S''' \S'''''_1$
\end{document}
- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From Dr M. J. Piff, Department of Pure Mathematics, PO Box 597,
Hicks Dreadful Cold Noisy Building Site, Hounsfield Road,
SHEFFIELD S10 2UN, England.
Tel. SHEFFIELD(0742) 768555 Extension 4431.
JANET MPiff@UK.AC.SHEF.PA or MPiff@UK.AC.SHEF.IBM
- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 90 13:00:00 -0000
>From: ROBIN@UK.CO.LASER-SCAN
Subject: A report of the UK TUG meeting at Aston
This was prepared for a colleague who couldn't go: I thought it might be useful
to the world at large...
Robin
The main business of the meeting was to approve the constitution (which you
will have had in the post). I had intended to read the thing on the train, but
missed it and had to drive; therefore I was working blind. (But I'm used to
standards meetings, and am good at that ;-)
The changes that everyone agreed were needed were:
1. More `documented' openness: the member of the group agrees to abide by the
rules of the group, but nowhere does the present document say that the
committee need actually publish them!
2. The clauses on expulsion of members need to allow the person being expelled
to send out a case for the defence *with the case for the prosecution*
3. Email shall not be regarded as an acceptable form of address.
Subject to the agreement that the committee should work on amendments to the
above effect, the constitution was then approved.
Malcolm Clark's address was much what one would expect, except for a lot of
discussion of the state of TUG. He sits on the TUG board, and would appear to
find it a bit frustrating. I suspect that at least part of the problem is a
cultural one: for example, he didn't accept the point that I tried to explain
that conformance testing (via TRIP and TRAP) of implementations is *not* a
simple matter, but has legal implications. ("It's trivial - you just publish
lists of who passes and who fails." "What if someone who fails *sues*?" The
basis of my point is that TRIP, for example, doesn't actually test typesetting,
just the implementation of certain parts of Knuth's tortuous arithmetic. It's
all tied up with the standardisation issue, and what happens to TeX now that
Knuth's given up - see below.)
There was a big argument over Phil Taylor's motion. When finally voted
(truncated at the first full stop), it failed. The big argument for (which I
supported) was that TeX, if it is to continue to be successful, has to be an
international exercise. That against was that TUG just now is not in a good
state, and that Malcolm's deals (in course of negotiation) for reduced
membership of TUG for members of UKTUG (and Gutenberg, Dante, NTG, etc.) is as
much as is useful/safe just now.
Adrian Clark (no relation) (why does TeX in the UK attract Clarks?) has had a
letter from Knuth defining his future role vis-a-vis TeX. TeX 3.1 has been
issued (and Metafont 2.7). If new versions are required, they'll be 3.14 -
3.141 - 3.1415 ... (and 2.71828...). When Knuth dies, all banners are to be
changed to say `version \pi' and `version e'. Ho ho. If anyone wants to change
TeX again to future-proof it, it's not to be called TeX.
I think this raises an issue that should be addressed, viz., revision of TeX
for future-proofing. Knuth is no longer going to be around to take part, so
let's think *now* about what needs to be done, and how to get it done. Frank
Mittelbach's paper (and to a lesser extent Stephan von Bechtolsheim's) in the
latest TUGboat seems to me to be a good start. What's needed is a standards
committee... (Now why did I think of that?)
The rest of the meeting was about the archive; what was said seemed to me to be
somewhat ephemeral, and I have few notes worth repeating. There were some truly
boggleworthy statistics for us all to gawp at, but most of my notes are of the
form `look at this in a spare moment'.
One thing that really *did* come across was that there's no way that the
archive group could document what's in the archive. There's obviously an
opening for people to write up documentation of things they've extracted, and
what they had to do to make it all go.
- ------------------------------
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