cchang@acsu.Buffalo.EDU (Chengping Chang) (07/06/90)
In article <7741@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> dhosek@sif.claremont.edu writes: > > .......... Frank Mittelbach is heading up the development of >LaTeX 3.0, but Leslie Lamport hasn't supplied his imprimatur >yet). > Does anyone have more information (rumors welcome) on this ? If this is true and since it is a major upgrade (from version 2.09 to 3.0), a lot of commands must have been touched. What I am concerned is how well is the backward compatibility. More specifically, will my LaTeX files pass version 3.0 compiler without change ? Will all the customized styles ever posted on this news group pass version 3.0 compiler ? It goes without saying that if too many 2.09 commands are obsolete in version 3.0, it may as well be named NewLaTeX 1.0, not LaTeX 3.0. I'd appreciate if someone can share a light of what's going on. A things-to-do alike list is preferable.
dhosek@sif.claremont.edu (Hosek, Donald A.) (07/06/90)
In article <30030@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, cchang@acsu.Buffalo.EDU (Chengping Chang) writes... >In article <7741@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> dhosek@sif.claremont.edu writes: >> .......... Frank Mittelbach is heading up the development of >>LaTeX 3.0, but Leslie Lamport hasn't supplied his imprimatur >>yet). Taken out of context, this quote is a bit misleading... LL's imprimatur is lacking on the lplain.tex on ymir, _not_ on LaTeX 3.0 which he is wholeheartedly endorsing. However, don't let the fact that LL has not endorsed the lplain.tex on ymir stop you from using it. LaTeX will do very strange things under TeX 3.0 without it. >Does anyone have more information (rumors welcome) on this ? >If this is true and since it is a major upgrade (from version 2.09 to >3.0), a lot of commands must have been touched. What I am concerned >is how well is the backward compatibility. More specifically, will >my LaTeX files pass version 3.0 compiler without change ? Will all >the customized styles ever posted on this news group pass version 3.0 >compiler ? >It goes without saying that if too many 2.09 commands are obsolete >in version 3.0, it may as well be named NewLaTeX 1.0, not LaTeX 3.0. >I'd appreciate if someone can share a light of what's going on. >A things-to-do alike list is preferable. Rumours nothing. I'll give you facts. First of all, let me once again plug TUG. Those who are TUG members have been seeing the development of LaTeX 3.0 for the last year and a half. Most of the extant work is available now from ymir in the directory [anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-mainz] (see, there _was_ a special reason for my segregating those files) (Incidentally, those who are forced to retrieve files via mailserv should send the following command to mailserv@ymir.claremont.edu to find out what the file names are: SEND [TEX.INPUTS.LATEX-MAINZ]00README.TXT ). Will custom styles work under the new LaTeX? Probably not. On the other hand there will be at least one book detailing how to create new styles with LaTeX 3.0. I've been working on going through the LaTeX styles on ymir and anything that doesn't work with the available bits (at the moment, that would be the new font selection scheme), I've modified, placing the version that works with the new LaTeX in the [anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib] directory and moving the old version into [anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib.obsolete] This is being done on an as-noticed basis, so you can't assume that because something is in [anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-contrib] that version will work under the new LaTeX. What's going to change? - Font selection. This scheme is already available in [anonymous.tex.inputs.latex-mainz] (get fontsel.readme to find out what's needed). - The output routine. This puppy is going to change big time. I wouldn't even think of expecting anything that interfaces with the guts of the OTR to work a year from now. Few specifics at the moment. - The List environment. Nothing definite other than some things will be modified. - Front matter specifications. Improved handling of this. - Section header printing. A new mechanism is being designed. What's not going to change? The short answer is, "who knows?" I'm fighting tooth and nail to try and allow everything in the LaTeX book to work unmodified in LaTeX 3.0; if I'm 80% successful, that'll probably be good enough. One thing that you can do to find out more about design LaTeX styles intelligently is enroll in the TUG course being offered at Rutgers Aug 6-10 (ding ding ding, plug alert! plug alert!). For more information on the TeX Users Group and courses offered by it and TUGboat etc. TeX Users Group P.O.Box 9506 Providence, RI 02940 401-751-7760 tug@math.ams.com -dh --- Don Hosek TeX, LaTeX, and Metafont Consulting and dhosek@ymir.claremont.edu production work. Free Estimates. dhosek@ymir.bitnet uunet!jarthur!ymir Phone: 714-625-0147