TeXhax Digest Saturday, March 14, 1987 Volume 87 : Issue 19 TEXHAX19.87 Editor: Malcolm Brown Today's Topics: LaTeX notes UnixTeX upgrade LaTeX version numbering More on version numbering new styles dvidoc.sty Double columns answered TABLES macro dvi to ps ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: lamport@decwrl.DEC.COM (Leslie Lamport) Date: 8 Mar 1987 1207-PST (Sunday) To: TeXhax@Score.Stanford.edu Subject: LaTeX notes In-Reply-To: Your message of Thu 5 Mar 87 16:34:18 PST. There have been various rumours that there are "newer", i.e., patched versions of LaTeX, which correct minor bugs in version 2.09 of 18 December 1985 (supplied on the Unix TeX distribution tape from April 1986). It seems that the newer versions are also (helpfully) called 2.09. Each LaTeX file has a LaTeX version number and a release date. The version number identifies the version of LaTeX to which it belongs, the release date is specific to the file. The version number changes only if there is any significant change of functionality to LaTeX. Version 2.09 is the one described in the LaTeX manual copyright 1986; there are no plans for another version. LaTeX prints the version number and the release date of latex.tex when it is run. New releases of files are issued as needed. The file latex.bug contains the release dates of the latest released versions of all LaTeX files, as well as a list of changes and bug fixes. I welcome any suggestion for a better method of releasing and labeling bug fixes. Leslie Lamport ------------------------------ Date: Sun 8 Mar 87 22:29:06-PST From: Pierre MacKay Subject: UnixTeX upgrade To: texhax@SU-SCORE.ARPA This weekend has seen a radical upgrade in the Unix TeX distribution. The current distribution includes the following: Current versions of standard programs in the distribution: (in the ./tex82 path) TeX 2.1 (implying the use of the new cm fonts.) (plain.tex version 2.3) LaTeX 2.09 (release of 19 April, 1986, with corrections to 22 February, 1987) (also SliTeX 2.09) tangle 2.8 weave 2.9 dvitype 2.8 pltotf 2.3 tftopl 2.5 (in the ./mf84 path) metafont 1.3 chtopx 1 gftodvi 1.7 gftopk 1.3 (changes as published in TUGboat) gftopxl 2.1 gftype 2.2 pktopx 2.3 (changes as published in TUGboat) pktype 2.2 (changes as published in TUGboat) pxtoch 1.1 (with change contributed by William LeFebvre) pxtopk 2.3 (changes as published in TUGboat) mft 0.3 (a formatting program for metafont source files.) Fonts in mf source format. The full Computer Modern as released from Stanford. Utility fonts for character proofs etc. (not made with cmbase.mf), LaTeX and SliTeX fonts are also supplied in mf source format. Fonts in gf format. Just about all standard shapes and sizes in 118, 200, 240, and 300 gf(dpi) series. The gf files for the principal LaTeX symbol fonts are in a separate list. The Euler fonts are supplied in gf format only. (If you want [euler].mf source files, you should get in touch with the American Mathematical Society, which will make these available under license.) Fonts in pk format. AMS fonts-- Cyrillc, and special symbols (created with old METAFONT-in-SAIL). All but the *.590pxl *.1000pxl, *.1200pxl and *.1500pxl fonts are in *.*pk format. The relevant directories include sh scripts (e.g. makepxl300.sh) for expanding the entire list. See the *.list files in each font subdirectory for an idea of the size of the expanded font directory. Fonts in pxl format. Only the bare minimum set declared in plain.tex. in 590 1000 1200 and 1500 sizes, as mentioned above. See also mcyr, msxm, msym, (amsfonts) NOTE. for those who wish to go on using am series fonts, the files am_plain.tex, am_lfonts.tex and am_webmac.tex are provided. Drivers for dvi output. imagen(2 styles), qms(2 styles), LaserWriter (PostScript) (we have a provisional version of an LN03 driver and we hope in the near future for a driver for the HP Laser-jet+) Symbolics LGP, Ln01, Versatec. (These are all obsolescent, and are no longer maintained.) Two new base-level directories have been created. One is ./utilityfonts which contains all the special-purpose mf files needed to generate black, gray, halftone, logo and slant fonts (cmbase.mf is not used for these). The second is ./babel (I have waited for years to use this name) which will contain non-English language macros, hyphenation patterns, and accented fonts, classified under the name of the natural language. The directory has been inaugurated with the inclusion of Mr. Rezende's Portuguese hyphenation table, which will shortly be joined by Ottoman Turkish. Pierre A. MacKay TUG Site Coordinator for Unix-flavored TeX ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Mar 87 19:41:18 GMT From: Stephen Page In-Reply-To: Leslie Lamport's message of 8 Mar 1987 1207-PST (Sunday) Subject: LaTeX version numbering > New releases of files are issued as needed. > The version number changes only > if there is any significant change of functionality to LaTeX. Since so many people fail to quote the date along with the version number, assuming that one or other is redundant, it is advisable to use a simpler scheme for unique description of a released set of LaTeX files. If it is necessary to issue releases which have minor changes but not functionality changes, then of course 2.09 should be retained - but what about a sub-sub-numbering scheme (2.09.01)? However, what is really important is letting people know that there HAS been an update. Now that TeXhax is running smoothly, perhaps a little note could be inserted when there is a change? Even better, perhaps the consequent huge run of FTP traffic could be prevented by some US-based volunteer FTPing the new releases to several strategic points around the world (e.g. East Coast, BITNET, UK), before the screaming hoardes are let loose to eat up network resources. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Mar 87 14:41:29 pst From: lamport@decwrl.DEC.COM (Leslie Lamport) To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: More on version numbering At the current rate of bug reports, one can confidently assume that there is a change to some LaTeX file every month. Given the number of people using LaTeX, one can also confidently assume that the corrected bugs are minor and/or occur only rarely. I will announce any major problems or changes. Site maintainers should periodically check latex.bug to see what changes have occurred and decide if it's worth installing the changed files. To make people more aware that the release date is significant, I will modify LaTeX to print something like LaTeX Version 2.09 <9 Mar 87> on the terminal when it is run. ------------------------------ To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: new styles Date: Mon, 09 Mar 87 17:56:53 -0500 From: SKY Of interest to prospective authors for AAAI: ========== From: spar!pfps@decwrl.DEC.COM Subject: AAAI-87 style Ken: I have prepared an official LaTeX style for AAAI-87, the national AI conference. This style is implemented in a LaTeX style file, plus a BibTeX style file for named references. I am sending you both these files, plus a copy of the instructions to authors for AAAI-87, for inclusion in the LaTeX style collection. Each file will be the contents of a separate message. I suggest that the files be called aaai.sty aaai-named.bst aaai-instructions.tex Peter F. Patel-Schneider Schlumberger Palo Alto Research 3340 Hillview Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304 (415) 496-4627 ========== You can retrieve these files in the usual way. Also lgraph.shar has had a couple of bug fixes applied. Ken ------------------------------ To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: dvidoc.sty Date: Tue, 10 Mar 87 01:41:07 -0500 From: SKY John Pavel sent me a style file for LaTeX files intended for "previewing" with dvidoc. It is short enough to post. It is also available through the usual channels if you are too lazy to edit this posting :-). It works best at 10pt. You might also want to adjust the margins. Thanks John! Ken % This was sort of cribbed from lfonts.tex. % I have no idea how close to correctness it is. % However, it has worked on some files at 10pt. % % Unfortunately, I think that there is some kind of rounding % problem in dvidoc itself. % % John Pavel, March 1987 % \makeatletter \def\rm{\protect\pdoc} \def\it{\protect\pdoc} \def\bf{\protect\pdoc} \def\sl{\protect\pdoc} \def\sf{\protect\pdoc} \def\sc{\protect\pdoc} \def\tt{\protect\pdoc} \newfam\docfam \def\pdoc{\@getfont\pdoc\docfam\@xiipt{doc}} \makeatother ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 87 00:39:04 PST From: Reply-To: M0W3361%TAMVENUS.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: Double columns answered Date: Tue, 10 Mar 87 00:42 CST From: Subject: Double columns answered To: texhax@score.stanford.edu X-Original-To: texhax@score.stanford.edu, M0W3361 Jeannette Mahoney asked: >I have heard of a double column macro that really works, i.e., switches >between single and double successfully on a page. Loop up in TeXHax Digest #10, I put the macros you were talking about. It will work fine unless you use \hrule as I described in that issue. I actually copied it from Appendix E in the TeXbook and make modifications on some sizes and the macro \onepageout. In case you need different \hsize and/or \vsize, do not forget to change all \dimen 's that I changed. In short the macros work this way. \begindoublecolumns temporarily sets \hsize := \hsize / 2 - \vsize := 2 * \vsize Therefore, the text follows will be put into a long and narrow box, which latter on will be \vsplit into parts of \dimen@ long. It also sets \dimen@ := - where \partialpage (if it exists) contains the text left from the single column text before \begindoublecolumns. The text accumulated will be put into \box0 and \box2, which will be put side by side by \pagesofar. Balancing the columns is done by letting \dimen@ := \dimen@ := \dimen - \dimen@ := \dimen@ / 2 Now if that accumulated text is \vsplit to \dimen@, the two parts will have exactly the same height. The job is done by trial and error in a \loop. It is necessary to let \vbadness=10000 to make TeX silent. Then put the two parts side by side and you're in business. :-} I don't try to take over Knuth's job in explaining the macros. But they are not explained in the TeXbook. So, probably this one can save somebody's time and nerve ... By the way, nobody answers my question yet! --Medhi Widjaja ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 87 17:52:55 n To: texhax@score.stanford.edu From: Subject: TABLES macro I have a copy of the TABLES macro designed by Ray (?) Cowan at SLAC, and in addition, the documentation file TABLEDOC.tex by the same author. The macro was most recently implemented on an IBM 3081 under VM/CMS, running Tex 1.2 (I think - someone will probably tell me that this doesn't exist!). I'm trying to get the macro package running on a VAX 8600 under VMS, running TeX 2.0 and, to put it mildly, am having problems. It would not be an underestimate to say that TABLEDOC appears to have to been in a language related to but distinct from TeX!!Countless no's of undefined control sequences and a similar number of blatant mistakes are all I get from Knuth's charming interactive chatterer. So - can anyone either: (1) supply a copy of TABLES with the documentation that will run on our system or (2) make some detailed suggestions on what is wrong. The first option is undoubtedly easier for me! However, suggestions are welcome. Post either direct, or on the list. with prior thanks, paul davis netmail: davis@embl.bitnet wetmail: embl, postach 10.2209, 6900 heidelberg , west germany petmail: homing pigeons to.... "I can't control my hands....I can't control my brain.....oh no!!......" ------------------------------ Date: 06 Mar 87 23:25:35 EST (Fri) From: Jean-Francois Lamy To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: dvi to ps As far as I can tell no dvi to ps converter does all of the following - character positioning according to the MAXDRIFT rules - support for pk, gf, pxl and PostScript fonts in the same document - selection of the resolution at run time (useful if there is a typesetter in the neighbourhood) - save/restore at every page - support TeX ligatures and kerning with the PostScript fonts. - support included PostScript illustrations. I have a version of dvi2ps that does the last three (derived from the Neil Holtz and Stephan Bechtolsheim versions). I have written (using Yacc) a converter from AFM files version 2.0 to TFM format. It uses the pair kerning data and can remap the PostScript set to an arbitrary encoding. This allows using the TeX conventions for ligatures. I have merged in SVB's code to produce a file containing the data dvi2ps needs to get the widths, and the result is a single C program that does the whole shebang... (well it does call pltotf to generate the .tfm file). The information about the encoding is also preserved in the .psfm file dvi2ps will read. I have run out of time to spend on this. All we needed here was kerning, ligatures and re-encoding to TeX \tt,\rm and \it conventions, and this now works well enough to drive a PostScript typesetter. Supporting my mods for PostScript inclusions was trivial so that went in as well. The rest of the code for PostScript fonts is not mine and I will accept neither blame nor praise for it (e.g. it generates superfluous intermediate versions of fonts). The neatest solution would be to merge that stuff cleanly in DVIALW (which already supports 3 font formats cleanly and does proper positioning, but lacks the extra pass needed to send character bitmaps between pages so that save/restore can reclaim the spaced used for each page) So in short, sources of a .pxl only dvi2ps and an AFM to TFM converter that does ligatures/kerning/arbitrary re-encoding are available AS IS for people who can live with half-baked stuff, and have some time to spend on it. Hoping someone else can pull this cart a bit further... Jean-Francois Lamy lamy@ai.toronto.edu (CSNet, UUCP) AI Group, Dept of Computer Science, lamy@ai.toronto.cdn (EAN) University of Toronto, Ont, Canada M5S 1A4 lamy@ai.utoronto (Bitnet) ------------------------------ % %\bye % End of TeXhax Digest ************************** -------