Errors-to: TeXhax-request@Score.Stanford.EDU Maint-Path: TeXhax-request@Score.Stanford.EDU To: TeXhax Distribution List: ; Reply-to: TeXhax@Score.Stanford.edu TeXhax Digest Tuesday, June 23, 1987 Volume 87 : Issue 51 [SCORE.STANFORD.EDU]TEXHAX51.87 Editor: Malcolm Brown Today's Topics: VMS TEX file formats - a comment IEEE 2-column paper format documentstyle in LATEX ? Metafont write-white mods Boxes Yet another DVI to PS program A \printhyphens macro Re: Metafont write-white mods Desktop Publishing plea Spreading the word WEB for Ada? Upgrading to TeX V2.1 and METAFONT V1.2 Tib update re: TeXtyl PK File Format Questions publishers that won't take 8.5 X 11 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Jun 87 09:50 N From: Subject: VMS TEX file formats - a comment To: texhax@score.stanford.edu This is a further comment to VMS TEX file formats from Dr R M Damerell on TeXhax V87 #46. For VMS, PXL files in Stream-LF format are anomalous files. This format is the standard C format, but cannot be used by Fortran, as it is supposed to contain character strings that are ended by the information. Our previewer is written in Fortran and to read such .PXL files the fastest solution was to make a 2-step conversion using a C program to read-write formatted and a Fortran one to read-write fixed record length 512 bytes. As C programs can read fixed record without problems, these should be the STANDARD for VMS files. We would appreciate too that this format is stated as "standard" for VMS. Thanks for you attention, M.L. Luvisetto ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jun 87 15:12:20 PDT From: bilbo@bryce.berkeley.edu (Bill Baringer) To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: IEEE 2-column paper format documentstyle in LATEX ? I am seeking a documentstyle file that cleanly supports the two-column output desired by IEEE publication mats. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Try "bilbo@oz.berkeley.edu" if "bryce" doesn't work. Thanx, Bill ------------------------------ To: texhax@score.stanford.EDU Subject: Metafont write-white mods Date: Thu, 18 Jun 87 16:08:01 -0700 From: Mark Wadsworth I tried the "write white" mods to cmbase from the April, 1987, TUGboat. On cmr10, they didn't make any difference. (I verified that the associated values were at least 2; min_Vround was the only one I looked at that wasn't 2 without the mods.) My mode_setup has the following values: pixels_per_inch:=300; blacker:=.95; fillin:=-0.01; o_correction:=0.5; In particular, two points of the capital C are only one pixel wide (noted by < and ^ in the gftype output below): 241: beginning of char 67 .<--This pixel's lower left corner is at (2,28) in METAFONT coordinates ****** * <<<<< *********** ** ****** *** *** ***** ^***** **** ^ **** **** ^ **** ***** ^ *** **** ^ *** ***** ^ ** **** ** ***** ** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** **** ** ***** ** **** ** ***** ** **** ** **** ** ***** ** ****** *** ************ ******* .<--This pixel's upper left corner is at (2,0) in METAFONT coordinates G and Q have one-pixel wide spots, too. Is this to be expected? What does it take to get a thicker curve near the top serif? On my printer (DEC LN03) it looks like there's a break there. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jun 87 16:27:25 PDT From: gfoster%violet.Berkeley.EDU@berkeley.edu To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: Boxes Many technical textbooks use boxes to highlight certain material, or to make side remarks. These are blocks of text, equations and figures that are enclosed in a box (like \framebox, but for blocks of a page or more). It should be possible to make Latex do this. O On PostScript printers (like the Apple LaserWriter) it should even be possible to superimpose a background tint!). Has anyone addressed this formatting problem in Latex? It's a shame to have such a high-powered formatting language, and be unable to match the page formatting ability of modern textbooks. George Oster UC Berkeley gfoster@violet.berkeley.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jun 87 23:22:43 edt From: Clayton M. Elwell To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: Yet another DVI to PS program Here at OSU we are using a DVI to PostScript program that I wrote, which differs from `dvi2ps' in the following ways: o It only supports PostScript (printer-resident) fonts that have been loaded into the printer via an external agency (such as Adobe's Font Downloader). This is so that you don't have to spend hours downloading 2500+ dpi character bitmaps when you are printing to a Linotron 300 (or the like). It lets the printer worry about the pixel resolution. o It uses standard TFM files produced via my `aftopl' program and the standard `pltotf'. This grabs the appropriate kerning, ligature, and italic correction information out of Adobe AFM files. o It does a save at the beginning of each page and a restore at the end of each page, so that the printer's VM doesn't fill up. It also conforms to the Adobe file structuring conventions so that `psrev' (part of TransScript) can reverse and select pages out of the resulting PostScript file. o You can use \special commands to insert PostScript into the output stream directly, either from the argument of the \special or by including a file. It does everything I want, but it isn't a standard kind of TeX driver (no CMR, after all). It does produce nice-looking output on a LaserWriter and a Linotron. My question for TEXHAX is what I should do with it, since it looks like other people could use it. We pay per-packet charges on our Internet connection, so I'd rather not put it up for anonymous FTP from here (although I will when we get our real [non-X.25] ARPA link). Anyone want to volunteer a site? It's written in generic C, so it should run under BSD, Sys V, Xenix, MS-DOS, or whatever. ==================== The greatest warriors are the ones Clayton Elwell who fight for peace. Elwell@Ohio-State.ARPA --Holly Near ...!cbosgd!osu-eddie!elwell ------------------------------ From: Oliver Schoett To: TeXhax@SCORE.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: schoett%infovax.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de@RELAY.CS.NET Subject: A \printhyphens macro Date: Thu, 18 Jun 87 19:53:16 -0100 In TeXhax Digest V87 #47, Wolfgang Appelt asks for a \printhyphens macro such that `\printhyphens{hyphenation}' prints as `hy-phen-ation'. Here is such a macro. It works by setting the word as a paragraph with \hyphenpenalty-10000 (forcing a line break at every hyphen), and then putting the resulting lines together horizontally, reboxing each of them to its natural width. The argument must be a single word (for multiple words, some \obeyspaces trickery would be needed). The \discretionary{}{}{} command allows line breaks after the hyphens and may be removed if such line breaks are not desired. \def\printhyphens#1{% Insert hyphens into single word argument \setbox0\vbox{% (Oliver Schoett, 18 June 87) \pretolerance-1\hyphenpenalty-10000% \hsize0pt\leftskip0pt\rightskip0pt\parfillskip0pt% \hbadness100\hfuzz\maxdimen \offinterlineskip \interlinepenalty0\clubpenalty0\widowpenalty0\brokenpenalty0% \noindent\hskip0pt #1\par % now the current vertical list contains the word fragments, % separated by \lineskip glue \setbox0\lastbox \global\setbox1\hbox{\hbox{\unhbox0}}% \loop \unskip \setbox0\lastbox \ifhbox0% \global\setbox1\hbox{\hbox{\unhbox0}\discretionary{}{}{}\unhbox1}% \repeat}% \unhbox1 } Oliver Schoett safe: schoett%infovax.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de@relay.cs.net nice: schoett@infovax.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de tel: +49 89 2105 2390 post: Institut f\"ur Informatik, Technische Universit\"at M\"unchen, Postfach 20 24 20, 8000 M\"unchen 2, West Germany ------------------------------ Date: Fri 19 Jun 87 05:11:59-PDT From: Barbara Beeton Subject: Re: Metafont write-white mods To: mw%icse.UCI.EDU@ICSE.UCI.EDU In the April issie of TUGboat, i failed to include some important information that would have warned that the mode_def settings for the LN03 (a write-white device) had not been thorougly tested at small sizes. I have received quite a few corrections on that, as well as a lot of new information. As a result, a new listing of this information will appear in the next issue of TUGboat, due to hit the streets in early August. I will try to post the new recommendations for the LN03 to TeXhax separately, and earlier, since the LN03 seems to be the printer most asked about. -- Barbara Beeton Editor, TUGboat ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jun 87 13:22 N From: Subject: Desktop Publishing plea To: TEXHAX@score.stanford.edu PLEASE CIRCULATE WITHIN YOUR ORGANISATION REQUEST FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO A NEW PUBLICATION The increasing use of Desktop Publishing Systems (DPSs) is leading to the widespread appearance of appalling pieces of "design", perpetrated by poor software and by people without adequate training (often through no fault of their own). I am collecting examples of these excresences both for my own use in a planned typographical design course and for publication in a sort of "Chamber of Horrors" book, if there are enough examples to make it really BAD! All contributions will be gratefully received and will be acknowleged in the publication (if it gets off the ground). Please send examples to: Peter Flynn, Computer Bureau University College, Cork Ireland If they can be sent electronically, my addresses are: BITNET: CBTS8001@IRUCCVAX arpa/cs: cbts8001%iruccvax.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu HEANET: CBTS8001@IRL.HEA.UCC.VAX1 KOM: "Peter Flynn UCC"@EuroKom BIX: pflynn@bytecosy SUPPLICO STET CEDULA ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jun 87 12:34:01 edt From: clayton@lavalamp (R. Clayton) To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: Spreading the word Anita Cochran recently asked for a macro that evenly spaces letters in an hbox with the end letters flush against the sides. The following macros should do: \def \dolist {\afterassignment\dodolist \let\next=} \def \dodolist {\ifx \next \endlist \let \next \relax \else \\ \let\next\dolist \fi \next} \def \endlist {\endlist} \def \\ {\next\hfil } \def \spreadem#1#2{\hbox to #1{\dolist #2\endlist\hfilneg}} \spreadem{2.0 in}{spread} \spreadem{1.5 in}{the} \spreadem{1.0 in}{word} \bye These macros were adopted from the macros given as the solution to problem 11.5 in the TEXbook. The idea is to stick an \hfil after every letter (token) in the word (argument). The glue after the final letter causes the word to be "ragged-right" in the box; this is fixed by canceling the glue with an \hfilneg. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Jun 87 13:27 EST From: Subject: WEB for Ada? To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Is there a version of WEB that accepts the Ada language? Thanks, Jack Sharer, JWS@PSUARLC ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jun 87 11:52 CST From: Subject: Upgrading to TeX V2.1 and METAFONT V1.2 To: texhax@score.stanford.edu I have just recently (yesterday) implemented the upgrade from TeX V1.1.4 (K&S) to TeX V2.0 and implemented METAFONT V1.0 on our system here (using the dump facility for VMS as described by Mike Porter in TeXhax V87 #33). However, while browsing through my back issues of various TeX-related publications I noticed that the current versions of TeX and METAFONT are 2.1 and 1.2, respectively. This prompts this submission. Is it possible and/or admissible to use the Errata and Changes document (as distributed with TUGboat) to make the alterations necessary to the original WEB source to make the upgrades? It seems an exercise in futility (not to mention an impossibility when working for a state university) to purchase TeX and METAFONT each time through the usual sources every time a "minor" upgrade is made. At the same time, however, I don't wish to have to wait forever before the university will allow us to purchase the next upgrade. Can someone give me an idea as to procedure? Ed Bell Dept. of Physics and Astronomy University of Kansas BITnet: Bell@UKANVAX SPAN: KUPHSX::Bell (7.220) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jun 87 23:11:50 EDT From: James Alexander To: texhax@su-score Subject: Tib update There have been a number of minor bug fixes and some refining of features of the TeX bibliography setter Tib. Its version number has been incremented. Those people who asked to be put on my mailing list have been sent all the changes. However, I know from mail that there are a number of other users, presumably people who picked it up via anonymous ftp. Those people might want to check the file CHANGES and/or READ.ME via anonymous ftp from eneevax.umd.edu:pub/tib. Incidentally, I appreciate the kind comments and suggestions people have made. It seems Tib is proving to be a useful adjuct to TeX. ------------------------------ From: adobe!renner@decwrl.dec.com To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: re: TeXtyl Date: Fri, 19 Jun 87 14:39:39 PDT As John Gourlay at Ohio State mentioned in his message, I have completed a post-processor for TeX that allows device-independent line-drawings. The original impetus for this was for the MusiCopy project at Ohio State, to allow drawing slurs on a Xerox 2700ii printer (capable of only setting characters). The program is public domain, and had been sent to the Usenet moderator of comp.sources.misc, who then deferred/referred it to the moderator of comp.sources.unix, who will hopefully find time to post it soon. The distribution is rather largish. It contains the monolithic pascal source, the TeXtyl user's guide, and the vector fonts. The fonts are the .pxl bitmaps at 300dpi (sorry). At the time of creating those fonts, I had available to me the 1984 version of Metafont, and I haven't had time to convert them to the real Metafont of today. Anyhow, I hope that this can reach a great number of people who can share it with others. I *really* can't afford the time/effort to send copies to a lot of personal requests (sorry), but will be glad to answer some questions and be willing to listen to suggestions/bug-fixes, etc. Have fun! John Renner adobe!renner@decwrl.dec.com p.s. All this stuff was done before I began my enjoyable experience here at Adobe Systems, and was derived either independently, or from sources well-noted in the documentation. p.p.s The TeXtyl manual may be obtained in a Tech Report form from the Computer & Information Sciences Dept. at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio ------------------------------ From: dmm%arbortext@umix.cc.umich.edu Date: Fri, 19 Jun 87 16:47:09 EDT To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: PK File Format Questions I'm writing a PK editing program which I'd like to test very thoroughly, so I have a few questions about the PK file format. In sections 10 and 12 of the Weave writeup for PKtoPX 2.2, it mentions that one or more special PK-reading program commands (pk_xxx's, pk_yyy's, and pk_no_ops) can be inserted between character packets. Are these commands usually independent of the packets they are between, or are they associated with one of the packets, and if so, do they precede the packet or follow it? Do the commands typically have the character code as one of the parameters? These "special PK-reading programs"---are they drivers for unusual printers, or utilities like PKtype? If printers need these specials, how do they react to a PK file generated by PXtoPK (which would not contain the specials)? Are there any PK files out there that exploit all three preamble formats as well as include special commands scattered throughout the PK file? Most of the PK files I have run across use just the short form and have all the special commands at the very end, just before the postamble. Finally, is the order of the packets important? How about the order of any special commands? If an editor rearranges them, could this pose any problems? Doug Maus ArborText, Inc. ihnp4!umich!arbortext!dmm seismo!umix!arbortext!dmm dmm@arbortext.uucp%umix.cc.umich.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Jun 87 09:50:49 pdt From: king@kestrel.ARPA (Dick King) To: texhax@score.stanford.edu Subject: publishers that won't take 8.5 X 11 My printer won't work on those large sheets that editors provide for their authors. When confronted with a demand for enlarged copy, I give them enlarged copy. I produce letter-size copy and then feed it through my enlarging photocopy machine. One of the enlargements available to me is just right to make the published article the same size as my TeX output [1.26, if I remember correctly]. If you lack the proper photocopy machine any copy shop will do it for you for a few cents a page. It's easy enough this way that I've fallen into the bad habit of just doing it, rather than putting well-deserved pressure on the editors to accept letter-sized output. I look forward to the day when the author packet will contain two sizes of sheets, with instrictions to feed the smaller sheets directly into the laser printer if desired. -dk ------------------------------ %%% %%% subscriptions, address changes to: texhax-request@score.stanford.edu %%% %%% submissions to: texhax@score.stanford.edu %%% %%% BITNET redistribution: TEX-L@TAMVM1.BITNET (list server) %%% %%%\bye %%% ------------------------------ End of TeXhax Digest ************************** -------