Subject: TeXhax Digest V89 #114 From: TeXhax Digest Errors-To: TeXhax-request@cs.washington.edu Maint-Path: TeXhax-request@cs.washington.edu To: TeXhax-Distribution-List:; Reply-To: TeXhax@cs.washington.edu TeXhax Digest Tuesday, December 26, 1989 Volume 89 : Issue 114 Moderators: Tiina Modisett and Pierre MacKay %%% The TeXhax digest is brought to you as a service of the TeX Users Group %%% %%% in cooperation with the UnixTeX distribution service at the %%% %%% University of Washington %%% Today's Topics: MFBASES and PLAIN RE: Re: TeX 3 and multilingual fonts DEC lasers TFM file upward/downward compatibility for new TeX and MF Need TEXX (text previewer) for Sun 4.0 OS Extending LaTeX tables over more than one page LaTeX error Ovals and lines in LaTeX's picture mode Alignments: where does TeX find the glue if none occurs ? TeX \count's in LaTeX -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 8 Dec 89 12:32:08 EST From: Allan Adler Subject: MFBASES and PLAIN Keywords: METAFONT We have cmmf installed here. According to the METAFONT book, one can change to the PLAIN base by entering METAFONT interactively and typing &plain in response to the ** prompt. My machine (SUN3) complains it can't find the PLAIN base file. I tried setting the environment variable MFBASES to the directory I am using but I get the same error message. Is there anything I can do about this ? For example, what is the name of the environment variable I should be changing if not MFBASES ? Allan Adler ara@lom1.math.yale.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 8 Dec 89 12:16 GMT From: CBTS8001%IRUCCVAX.UCC.IE@UWAVM.ACS.WASHINGTON.EDU Subject: RE: Re: TeX 3 and multilingual fonts Keywords: TeX 3.0, fonst Dominik Wujastyk has suggested that with TeX 3 coming soon, we should start thinking about using the telephone dialing codes for country codes. NO! NO! NO! I won't go on: unfortunately, these codes overrun 256 (Ireland is 353), so unless we go to a 16-bit implementation, no dice. I also suggested the international country codes, but I don't know if these are the same thing as the telephone dialing codes. If so, equally they won't do. How many languages are we going to support, anyway? 256 max? How many languages are used by TeXers right now? _ ___ _ Peter Flynn, Computer Centre, University College Cork, Ireland |) |_ | |_ |) Phone: +353 21 276871 x2609 Fax: +353 21 277194 or 270579 | |_ | |_ |\ Email: or --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 8 Dec 89 11:43 GMT From: CBTS8001%IRUCCVAX.UCC.IE@UWAVM.ACS.WASHINGTON.EDU Subject: DEC lasers Keywords: DEC LN03 PrintServer I think the printserver 40 suffers like the ln03 (ricoh) from just being badly made and badly driven. The quality isn't just poor, it's bad. Thin lines are notorious. I don't think there ius a fix, just buy a better mnachine. Any rule below 1pt is likely to suffer from varying numbers of pixels being printed, depending on where in the page it falls. Trying to do ruled tables is therefore a major quality problem. _ ___ _ Peter Flynn, Computer Centre, University College, Cork, Ireland |) |_ | |_ |) Phone: +353 21 276871 x2609 Fax: +353 21 277194 or 270579 | |_ | |_ |\ Email: or ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Dec 89 23:22 PST From: "D.A. HOSEK" Subject: TFM file upward/downward compatibility for new TeX and MF Keywords: TeX, TFM A couple of questions: (1) do I need to regenerate all TFMs for the new version of TeX? (2) will the new MF generate TFMs identical to those generated by the old MF if the MF file does not use any of the new ligature features? dh -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Dec 89 07:50:29 MST From: worley@bierstadt.ucar.EDU Subject: Need TEXX (text previewer) for Sun 4.0 OS Keywords: previewer Does anyone have a TeX previewer they are willing to share? My environment is a SUN Sparcstation1 running X-windows (X11). Thanks ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 DEC 89 20:19:23 BST From: MARK%VAX.RA.PHYSICS.CAMBRIDGE.AC.UK@UWAVM.ACS.WASHINGTON.EDU Subject: Extending LaTeX tables over more than one page Keywords: LaTeX, tabular I may be missing something, but it seems to be a limitation of a LaTeX {tabular} environment that it may not span more than one page. Is this really so? A number of times now I've found that I have a document that contains a table that's more than a page long. I then have to split the table manually into (say) two tables for LaTeX to be able to set all of it. This hard-wired split in the table can be a nuisance if the document later has to be LaTeXed again for a different size of paper: the tables have to be split by hand once again to get a happy effect. Has anyone written anything or can anyone suggest any way to have LaTeX automatically continue a table on a new page when there's no more room, to achieve multipage {tabular}s? Mark Charter, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, U.K. MARK@UK.AC.CAM.PHY-RAVX -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mittwoch, 6. Dezember 1989, 19.16 Uhr und 27 Sekunden MEZ From: XITIJSCH%DDATHD21@UWAVM.ACS.WASHINGTON.EDU Subject: LaTeX error Keywords: LaTeX, problem I have discovered the following problem in LaTeX: If \maketitle or some other markup which is realized via \list is used in front of \begin{document} LaTeX doesn't complain about a missing \begin{document}. In my example file this (erronous) LaTeX input even results in overfull pages. Well, I had not the time to track down the overfull page but I the following change in latex.tex flags this usage of \maketitle as an error. The change is given as an UNIX diff: %======================= cut here ========================================= 2822,2824d2821 < \everypar{\@nodocument} %% To get an error if text appears before the < \nullfont %% \begin{document} < 5958c5955 < \newif\if@noskipsec \@noskipsecfalse --- > \newif\if@noskipsec 8563a8561,8570 > > % To get an error if text appears before the \begin{document} > > \everypar{\@nodocument} > \@noskipsecfalse %% lists (e.g. \maketitle shall not ignore \everypar > \nullfont > > % Garbage may follow (e.g. ^^Z from file transfers...) > > \endinput %======================= snip snap ========================================= The used latex.tex has a date as of June 13, 1989 -- I hope it's the newest version. The change uses the fact that the switch @noskipsec means: there is something in \everypar which should not be discarded; this is exactly the function which is needed here. I have transfered the necessary changes to the very end of latex.tex (at ``initializations''). The second change which is in the above diff is the inclusion of \endinput to allow garbage. (I often must answer phone calls like ``what does `Text line contains an invalid character' means'' when they have transfered there files from an PC to other computers.) Joachim Schrod Joachim Schrod c/o TH Darmstadt Institut f\"ur Theoretische Informatik Alexanderstr. 10 Bitnet: XITIJSCH@DDATHD21 D-6100 Darmstadt (Please try again if I don't answer --- West Germany our Bitnet connection is very instable...) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Dec 89 13:12 MET From: "Johannes L. Braams" Subject: Ovals and lines in LaTeX's picture mode Keywords: LaTeX, picture mode Hi all, While I was making some syntax-diagrams, using LaTeX's picture environment I noticed that the horizontal lines and the circles didn't line up properly. (No, I didn't create the fonts with a METAFONT with CMBASE preloaded). I wanted them to line up properly, becaus i had a need of framed boxes with rouded corners. When I dug into the code of LaTeX I found that horiozontal lines are centered around their middle. This led me to the idea of moving the quarter circles up by the amount of \@halfwidth. This turned out to be the solution to my problem. Although I haven't tested this to full extend, I thought it worthwile to mention here. To accomplish the afore mentioned change I dug out the macro \@oval and added one line to it: % % A test, redefining \@oval to put the ovals \@halfwidth higher % on the page to get the ovals to line up properly with % horizontal lines % \def\@oval(#1,#2)[#3]{\begingroup\boxmaxdepth \maxdimen \@ovttrue \@ovbtrue \@ovltrue \@ovrtrue \@tfor\@tempa :=#3\do{\csname @ov\@tempa false\endcsname}\@ovxx #1\unitlength \@ovyy #2\unitlength \@tempdimb \ifdim \@ovyy >\@ovxx \@ovxx\else \@ovyy \fi \@getcirc \@tempdimb \@ovro \ht\@tempboxa \@ovri \dp\@tempboxa \@ovdx\@ovxx \advance\@ovdx -\@tempdima \divide\@ovdx \tw@ \@ovdy\@ovyy \advance\@ovdy -\@tempdima \divide\@ovdy \tw@ \@circlefnt \setbox\@tempboxa \hbox{\if@ovr \@ovvert32\kern -\@tempdima \fi \if@ovl \kern \@ovxx \@ovvert01\kern -\@tempdima \kern -\@ovxx \fi \if@ovt \@ovhorz \kern -\@ovxx \fi \if@ovb \raise \@ovyy \@ovhorz \fi}\advance\@ovdx\@ovro \advance\@ovdy\@ovro \ht\@tempboxa\z@ \dp\@tempboxa\z@ \advance\@ovdy-\@halfwidth % % <----- This line added \@put{-\@ovdx}{-\@ovdy}{\box\@tempboxa}% \endgroup} I'm not calling this a bug, because I don't know if this change will work in all circumstances (I just didn't test) and the last time I called something a bug Leslie (correctly) put me right in telling that the bug was mine, not his. Hope this helps some of the people who have been complaining in the past about circles and lines Regards Johannes Braams PTT Research Neher Laboratorium, P.O. box 421, 2260 AK Leidschendam, The Netherlands. Phone : +31 70 435051 E-mail : JL_Braams@pttrnl.nl E-mail was : EARN/BITnet : BRAAMS@HLSDNL5 UUCP : hp4nl!dnlunx!johannes SURFnet : DNLTS::BRAAMS INTERnet : BRAAMS%HLSDNL5@CUNYVM.cuny.edu PSS (DATAnet1) : +204 1170358::BRAAMS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 DEC 89 19:05:00 BST From: CHAA006%vaxa.rhbnc.ac.uk@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK Reply-To: Philip Taylor (RHBNC) Subject: Alignments: where does TeX find the glue if none occurs ? Keywords: TeX, alignments, glue Whilst I was setting \haligns inside \valigns, I came across a strange phenomenon whereby TeX failed to report an underfull box. Continually simplifying my code led to the following: \halign {#\cr 1\cr 12\cr } which TeX sets quite happily. My question is, "why ?". There is no glue in the preamble, and no glue in the either of the two rows, yet TeX quite happily pads out the "1" row until it is the same length as the "12" row (the space is put {\it after} the "1"). Experiments suggest that if TeX is given the slightest opportunity to avoid using this non-existent glue, it will: try replacing the preamble with \hskip 0 pt plus 1 sp#\cr for example; the 1 sp stretches until all the padding occurs {\it before} the "1". Non-stretchy glue, such as \hskip 1 sp#\cr doesn't help, however. So, where {\it is} TeX finding the mysterious glue that it needs to pad out the "1" row in the first example ? Philip Taylor Royal Holloway and Bedford New College. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Dec 89 15:09:41 CST From: bickis%SKMATH3.USask.CA@UWAVM.ACS.WASHINGTON.EDU Subject: TeX \count's in LaTeX Keywords: LaTeX, \count On p. 204 of my LaTeX user's guide, it says that 'LaTeX does obey all the conventions for the allocation of registers, so you can define your own counts, boxes, etc.' I was trying to define a pair of macros that would allow me jump out of an enumerate environment, and then to resume without restarting the number sequence. I tried to do this by storing the current value of the counter enumi in a register \jaut that I defined using TeX's \newcount command, leaving the enumerate environment, and then \setcountering-ing enumi to the contents of \jaut after I began enumerate again. Although I did not get any error messages, the idea didn't quite work. So I inserted some tracing statements, and discovered, that after \end-ing enumerate, my private counter \jaut had been overwritten to zero by LaTex. Does this mean that LaTeX is circumventing TeX's protection of \newcount registers, or am I doing something naive and stupid? Does anyone have any suggestions? Or better still, does anyone have any other ideas as to how I could achieve what I want? My proposed solution would only work for the highest level of environment nesting. To make this process more general, I need to be able to capture the current nesting level. Can anyone tell me if there is a LaTeX counter or command that would tell me that? The following is the LaTeX source, and the log file. I am running LaTeX under unix on a Sun. Mik Bickis Dept. of Mathematics U. of Saskatchewan Saskatoon bickis@skmath1.USask.ca BICKIS@SASK.USask.bitnet \documentstyle{article} \begin{document} \newcount\jaut \newcommand{\aside}{% Interrupts enumerate environment, and stores \typeout{>>Setting counter 'jaut' to \theenumi (currently} \showthe\jaut \jaut=\value{enumi}% current value of counter. \typeout{counter 'jaut' changed} \show\jaut \showthe\jaut \end{enumerate} \typeout{after \backslash end{enumerate} I have enumi=\theenumi and counter 'jau t' is} \showthe\jaut} \newcommand{\resume}{% Resumes enumeration \typeout{Now I am trying to restart. enumi is \theenumi} \typeout{counter 'jaut' is}\showthe\jaut \begin{enumerate} \typeout{After \backslash begin{enumerate} I have enumi is \theenumi} \typeout{counter 'jaut' is}\showthe\jaut \setcounter{enumi}{\jaut} \typeout{after \backslash setcounter I have enumi is \theenumi} \typeout{counter 'jaut' is}\showthe\jaut } \begin{enumerate} \item This is the first item. \item The second one. \item And a third one. \aside This is some text which is not part of the list of enumerated items. This should appear as a paragraph. \resume \item This should be the fourth item \item And a fifth one \aside Some more stuff not enumerated. \resume \item This should be number six. \end{enumerate} \end{document} This is TeX, Version 2.7 for Berkeley UNIX (preloaded format=lplain 88.10.23) 6 DEC 1989 14:08 **trier (trier.tex LaTeX Version 2.09 <15 Sep 1987> (/usr/lib/tex/inputs/article.sty Document Style `article' <9 Jun 87>. (/usr/lib/tex/inputs/art10.sty) \c@part=\count78 \c@section=\count79 \c@subsection=\count80 \c@subsubsection=\count81 \c@paragraph=\count82 \c@subparagraph=\count83 \c@figure=\count84 \c@table=\count85 ) No file trier.aux. \jaut=\count86 >>Setting counter 'jaut' to 3(currently > 0. \aside ...to \theenumi (currently} \showthe \jaut \jaut =\value {enumi}\type... l.28 \aside ? counter 'jaut' changed > \jaut=\count86. \aside ...ut {counter 'jaut' changed} \show \jaut \showthe \jaut \end {enume... l.28 \aside ? > 3. \aside ...ut' changed} \show \jaut \showthe \jaut \end {enumerate} \typeout ... l.28 \aside ? after \delimiter "26E30F end{enumerate} I have enumi=3and counter 'jaut' is > 0. \aside ...i and counter 'jaut' is} \showthe \jaut l.28 \aside ? Now I am trying to restart. enumi is 3 counter 'jaut' is > 0. \resume ...eout {counter 'jaut' is}\showthe \jaut \begin {enumerate} \typeou... l.31 \resume ? After \delimiter "26E30F begin{enumerate} I have enumi is 0 counter 'jaut' is > 0. \resume ...eout {counter 'jaut' is}\showthe \jaut \setcounter {enumi}{\jaut ... l.31 \resume ? after \delimiter "26E30F setcounter I have enumi is 0 counter 'jaut' is > 0. \resume ...eout {counter 'jaut' is}\showthe \jaut l.31 \resume ? >>Setting counter 'jaut' to 2(currently > 0. \aside ...to \theenumi (currently} \showthe \jaut \jaut =\value {enumi}\type... l.34 \aside ? counter 'jaut' changed > \jaut=\count86. \aside ...ut {counter 'jaut' changed} \show \jaut \showthe \jaut \end {enume... l.34 \aside ? > 2. \aside ...ut' changed} \show \jaut \showthe \jaut \end {enumerate} \typeout ... l.34 \aside ? after \delimiter "26E30F end{enumerate} I have enumi=2and counter 'jaut' is > 0. \aside ...i and counter 'jaut' is} \showthe \jaut l.34 \aside ? Now I am trying to restart. enumi is 2 counter 'jaut' is > 0. \resume ...eout {counter 'jaut' is}\showthe \jaut \begin {enumerate} \typeou... l.36 \resume ? After \delimiter "26E30F begin{enumerate} I have enumi is 0 counter 'jaut' is > 0. \resume ...eout {counter 'jaut' is}\showthe \jaut \setcounter {enumi}{\jaut ... l.36 \resume ? after \delimiter "26E30F setcounter I have enumi is 0 counter 'jaut' is > 0. \resume ...eout {counter 'jaut' is}\showthe \jaut l.36 \resume ? [1 ] (trier.aux) Output written on trier.dvi (1 page, 660 bytes). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- %%% Further information about the TeXhax Digest, the TeX %%% Users Group, and the latest software versions is available %%% in every tenth issue of the TeXhax Digest. %%% %%% Concerning subscriptions, address changes, unsubscribing: %%% %%% BITNET: send a one-line mail message to LISTSERV@xxx %%% SUBSCRIBE TEX-L % to subscribe %%% or UNSUBSCRIBE TEX-L %%% %%% Internet: send a similar one line mail message to %%% TeXhax-request@cs.washington.edu %%% JANET users may choose to use %%% texhax-request@uk.ac.nsf %%% All submissions to: TeXhax@cs.washington.edu %%% %%% Back issues available for FTPing as: %%% machine: directory: filename: %%% JUNE.CS.WASHINGTON.EDU TeXhax/TeXhaxyy.nn %%% yy = last two digits of current year %%% nn = issue number %%% %%%\bye %%% End of TeXhax Digest ************************** -------