UKTeX V87 #5
Third European TeX Conference
Continuing saga
Common TeX 2.1 and 2.2
PCTeX and IBM plus various
HP Laserjet
Plain TeX and scaled fonts
---------------------------------
Editor
I have included in this issue a notice from Malcolm Clark on TeX88 at
Exeter next year. May I have your opinions on
1 Including long TeX material
2 Creating a file in the [public.reports]
3 adopting both one and two above.
I should also like to know if there is sufficent interest in FTP for VMS
backup format files. I have also version 4.04 of VMS_SHAR. Is anyone
interested in files in this format.
I cannot as yet make available TAR or SHAR (unix style) files due to a
problem with FTP (DEC have been notified).
I have been sent a new copy of CTEX 2.1 which will be mounted soon.
---------------------------------
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\def\Afour{\hsize=6.25truein\vsize=9.5truein}%A4 page dimensions
\Afour
\def\quid{{\it\$}}
\def\PS{PostScript}
\def\dvi{{\tt dvi}}
\def\tfm{{\tt tfm}}
\def\vfilll{\vskip0pt plus 1filll}
\def\boxit#1{\vbox{\hrule\hbox{\vrule\kern3pt
\vbox{\kern3pt#1\kern3pt}\kern3pt\vrule}\hrule}}
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\font\mf=logo10
\font\mfb=logobf10
\def\MF{{\mf META}\-{\mf FONT}}
\def\MFb{{\mfb META}\-{\mfb FONT}}
\def\LaTeX{L\kern-.3em\raise.5ex
\hbox{$\scriptstyle\rm A$}\kern-.1em\TeX}
\baselineskip12pt
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\hfuzz1.5pt
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\def\istar{\item{$\star$}}
\def\iistar{\itemitem{$\star$}}
\headline={\sl First Circular \hss August 1987}
\centerline{\bf \TeX eter}
\bigskip\noindent
\TeX88, the Third European \TeX\ Conference
will take place at Exeter University, UK, from Monday, July 18th to
Wednesday, July 20th,
1988. This conference seeks to maintain the high standard
set by the previous European \TeX\ conferences.
In view of the rate at which \TeX\ is expanding its areas
of application, and the developments which will
have taken place by next summer,
papers are welcome from all areas of \TeX, \MF\
and related subjects.
Likely themes might include:
\medskip
\istar desktop and traditional publishing with \TeX
\istar document structure --- \LaTeX, SGML, ODA, etc.
\istar non-technical \TeX\ and \MF\ applications
\hfill\break\indent (humanities, music, exotic languages)
\istar other technical areas (chemistry, physics,
biology)
\istar parochial peculiarities (European considerations!)
\istar ai and expert system approaches
\istar \TeX\ and {\it wysiwyg}
\istar \MF\ and fonts
\istar page description languages and \dvi
\istar micro inputs
\istar macro inputs
\istar standards:
\iistar for {\tt\char'134special}
\iistar for printer drivers
\iistar for \TeX\ macros
\istar \TeX\ environments
\bigskip\noindent
\medskip
\noindent
The programme will be structured to include both long and short
contributions. The proceedings will be published after
the conference.
\bigskip
\centerline{\bf Added Value}\smallskip\noindent
We hope to run various workshops and
participatory seminars before, during and after the conference.
Specifically, we plan to organise
workshops on `the design of documents', \LaTeX\
style files (and how to modify them), and on
the use of \MF.
Seminar rooms will be available during the conference for
`birds of a feather' and other {\it ad hoc} group meetings.
There will be facilities for exhibitions by
the vendors of \TeX-related software, hardware and paperware.
A number of micros will be available to allow the interchange
of micro software, as well as demonstrations of particular
packages etc.
\bigskip
\centerline{\bf What does it cost?}
\smallskip
\noindent
The total cost of the conference, including accommodation (from
the evening of Sunday 17th July, through to Wednesday 20th) at
Lopes Hall of Residence, meals, social activities,
and the conference proceedings will be around \quid150.
For non-residents, the charge will be about \quid100. The
workshops and seminars before or after the conference
will cost about \quid50 per day,
which also includes accommodation and meals. Cheap rail fares
within the UK are being arranged.
\vfill \eject
\centerline{\bf Where is Exeter University?}
\smallskip
\noindent
Exeter is located in the sunny south west of England, close
to Dartmoor, and only 10 miles from the sea.
The University is approximately one mile north of Exeter
city centre. There is an excellent train service to London
and the North from St Davids Station. The M5 and M4 motorways
provide quick and relatively painless access to London, the Midlands
and the North. There is ample car parking space on campus.
The local airport has daily connections to the continent, as well
as UK internal destinations.
\vfilll
\hbox to\hsize{\hrulefill}\bigskip
\centerline{\bf Fill This in Now!}
\smallskip
{\obeylines\parindent0em\bf
Name:
Affiliation:
Address:
~
~
~
~
Telephone:
email:
}
\setbox\boxx=\vtop{\noindent\hsize0pt\vrule width0pt\hrule height 0pt}
\bigskip\noindent
Please tick where appropriate:\smallskip\noindent
\leavevmode%not convinced i need this
\boxit{\copy\boxx}\ Please add my name to the
\TeX88 mailing list\smallskip
\noindent
\leavevmode%or this
\boxit{\copy\boxx}\ I would like to present a paper\par
The title will be: \par
\vfilll
\hbox to\hsize{\hrulefill}\bigskip
\noindent Send to:\smallskip
\newbox\me
\setbox\me=\vtop{\halign{#\hfill\cr
Malcolm Clark, \TeX88\cr
Imperial College Computer Centre\cr
Exhibition Road\cr
London SW7 2BP\cr
Janet:{\tt texline@uk.ac.ic.cc.vaxa}\cr}
}
\hbox to\hsize{\qquad\box\me \hss}%
\vfilll
\hbox to\hsize{\hrulefill}
\noindent
\TeX88 is pleased to acknowledge the support of ArborText,
Addison-Wesley Publishers Ltd, Ellis Horwood Ltd (Publishers),
PC\thinspace\TeX,
{\sl\TeX\kern-0.1667em pert systems} and Uni\TeX\ Systems.
\end
---------------------------------
Message-Id: <9308.8709181430@maori.soton.ac.uk>
Received: from sot-cm by maori.soton.ac.uk; Fri, 18 Sep 87 15:30:41 BST
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 87 15:30:55 GMT
From: Sebastian Rahtz <spqr@uk.ac.soton.cm>
To: ABBOTTP@UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 87 15:30:47 GMT
Subject: Re: your mail
In-Reply-To: Message from "ABBOTTP@MAIL.ASTON.AC.UK" of Sep 18, 87 at 3:05 pm
X-Mailer: Elm [version 1.5]
a) Oh dear, I did not mean to imply that the TeXeter88 affair was to be a
gathering of local academic hackers. What I meant to say that this was a
rare opportunity for UK TeX people to meet others of their ilk, as few
people can afford even European conferences let alone USA ones. I
assume it will have a large European contingent (who seem remarkably
TeXactive). I agree with Malcolm wholeheartedly that the academic bias
os this list and (to a lesser extent) TeXhax is not a good thing. As the
man from TV Guide says "TUG should be TeX Users Group, not TeX
Implementors Group"
b) the reason that LaTeX appears so often on TeXhaX is partly because a
lot of people use it, but more likely because its users are the
non-expert ones. They use LaTeX as a document preparation system, not as
a typesetting language (which is what it was intended for), whereas pure
TeXers are more expert because they have to go further to achieve the
simple, useful, effects that LaTeX provides. Maybe Malcolm would care to
outline for the list how he would teach the secretarial staff in this
department to produce Technical Reports (to whom I preach structured
markup at every opportunity) - how many lines of macros would he have
them \input each time they called raw TeX? But I digress on what Philip
Taylor called Knuth|~Knuth, and I apologize.
c) Common TeX: I just got a new Sun TeX tape from Washington, with
Common TeX on. Can someone tell me hwo to find out what version it is,
and what its status is?
--
Sebastian Rahtz Computer Science University SOUTHAMPTON S09 5NH UK
spqr@uk.ac.soton.cm // ...!ukc!sot-cm!spqr // cmi011@uk.ac.soton.ibm
(telephone (0703) 559122 ext 2435)
---------------------------------
Message-Id: <9462.8709181600@maori.soton.ac.uk>
Received: from sot-cm by maori.soton.ac.uk; Fri, 18 Sep 87 17:00:10 BST
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 87 16:35:15 GMT
From: Sebastian Rahtz <spqr@uk.ac.soton.cm>
To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston.mail (UK TeXxies)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 87 16:35:08 GMT
Subject: Common TeX
X-Mailer: Elm [version 1.5]
i have just been compiling Common TeX (in a moment of idleness). I
appear to have version 2.1 (so INITEX tells me). Does someone have
information on what changes there are in 2.2?
--
Sebastian Rahtz Computer Science University SOUTHAMPTON S09 5NH UK
spqr@uk.ac.soton.cm // ...!ukc!sot-cm!spqr // cmi011@uk.ac.soton.ibm
(telephone (0703) 559122 ext 2435)
---------------------------------
Date: 20 Sep 87 18:55:44 bst
From: CHAA006@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXA
Subject: Responses to latest INFO-TEX mailing
Sender: G.Toal @ uk.ac.edinburgh
To: INFO-TEX@UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL
Reply-to: CHAA006@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXB
Message-ID: <20 Sep 87 18:55:44 bst 050971@EMAS-A>
To Tony Sumner: Yes, TeX on the IBM PC certainly works. There are at
least two implementations, MicroTeX from Addison-Wesley, and PC-TeX from
(I forget who --- probably PC-TeX Ltd.). Addison-Wesley can also provide
various ArborText utilities, such as Preview (for Hercules boards, etc.),
and DVIPS (for conversion to PostScript). However, beware: A-W still aren't
shipping CM-series by default; they will ship you the AM-series, then charge
you for an upgrade. ArborText say they _should_ be shipping CM.
+++Editor UNITeX at Sheffield market PCTeX with CM fonts+++
To Peter: The ArborText product above (DVIPS) does all that you require.
It is also available, direct from ArborText, for operating systems other
than MS-DOS (such as VMS).
+++Editor I have ordered a copy for VAX/VMS to be compatible with the PC
version we have+++
Distribution methods: While the volume remains low, batching up the mails
into a digest seems fine. If the volume should significantly increase,
I would prefer direct mailings, with a correct 'From: ' field (_not_ as
INFO-VAX currently works, with two wrong 'From' fields and an 'Originally-
from: ' containing the definitive originator; when I want to reply to a mail,
I take the 'From: ' field as being the source (or 'Reply-to:', of course);
INFO-VAX should be using 'Resent-from: ' where they currently use 'From: ',
and leave 'From: ' strictly alone.
A (semi-) new topic: should we all mail INFO-TEX with our current TeX
configurations (implementation, release-level, operating system, etc.) ?
** Phil.
-
---------------------------------
Date: 20 Sep 87 18:55:44 bst
From: CCZDAO@UK.AC.NOTT.VAXA
Subject: Testing DVI drivers
Sender: G.Toal @ uk.ac.edinburgh
To: info-tex@UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL
Message-ID: <20 Sep 87 18:55:44 bst 050977@EMAS-A>
We have just taken delivery of a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II for use on a
secretarial word-processing system. Since VAX/VMS and the LaserJet is a
combination which Nelson Beebe's DVI driver software supports, this gives us
the opportunity to try a combination of software/hardware that should work
before we try anything new (such as developing a driver for our Xerox 3700).
The plan is that we can use the LaserJet attached to the VAX for a couple of
weeks before it's installed on the wp system, so we'd like to be able to test
it thoroughly in the limited time that we have.
Over the past few months, we've generated a few DVI files which could be used
for testing, but they're mostly plain text with a few font changes but little
mathematics. Since we don't yet have a TeX user service, we have no-one typing
in appropriate text which could be used for testing. What we would like is a
representative one or two DVI files corresponding to a mathematical thesis.
If anyone has such DVI files of which they could let us have copies, we would
be very grateful. We undertake to respect the copyright of the author; we
just need something to give a realistic test of a printer-driver and printer.
Incidentally, what do other people in this situation do? How do you verify
that a new printer driver correctly supports all the TeXnical aspects of
getting print on to paper? Is there a DVI-driver equivalent of the TRIP
test?
Also, is there anyone who is successfully:
. using Nelson Beebe's drivers under VMS; and/or
. using an HP LaserJet II as a TeX output device ??
Dave.
-
---------------------------------
Date: 18-SEP-1987 18:51:05
From: CHAA006@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXB
To: INFO-TEX@UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL
Subject: Plain TeX: using scaled fonts avoiding missing half sizes.
Every now and them, I fall into the trap of setting a document with
global \magnification\magstephalf, and then attempting to use a font
(say) scaled \magstep3. The result is invariably a missing-font
diagnostic at DVI time (I do not have fonts at *\magstep3-and-a-half).
Not wishing to use explicit fonts sizes (after all, the \magstep's
are there to avoid just such nasties), could anyone suggest a way
of specifying the font such that its size _after_ magnification
is (say) \magstep3. The (non-existent) construct that I want
would be something like
* \font\titlefont = cmcsc10 truescaled \magstep3
or
* \font\titlefont = cmcsc10 at 10\magsize3 truept
** Phil.
---------------------------------
!!
!! Replies/submissions to info-tex@uk.ac.aston.mail please
!! distribution changes to info-tex-request@uk.ac.aston.mail please
!!
!! end of issue