UKTeX V87 #12
Text Rotation
Sackcloth and Ashes!!!!!
Portugese Hyphenation
LaTeX Introduction
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Editor
This is a short issue but as a result of various messages associated with
documents I am suggesting that the Archive should contain details of
documents that are in TeX or LaTeX format which may be of interest to
others. I envisage that there would be a single file containing details of
documents and the names and addresses for copies or more information. I AM
NOT SUGGESTING HOLDING COPIES OF THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES. The file will
merely be a directory.
Please supply the following information for documents that you have that
may be of use to other sites.
Name of Document
LaTeX or TeX
Short description (not to exceed three lines of 80 chars)(if name requires
further explanation or caveats apply)
Contact name and JANET address (in the form name@uk.ac.site...)
We are testing facilities to provide access similar to that at Lancaster as
some users are still experiencing problems with FTP (no answer has been yet
received from DEC on the problem).
I have received font material (for qms) and it will be made available
shortly.
Peter
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Date: Wed, 4 Nov 87 12:06:59 GMT
From: peter@uk.co.memex (Peter Ilieve)
Message-Id: <8711041206.AA01834@doc.memex.co.uk>
To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston
Subject: Text rotation
Although not claiming PostScript guruhood I can shed some light on the
rotation problem.
First, how dvi2ps (at least the unix dvi2ps) does \specials.
The special handling was put in to be able to import PostScript from other
sources, graphics for example. When a \special is encountered the PostScript
state is saved and the coordinate system is returned to the default PostScript
system so that the external PostScript will start with a clean slate.
At the end of the external stuff the PostScript state is restored, returning
to the TeX coordinate system and forgetting any nasty things the external
PostScript may have done.
This isn't really what you want if all you want to do is to print a bit
of the TeX document rotated without having to generate the rotated stuff
separately and import it at the dvi2ps stage. All you need to do is
temporarily rotate the PostScript coordinate system about the current
point (the point in the document where the stuff to be rotated would be
printed normally). The PostScript incantation to do this is:
gsave % just save the graphics state NOT VM state
% this means that all the char bitmap cacheing
% etc. will still work
currentpoint % save this for use later
currentpoint translate % move the origin to the current point
<angle> rotate % rotate about origin <angle> degrees
% -90 is anticlockwise
neg exch neg exch translate % move the origin back to where it was but
% in the now-rotated coordinate system
At the end of the rotated stuff all you need to say is:
grestore
which undoes all of the previous stuff.
To use this sort of "persistent" \special, where the "special"
environment persists between two \special commands dvi2ps must be modified.
Les Carr at Southampton has already done this (I think to support psfigtex)
but the mods are not difficult. In the routine DoSpecial just comment out
the three calls of EMITS() for \@beginspecial, \@setspecial and \@endspecial.
Then you can use \special{pstext= ...} to put in the bits of PostScript above.
Of course, if you do this you won't be able to import random PostScript any
more. More thought needs to be given to a better long-term solution.
There are problems in the TeX domain as well. TeX will set the stuff
you want rotated assuming that it will be printed normally and leave space
for it accordingly. Also when you rotate it you are rotating it about it's
top left corner which means you will need to move it down and/or right
so it fits in the hole. Some sort of \vlap thing is needed to allow the
rotated text to be set while taking up no vertical space and then a
\vskip put in equal to the width of the rotated stuff (which will be
the height in the printed version). The eventual aim is to be able to
say something like \rotate{<stuff>} which expands to:
\vskip <width of <stuff>> % leave a hole for rotated stuff
\vlap{\special{pstext=all that stuff above} % do the rotate
<stuff>} % set the <stuff> taking no space
\special{pstext=grestore} % back to normal
That's enough for now, I will leave the TeX part to someone else.
I hope this is some help and gets discussion going.
Peter Ilieve peter@memex.co.uk
peter@memex.uucp
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Date: 05 Nov 87 09:53:42 gmt
From: R.J.HARE @ uk.ac.edinburgh
To: FPS@UK.AC.IMPERIAL.CC.VAXA, info-tex@uk.ac.aston.mail
Message-ID: <05 Nov 87 09:53:42 gmt 340971@EMAS-C>
In-reply-to: Your message <03 Nov 87 17:26:18 gmt 050725@EMAS-A>
Yeah! I got the price wrong! Someone already told me about Art Samuel's
manual and mailed me a copy. I read it last night. Good stuff!
Thanks.
RH.
+++Editor another note follows+++
Sebastian, thanks. I've found out about Samuels' document and now have a copy.
Seems about right for what I'm wanting.
Roger.
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Message-Id: <10605.8711041703@maori.soton.ac.uk>
Received: from sot-cm by maori.soton.ac.uk; Wed, 4 Nov 87 17:03:55 GMT
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 87 16:44:20 GMT
From: Sebastian Rahtz <spqr@uk.ac.soton.cm>
To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston.mail (UK TeXxies)
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 87 16:44:11 GMT
Subject: spanish hyphenation
X-Mailer: Elm [version 1.5]
there is a portugese hyphenation table on the latest Unix TeX tape -
maybe that could be used as a start for spanish? how different are
they? i could mail to anyone who doesnt have it (unless Peter has it
online somewhere, its in ./babel/hyphenation/portugese as i recall)
+++Editor I have the files but they are still on the SUN and not yet
transferred to the Archive+++
-
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)
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Date: Thu, 05 Nov 87 13:10:29 GMT
From: CS1CWM @ UK.AC.SHEFFIELD.PRIMEA
To: ABBOTT @ UK.AC.ASTON.MAIL
Subject: LaTeX Introduction
There have been a few calls in UkTeX for introductory works on TeX or
LaTeX.
We have prepared an introductory guide to LaTeX here which can be
obtained by writing to
Wendy Thomson
Computing Services
The University
Sheffield S10 2TN
or by sending e-mail to CS1WET@UK.AC.SHEFFIELD.PRIMEA.
Enquirers not attached to a University or Polytechnic may be asked to
pay.
Chris
+++Editor Wendy is willing to distribute copies but I suggest you send a
message first asking if there is a handling charge. A LaTeX copy will be
available later.+++
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!! end of issue