UKTeX V88 #34 Friday 21 October 1988 Special Annoucment Putting multiple boxes in the picture environment `Subject: ' for all messages to UKTeX? dvitovdu LaTeX circle bug? Missing font - cmbi10 emacs, IPA fonts etc EMACS SuperTabular File Formats TeXtures Modula-2 WEB (UKTeX33.88) EMACS for IBM PC (UKTeX33.88) hyphenation after 2 or 3 letters Retaining font style when changing size LaTeX \stackrel query. Editor Peter Abbott The latest update to the site tables removed a lot of the uk.co sites which were addressed directly. This situation has caused much consternation as it had been assumed that the gateway route was best. The table has been updated and the sites reinstated. (I must add that Aston are supplied with the updates from another site). I have been asked to get transfig.tar_z fig-fs.tar_z from cornell. The first file is available in [public.psfigtex], the latter is giving trouble. The network collapsed after 80% was transferred to London. Hopefully it will be available sometime next week. I would like to ask for your help. I am hoping to improve the service offered by the digest and the archive and need some statistics. If you are reading this between October 21 and November 11 1988 please send me a message giving your name, company,town/city and country. I know that the digest is redistributed in some countries and also put up on bulletin boards. I would be grateful if you are one of the secondary readers and cannot mail me direct if you would reply to the bulletin board moderator or the site from which your copy came. Thank you. Latest TeXhax in the Archive is #92 Latest TeXmag in the Archive is V2N5 --------------------------------- From: Nottingham Date: October 21 1988 Subject: Special Annoucment *** UK TeX User's Group *** *** Inaugural Meeting *** When: Friday, November 4th Where: University of Nottingham It is planned to hold a meeting at Nottingham on November 4th 1988 for those interested in forming a UK TeX User's Group. We expect to arrange some presentations from invited speakers, but it is hoped that discussion of the ways in which a UK TeX User's Group can be organised will be a significant part of the day's proceedings. A final timetable has not yet been decided, but the meeting will start at about 10:00 or 10:30 and finish at about 17:00. Morning coffee, Lunch and afternoon tea will be available for what is hoped a nominal charge, as financial support has been offered from the organisers of the TeX88 conference at Exeter. If you would like to attend, please contact me (perferably by electronic mail) at the address below and I will get final details to you as soon as they have been arranged. David Osborne Cripps Computing Centre, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD tel: Nottingham (0602) 484848 ext 2064 JANET: cczdao@uk.ac.nott.vax --------------------------------- Date: 14-OCT-1988 17:37:59 GMT From: RM001A@UK.AC.CRANFIELD.CDVC To: INFO-TEX@UK.AC.ASTON TO: INFO-TEX@UK.AC.ASTON SUBJECT: Putting multiple boxes in the picture environment For drawing various pictures I found myself needing to put various framed boxes at regular intervals on the page --- an excellent use for \multiput, you would imagine. However, I wanted each box to contain a different text, so either I could \multiput empty \framebox es and later insert the text on an individual basis (by \put ting a \makebox) OR I could just \put each \framebox. Either way felt ``messy'' to me, so I've written a MULTIBOX style option for LaTeX. This defines new commands \multiframe and \multimake which each take a HUGE stream of parameters, as explained in the file: %-----------------------------Cut here----------------------------------- % MULTIBOX.STY - a style option to provide multiple boxes in pictures % ============ % Author: Brian HAMILTON KELLY, Royal Military College of Science, % Shrivenham, SWINDON, SN6 8LA, United Kingdom % Date: 13 October 1988 % % This style file option provides two new commands for use in the picture % environment: % % \multimake(x,y)(dx,dy){n}(w,h)[]{Text_1}{Text_2}...{Text_n} % \multiframe(x,y)(dx,dy){n}(w,h)[]{Text_1}{Text_2}...{Text_n} % % These commands set the n texts Text_1..Text_n inside a \makebox or % \framebox respectively. The first box has its lower-left corner at (x,y), % and successive boxes are located at (x+dx,y+dy),..,(x+(n-1)dx,y+(n-1)dy). % Each box has width and height determined by (w,h), and the optional % box placement parameter is applied to all the generated texts % \newtoks\multi@rg \def\multiframe{\let\@putitem=\@iframepicbox \multib@x} \def\multimake{\let\@putitem=\@imakepicbox \multib@x} \def\multib@x(#1,#2)(#3,#4)#5(#6,#7){\@xdim=#1\unitlength \@ydim=#2\unitlength \def\@dxdim{#3} \def\@dydim{#4} \@multicnt=#5 \def\@Xsize{#6} \def\@Ysize{#7} \@ifnextchar [{\imultib@x}{\imultib@x[]} } % The liberal use of % at the ends of lines is to prevent the ingestion of % superfluous spaces which would otherwise upset the horizontal positioning % of the boxes. \def\imultib@x[#1]{\@killglue\relax \def\p@sarg{#1}% \d@multi } % We need the expanded definition of \i@putitem because \@imakepicbox DOESN'T % expand its #3 argument (the optional text placement bit). However, it can % only recognize the letters b, t, l and r in this position, so \p@sarg is no % use. Therefore we expand the arguments, producing an appropriate call. \def\d@multi{% \ifnum\@multicnt > 0 \def\next@rg##1{% \multi@rg={{##1}}% Assign the next argument of original text to \multi@rg \edef\@iputitem{% \noexpand\@putitem(\@Xsize,\@Ysize)[\p@sarg]{\the\multi@rg}% }% \raise\@ydim\hbox to \z@{\kern \@xdim \@iputitem\hss}% \advance\@xdim by \@dxdim\unitlength \advance\@ydim by \@dydim\unitlength \advance\@multicnt by \m@ne \d@multi}% End of (re-)definition of \next@rg \else \let\next@rg=\ignorespaces \fi % Now execute \next@rg; \next@rg % This will read the text, set it and then call \d@multi recursively } %----------------------------and here-------------------------------------- As you can probably see from the code, I had a few difficulties getting this working; in particular the optional placement parameter of \framebox and \makebox is NOT expanded by those macros before being tested to determine whether they include the letters t, b, l or r. Perhaps some time Leslie Lamport could explain why this was necessary. Brian HAMILTON KELLY Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham, SWINDON, SN6 8LA, UK Swindon (0793) 785252. Temporary Janet address (mark for my attention) RM001A@UK.AC.CRANFIELD.CDVC --------------------------------- Date: Sat, 15 Oct 88 12:29:39 +0100 From: Mr H Boothroyd Message-Id: <8479.8810151129@sol.warwick.ac.uk> To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston Subject: `Subject: ' for all messages to UKTeX? Peter There are many weightier matters for UKTeX, but it would make it a lot easier to browse through, select, index, archive, and retrieve from if we could all agree that each message to you used what seems to be the almost universal standard for news networks of having an *informative* subject line starting in column 1 with the word Subject: Subject: , not Sub: , not SUB: , not SUBJECT: , just Subject: ! Hylton +++Editor - Agreed, but some do not even include a Subject line in the message (CBS mail on VAX VMS is the worst offender as you need to include the /opt parameter +++ --------------------------------- Date: 15-OCT-1988 17:10:39 GMT From: PHYHJR@UK.AC.HW.VAXB To: info-tex@UK.AC.ASTON Subject: dvitovdu Is there a source for a c/4.2BSD version of dvitovdu. I see there are modula_2 and pascal versions at aston but I couldn't see any c source. Failing that just a dvitoT4014 would do. Harvey Richardson, Physics Department, Heriot-Watt University. +++Editor - Andrew Trevorrow will not doubt let me know the curernt status shortly as he receives UKTeX. +++ --------------------------------- Received: from psg.npl.co.uk by kestrel.Ukc.AC.UK with UUCP id aa15407; 15 Oct 88 21:54 BST Received: from guava.seg.npl.co.uk by snow.psg.npl.co.uk; Fri, 14 Oct 88 16:42:58 BST From: Nick North Date: Fri, 14 Oct 88 16:42:54 BST Message-Id: <5858.8810141542@guava.seg.npl.co.uk> To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston Subject: LaTeX circle bug? One of our LaTeX users was drawing a sequence of circles of increasing size and found one of them to be smaller than its predecessor. Investigation showed LaTeX to be drawing 5.6mm diameter circles with a diameter of about 4mm. The following code shows the problem: \setlength{\unitlength}{2.7mm} \begin{picture}(2,2)(0,0) \put(1,1){\circle{2}} % This one is OK \put(0,1){\line(1,0){2}} \end{picture} unitlength 2.7mm \setlength{\unitlength}{2.8mm} \begin{picture}(2,2)(0,0) \put(1,1){\circle{2}} % This one comes out too small \put(0,1){\line(1,0){2}} \end{picture} unitlength 2.8mm \setlength{\unitlength}{2.9mm} \begin{picture}(2,2)(0,0) \put(1,1){\circle{2}} % This one is OK \put(0,1){\line(1,0){2}} \end{picture} unitlength 2.9mm My question is: does your system show this problem and, if so, is it a known bug? We are running TeX, C version 2.93b, and LaTeX 2.09 <4 Aug 1988>. Nick North National Physical Laboratory --------------------------------- From: Andrew J Cole Date: Sun, 16 Oct 88 15:34:46 GMT Message-Id: <22240.8810161534@ai.leeds.ac.uk> To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston Subject: Missing font - cmbi10 Our version of TeX (Version 2.0 for Berkeley UNIX) doesnt include cmbi10 (or any of the other cmbi fonts). I've just received a document from the US which uses this font as part of its house style. Is anyone in a position to send us the cmbi's - preferably in uuencoded form? Thanks, Andrew --------------------------------- Received: Date: Fri, 14 Oct 88 18:11:08 BST From: Sebastian Rahtz To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston.mail Subject: emacs, IPA fonts etc a) First, I think it was me who sent you .QUIT. That was because I sent the mail to texhax and it came back with a silly reject, and I got fed up so I sent it just to the UK people. SOme frightful gateway in the US added those silly lines. Mea culpa. b) emacs on PC and Unix. the software collection at Lancaster (login as MICROS, password MICROS on LANCS.VAX1) contains microemacs 3.9e for downloading, which is en excellent little editor. TRy it and you'll never regret it. It also runs well under Unix. If anyone wants a recent GnuEmacs source (assuming they have the energy to get into this huge but wonderful system) and doesn't know where to look, I could point them in the right direction (or even copy a Sun tape) c) IPA fonts. This came up before - the answer is that Washington University have created a good set of IPA characters in Metafont, but a) you have to pay for them (#50-#100, from memory) b) they only supply bitmaps, not sources, so you need to specify all your resolutions when you order. Purists (yes you Phil Taylor) have severe reservations about the wisdom of buying fonts under this deal. But we got them at 300 dpi and they enable our phonetics types to do their articles. mail Dean Guenther for info (guenther@wsuvm1.bitnet) d) the PC-Write hyphens-at-line-ends problem. I don't see how telling TeX about -^M as a ligature or whatever would help, as what you really want to do is _throw away_ that -, isn't it, and join on the next word. I can see how you would (maybe) throw away the -^M, but how do you join two tokens into one? Sebastian Rahtz --------------------------------- Date: 17 Oct 88 14:10:44 Monday From: Steve Simon To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston Subject: EMACS In your letest TeX mag someone asked about EMACS (the greatest editor ever) for UN*X and the PC, Well...... The best EMACS about is GNU EMACS, this is availiable from info-server@uk.ac.ukc If you send the following mail you will receive full details request: gnuemacs topic: catalogue This version can be compiled to run on (almost) any UN*X system and under VMS, its VERY big, and takes some effort to get it ported (not unlike TEX I am told), also it requires at least 1Mbyte of user ram to run in and preferably virtual memory (UN*X relevant only) it is the definative article however. If this turns out to be too big then there are two versions available on uk.ac.lancs.vax1 Thease can be collected by "kermit" or NIFTP, logging in with the userid MICROS, password MICROS. There are two versions online in the IBM-PC section. Both versions can be compiled under UN*X, JOVE (Johnathans Own Version of Emacs) (yes I know, tackey isnt it), and MicroEMACS Thease each have their own advantages and disadvantages, MicroEMACS - Smallest, can be compiled for VMS, PC's, ATARI-ST's, and UN*X. It supports emacs-lisp-without-the-brackets, which it interprets rather than byte-compile's, its is fast as it holds the whole file in memory though this limits the maximum file size. MicroEMACS also seams to use an inordinate amount of processor time compared to GNU EMACS, important on a big but slow machine (if there is asuch a thing. JOVE - Middle sized, can be compiled for PS's and UNIX, and AMIGA (I think). It dosent seam to support macros except for learn-from-keyboard type though thease maybe saved to disk. It holds the file in a temporary directory so no file size limit is imposed. I should add that I have not used this version, and apart from the inability to use the lisp like functions to write macros it would seam to be the best compramise for small machines. Finally I would be {\em VERY } interested to hear about any other versions available, and anyones experience with them. Steve Simon [Dep Elec Eng @ Leeds Poly ] S.Simon@uk.ac.leeds-poly --------------------------------- Received: from lena by kestrel.Ukc.AC.UK with UUCP id aa16169; 17 Oct 88 13:21 BST Received: from kernel by lena with netmail(8.4); Mon Oct 17 13:16:13 BST 1988 From: "Mark J. Hewitt" Date: Mon, 17 Oct 88 11:19:16 +0100 (BST) Message-Id: <12861.8810171019.marvin@kernel.co.uk> To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston Subject: SuperTabular Thanks to everone who pointed me at the TAJ.TXH sources. With a little ammenment they sufficed for my needs, and one day, I may get a little time to make the idea more general! --------------------------------- Received: from lena by kestrel.Ukc.AC.UK with UUCP id aa16172; 17 Oct 88 13:21 BST Received: from kernel by lena with netmail(8.4); Mon Oct 17 13:16:55 BST 1988 From: "Mark J. Hewitt" Date: Mon, 17 Oct 88 11:24:12 +0100 (BST) Message-Id: <12928.8810171024.marvin@kernel.co.uk> To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston Subject: File Formats A colleague of mine asked about the exact format of `dvi' files, which I could find, but this got me thinking about documentation for the binary file formats used by TeX in general. Could I ask someone to place in this forum the name of the files containing the definitive documentation for: dvi format gf font format pk font format pxl font format tfm format I'm sure this would be a help to other readers who wish to embark on some previewer or driver developments. Mark J. Hewitt usenet: ...!{mcvax,uunet}!ukc!kernel!mjh JANET: mjh@uk.co.kernel voice: (+44) 532 444566 other: mjh@kernel.co.uk fax: (+44) 532 425456 paper: Kernel Technology Ltd, Development Centre, 46 The Calls, Leeds, LS2 7EY, West Yorkshire, UK --------------------------------- Received: from vanuata.cs.glasgow.ac.uk by hawaii.cs.glasgow.ac.uk; Mon, 17 Oct 88 16:07:46 BST From: Mr Jack Campin Date: Mon, 17 Oct 88 15:09:35 GMT Message-Id: <16516.8810171509@vanuata.cs.glasgow.ac.uk> To: TEX-INFO@uk.ac.aston.mail Subject: TeXtures Does somebody know the address and phone number of whoever supplies this in Britain? (It's an implementation of TeX for the Macintosh). What can it do - LaTex, BibTex, AMStex? Has anybody used it? Is it OK? Is there any other TeX for the Mac that's worth considering? Jack Campin, Computing Science Department, Glasgow University, 17 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QQ, SCOTLAND. 041 339 8855 x6045 wk 041 556 1878 ho ARPA: jack%cs.glasgow.ac.uk@nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk USENET: jack@glasgow.uucp JANET: jack@uk.ac.glasgow.cs PLINGnet: ...mcvax!ukc!cs.glasgow.ac.uk!jack --------------------------------- Received: from princeton.edu by NSS.Cs.Ucl.AC.UK via Satnet with SMTP id aa02997; 17 Oct 88 14:16 BST Received: from icecream.Princeton.EDU by Princeton.EDU (5.58+++/1.81) id AA28530; Mon, 17 Oct 88 09:23:50 EDT Received: by icecream.Princeton.EDU (3.2/1.62) id AA02288; Mon, 17 Oct 88 00:09:48 EDT Date: Mon, 17 Oct 88 00:09:48 EDT From: jonradel < (Jon Radel)jonradel%edu.princeton.icecream@edu.princeton> Message-Id: <8810170409.AA02288@icecream.Princeton.EDU> To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston, rm001a@uk.ac.cranfield.cdvc Subject: Modula-2 WEB (UKTeX33.88) E. Wayne Sewell has managed to get his code into the DECUS library and it has been available from them for some time now. - --Jon Radel jonradel@icecream.princeton.edu --------------------------------- Received: from princeton.edu by NSS.Cs.Ucl.AC.UK via Satnet with SMTP id aa03011; 17 Oct 88 14:17 BST Received: from icecream.Princeton.EDU by Princeton.EDU (5.58+++/1.81) id AA28664; Mon, 17 Oct 88 09:25:40 EDT Received: by icecream.Princeton.EDU (3.2/1.62) id AA02292; Mon, 17 Oct 88 00:10:14 EDT Date: Mon, 17 Oct 88 00:10:14 EDT From: jonradel < (Jon Radel)jonradel%edu.princeton.icecream@edu.princeton> Message-Id: <8810170410.AA02292@icecream.Princeton.EDU> To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston, umcj042@uk.ac.ic.vaxa Subject: EMACS for IBM PC (UKTeX33.88) While I can't list the various emacs for MS-DOS off of the top of my head, there being a whole slew of public domain, shareware, and commercial versions (and variations that are almost emacs), they are certainly out there. There are a couple that are fairly widely distributed in source form, at least in the U.S. I have been planning to add a couple of the more important public domain MS-DOS editors to the TeX material that I distribute on floppies, so if anyone can't find a local source for something suitable, it might be worth your while to get a copy of my list of these and other TeX material, including Beebe's DVI drivers (I am actually one of two official distributors of these on floppies, Nelson Beebe having tired of making floppy copies himself). For a copy of said list send a self-addressed envelope and International Reply Coupons (2 for surface, 4 for air) to: Jon Radel P.O. Box 2276 Reston, VA 22090 U.S.A. jonradel@icecream.princeton.edu --------------------------------- Received: from vax02.ams.com by NSS.Cs.Ucl.AC.UK via Satnet with SMTP id aa04745; 17 Oct 88 17:38 BST Date: Mon 17 Oct 88 12:44:30-EDT From: bbeeton Subject: hyphenation after 2 or 3 letters To: info-tex Cc: RBAILEY Message-ID: <593109870.0.BNB@VAX02.AMS.COM> Mail-System-Version: in preparing the annual edition of the hyphenation exception list for tugboat, i decided to face head-on the question of how one would best go about deferring hyphenation until after the third letter of english words. an inquiry to don knuth provided this (presumably definitive) answer. "You don't have to modify TeX. (If you did, the mods would be simple, however. I would prefer not to see the number of incompatible TeXs (all with different names of course) double too often, so I prefer when mods are made only for special-purpose important applications. [Then the mods can be saved in change files.] To suppress hyphenation after two letters, you need new patterns of the form .ab6 for all pairs of letters ab that begin words of English. I think the number of such pairs is well under 200." the other practice that irritates some readers of the queen's english, namely hyphenation by "syllable" rather than according to etymology, i assume can be addressed for tex only by applying the patgen program to a suitably-marked computer-readable dictionary that conforms to the desired practice. i gather from recent postings in uktex that nobody has tried this yet. if anyone does, i would be interested in learning the results. -- barbara beeton --------------------------------- Date: 17-OCT-1988 12:52:32 From: EETFD@UK.AC.NORTH-STAFFS.CR83 To: INFO-TEX@UK.AC.ASTON Sorry to trouble you on this line. I was given the address by Malcolm Clarke at Imperial College. Are you the bona-fide UK TeXhacks source ? If so could you put me on the mailing list. Also I would like to know if there is a pd (or cheap) version of TeX for the Macintosh family of computers. If not how do I get hold of the source and the necessary UnTangle/Tangle programs ? Thanks, Fraser Dickin. --------------------------------- From: Clark Adrian Date: Thu, 20 Oct 88 12:10:14 GMT To: info-tex@uk.ac.aston.mail Subject: Retaining font style when changing size I'm writing some LaTeX macros which need to change the font size. But I want to retain the font style (roman, italic, etc) after the size change. So if, for example, I say {\it normal words and \smalltext\/} with \def\smalltext{\small some small words} I want _everything_ in the braces italicised (LaTeX changes the font to \rm in \small). Is there some way I can detect the current font style (based on its family, perhaps) and modify \small to re-select the appropriate style? The only other way would seem to be to modify \rm, \it and so on to record its invocation in (say) \currentfont, then invoke that at the end of \small. But that seems a bit of a kludge and would involve quite a lot of style-file hacking. (A plain TeX solution to the general problem would be quite satisfactory, too.) Adrian F. Clark JANET: alien@uk.ac.essex.ese ARPA: alien%uk.ac.essex.ese@nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk BITNET: alien%uk.ac.essex.ese@ac.uk Smail: Dept. of Electronic Systems Engineering, Essex University, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex C04 3SQ, U. K. Phone: (+44) 206-872432 (direct) --------------------------------- Received: from UKACRL by UK.AC.RL.IB (Mailer X1.25) with BSMTP id 2427; Thu, 20 Oct 88 14:59:22 BS Received: from IRLEARN.BITNET by UKACRL.BITNET (Mailer X1.25) with BSMTP id 1904; Thu, 20 Oct 88 14:59:22 B Received: by IRLEARN (Mailer X1.24) id 8755; Thu, 20 Oct 88 15:00:10 GMT Received: By IRLEARN(GREYRECV 2.5) Greybook Gateway 20 Oct 1988 15:00:09 GMT Date: 20-OCT-1988 14:59:45 GMT From: To: info-tex@UK.AC.ASTON Subject: LaTeX \stackrel query. sender: hea "chesimmie@cs8700.ucg.ie" The LaTeX command \stackrel{top}{bottom} is fine for most equations, stacking one symbol above another but does not cope with chemical reactions too well. For example: Pt/Rh catalyst 4 NH_3 + 5 O_2 --------------------> 4 NO + 6 H_2O 1120 K 5 atm where one would want to have \lq\lq text'' both atop _and_ below the (usually) \longrightarrow . Does the command \stack{top}{middle}{bottom} exist? Any pointers? John Simmie EARN address: CHESIMMIE@cs8700.ucg.ie Chemistry Dept. Tel. (091)24411 ext. 2451 University College, Galway Fax. (091)25700 Ireland. --------------------------------- !! !! Files of interest [public]000aston.readme !! [public]000directory.list !! [public]000directory_dates.list !! [public]000directory.size !! [public]000last30days.files !! !! Editor - I have a tape labelled TeX 2.9 LaTeX 2.09 Metafont 1.3 !! Unix 4.2/3BSD VAX SUN 2/3 Pyramid Seqeunt SYS V: 3B2 Tar 1600 bpi blocked !! 20 1 file dated 26 may 1988 (from washington.edu). !! !! I have the facilty to copy this tape for anyone who sends the following !! 1 2400 tape with return labels AND RETURN postage. !! !! Send to !! !! P Abbott !! Computing Service !! Aston University !! Aston Triangle !! Birmingham B4 7ET !! !! A VMS backup of the archive requires 2 (two ) 2400' tapes at 6250bpi. !! Remaining details as above. !! !! Replies/submissions to info-tex@uk.ac.aston please !! distribution changes to info-tex-request@uk.ac.aston please !! !! end of issue