Re: Some preliminary difficulties

Re: Some preliminary difficulties

[David Arnold]

Hans,

>See attachment. 
>
>(1) you really should use PDFETEX instead of pdftex, since PDFETEX reports
>grouping problems and both your files had that. When a file is faulty,
>texexec will not enter a second pass. 

OK. I am now using pdfetex at home. I'll switch at the office tomorrow.

>(2) you should configure your editor (which one?) to do a symmetry check.
>There is a missing \stop in book and a missing \stopexample in chapter1

I use WinEdt. As much as I like WinEdt, I keep hoping to see that editor
you've talked about for Context. Someday. Anyhow, it seems that would aid
in the solution of a lot of problems that occur. A common IDE would give us
some common ground on which to communicate with you.

>So, it's not that big a problem -) 

I need to find an efficient way to work on this project. If I recall, when
you worked on the Metafun manual (I should say, when you are working on the
Metafun manual), I would get pieces from time to time. This would be an
indication that you work on the pieces separately before entering them in
the main document. Could I hear some comments on this? I'd love to get some
inkling on how the development of the Metafun manual was handled.

Currently, we have this project arranged as follows:

project   ----> CollegeAlgebraText.tex
product   ----> book.tex
component ----> Chapter1.tex

I don't have any intent of crafting other products (at least I don't think
so, but you may comment here if you see things to the contrary). I think
that sections of each chapter will eventually average 10-20 pages in
length. These are the basic components of development, the individual
elements that we will work on from day to day. With this in mind, does this
strategy seem better?

project   ----> CollegeAlgebraText.tex
product   ----> Chapter1.tex, Chapter2.tex, etc.
component ----> Section1.tex, Section2.tex,.... of Chapter1.tex,
                Section1.tex, Section2.tex,.... of Chapter2.tex, etc.

On my office Windows 2000 machine, when we compiled the present
Chapter1.tex last week, it was a very long compile, with a number of
windows opening and closing. I'd say easily over 2 minutes on a 700MHz
machine to get the resulting 11 pages. My aide is just learning, so there
will be a lot of write a little code, compile, write a little code,
compile, etc, so a long compile like this will quickly frustrate her.

How do I keep those windows from opening and closing (a lot of Metapost
graphs are gonna be present in these files)? What kind of run should we do
if we don't want to worry about the graphics, just see if the code compiles
properly, etc.?

Perhaps you can discuss some various compile strategies for efficient use
of our time.

Thanks.

(TeX) Editors

[H. Ramm]

David Arnold wrote:
> I use WinEdt. As much as I like WinEdt, I keep hoping to see that editor
> you've talked about for Context. Someday. Anyhow, it seems that would aid
> in the solution of a lot of problems that occur. A common IDE would give us
> some common ground on which to communicate with you.

I use Alpha on MacOS and N-Edit on Linux (I don't like Emacs, sorry),
they both do (uncomplete) symmetry checks; their LaTeX mode is partly
usable, but it should be easy for a programmer to adapt it to ConTeXt.
(For Alpha it's written in TCL/Tk, Emacs needs Lisp, ...)

Grüßlis vom Hraban!
---
http://www.planet-interkom.de/fiee.visuelle/formelsammlung.html

Re: (TeX) Editors

[Hans Hagen]

At 07:42 PM 1/16/01 +0100, H. Ramm wrote:
>David Arnold wrote:
>> I use WinEdt. As much as I like WinEdt, I keep hoping to see that editor
>> you've talked about for Context. Someday. Anyhow, it seems that would aid
>> in the solution of a lot of problems that occur. A common IDE would give us
>> some common ground on which to communicate with you.
>
>I use Alpha on MacOS and N-Edit on Linux (I don't like Emacs, sorry),
>they both do (uncomplete) symmetry checks; their LaTeX mode is partly
>usable, but it should be easy for a programmer to adapt it to ConTeXt.
>(For Alpha it's written in TCL/Tk, Emacs needs Lisp, ...)

In many aspects, symmetry testing and highlighting is implemented to
clever. Context can do with stupid line based highlighting and minimal
symmetry testing. That's how it evolved. When i make commands, i wan tthem
to look ok in out syntax highlighter -) which is about the same as the
pretty-verbatim tex parser.

Hans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE | pragma@wxs.nl
                      Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
 tel: +31 (0)38 477 53 69 | fax: +31 (0)38 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: (TeX) Editors

[Johannes H?sing]

On Wed, Jan 17, 2001 at 10:29:23AM +0100, Hans Hagen wrote:

> In many aspects, symmetry testing and highlighting is implemented to
> clever. Context can do with stupid line based highlighting and minimal
> symmetry testing. 

But I'd think it'll only work if you format your commands the way you do. 

I use emacs and I feel I am better of (above all, with indenting) with
AucTeX than with the contexten mode (sorry Berend). 

Groetjes

Johannes
-- 
Johannes Hüsing <hannes@ruhrau.de>   /"\  ASCII-Ribbon Campaign
                                     \ /  against HTML in
                                      X   e-mail and news
                                     / \

Re: Some preliminary difficulties

[Hans Hagen]

At 06:21 PM 1/15/01 -0800, David Arnold wrote:

>I use WinEdt. As much as I like WinEdt, I keep hoping to see that editor
>you've talked about for Context. Someday. Anyhow, it seems that would aid
>in the solution of a lot of problems that occur. A common IDE would give us
>some common ground on which to communicate with you.

just be patient .... 

>>So, it's not that big a problem -) 
>
>I need to find an efficient way to work on this project. If I recall, when
>you worked on the Metafun manual (I should say, when you are working on the
>Metafun manual), I would get pieces from time to time. This would be an
>indication that you work on the pieces separately before entering them in
>the main document. Could I hear some comments on this? I'd love to get some
>inkling on how the development of the Metafun manual was handled.

Hm, do you really want this? As you can see: no project, just a product. 

% interface=english output=pdftex 

\startproduct metafun 

\environment   mfun-000  % layout 

\startnotmode[screen]
  \component   mfun-020  % title page 
  \component   mfun-030  % colofon page 
\stopnotmode

\startmode[screen]
  \environment mfun-100  % screen layout
  \component   mfun-120  % title page 
\stopmode

\startfrontmatter
  \component   mfun-001  % introduction 
  \component   mfun-021  % contents 
  \component   mfun-023  % conventions
\stopfrontmatter

\startbodymatter
  \component   mfun-004  % welcome 
  \component   mfun-002  % some basics 
  \component   mfun-003  % embedding graphics 
  \component   mfun-005  % enhancing layout 
  \component   mfun-008  % positional graphics 
  \component   mfun-006  % page backgrounds 
  \component   mfun-007  % gadgets 
  \component   mfun-009  % special effects
  \component   mfun-010  % text in metapost 
  \component   mfun-014  % debugging
  \component   mfun-015  % defining styles
  \component   mfun-027  % functions 
  \component   mfun-012  % examples
  \component   mfun-011  % metafun macros
  \component   mfun-017  % graphics
\stopbodymatter

\startappendices
  \component   mfun-013  % programs 
  \component   mfun-026  % syntax 
  \component   mfun-016  % document
  \component   mfun-018  % reference 
  \component   mfun-019  % literature
\stopappendices

\startbackmatter
  \component   mfun-022  % index 
  \component   mfun-024  % todo
\stopbackmatter

\startmode[screen]
  \component   mfun-130  % colofon page 
\stopmode

\startnotmode[screen]
  \component   mfun-025  % back page 
\stopnotmode

\stopproduct 

That's all. I process the files with 

texexec --mode=screen --result=metafun-s metafun 
texexec               --result=metafun-p metafun 

Simple as that. Of course I can run componts too. Also, our editor permits
partial runs and copies all code before \start...

% interface=english output=pdftex

\startcomponent mfun-014

\environment mfun-000 % i can change this to another simple fast env 

\chapter [sec:debugging] {Debugging}

\startintro

....

>On my office Windows 2000 machine, when we compiled the present
>Chapter1.tex last week, it was a very long compile, with a number of
>windows opening and closing. I'd say easily over 2 minutes on a 700MHz
>machine to get the resulting 11 pages. My aide is just learning, so there
>will be a lot of write a little code, compile, write a little code,
>compile, etc, so a long compile like this will quickly frustrate her.

Oh, then I just run as "texexec --nomp (run)". 

Also, popping up windows is not what happens in web2c pdfetex! Just ask the
author of miktex to *not* open a window. 

>How do I keep those windows from opening and closing (a lot of Metapost
>graphs are gonna be present in these files)? What kind of run should we do
>if we don't want to worry about the graphics, just see if the code compiles
>properly, etc.?

also, you can say \runMPgraphicsfalse on top of your file

>Perhaps you can discuss some various compile strategies for efficient use
>of our time.

Better not, i use my time very inefficient. If something pops into my mind,
i'll let you know.  

[btw, every time i use another editor, i realize how efficient fast file
browsing/opening is, which is what we have her'e for years, that really
saves, also syntax highlighting saves troubles (no wierd colors please) as
well as symmetry testing; and ... never use windows, just a dos box or a
black background. White backgrounds are at least for me good for headaches]  

Hans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE | pragma@wxs.nl
                      Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
 tel: +31 (0)38 477 53 69 | fax: +31 (0)38 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------