from ["MicroPress Inc." <support@micropress-inc.com>]

from ["MicroPress Inc." <support@micropress-inc.com>]

[Hans Hagen]

>
>Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 04:03:57 -0400
>To: Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl>
>From: "MicroPress Inc." <support@micropress-inc.com>
>Subject: Re: VTeX and ConTeXt
>Cc: ntg-context@ntg.nl
>
>At 08:37 AM 7/24/02 +0200, you wrote:
> >At 04:10 PM 7/23/2002 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> >>It should not be impossible (ot particularly hard) to write drivers for it;
> >>but with ConTeXt being a system in active development it would be 
> impossible
> >>(for us) to maintain such drivers for any length of time; the only way here
> >>if such
> >>drivers were to be done and maintained by Hans/Pragma (in part, because 
> Hans
> >>is much more familiar with how ConTeXt drivers should be written).
> >
> >actually, only one driver is needed, adn i would write it anyway since it's
> >not that hard to do (spec-vtx or so); the problem is that i once tried to
> >install vtex but quit when it messed up my system fonts; if vtex could
> >operate in the texmf tree i could install it in a small separate tree
> >(actually i only need the binary and a connection to the texmf tree).
>
>There is no physical way for it to mess up your system fonts!
>Also, there is no way you can only install binaries; you do need to install
>the distribution (since it has the configuration files which are needed),
>then make it access  texmf **after** the distribution by appending the texmf
>tree to vtex.ini.
>
>If you are serious about this, I'll be glad to help.
>
><see below for more>
>
> >
> >>The additional reason why we currently would not support it is that while
> >>ConTeXt
> >>has very few users comparing with Plain or LaTeX, supporting it would in
> >>effect
> >>double the amount of macro support we have to do. [Example: say, such 
> drivers
> >>are provided. What about our users who use the Function Plot plugin? 
> Should we
> >
> >hm, many context users use mp so thats no big problem
>
>mp is not exactly an easy-to-learn visual application.
>
> >
> >>be adding a new macro package for use with ConTeXt? Same goes for any other
> >>GeX-supporting pieces (and there are many now). What about the users
> >>of our premium fonts? Should we be also adding ConTeXt support styles for
> >>all of them?
> >>And the list goes on...]
> >
> >dunno about the fonts; probably only a matter of a name mapping file; afaik
> >vtex fonts work ok, that is, the informal math does.
>
>Yes, but every set still requires a mapping file and every change requires to
>recheck it. Not impossible, not too hard, but extra work still.
>
> >
> >>Given relatively few ConTeXt users at this time, doing this would be of
> >>interest
> >>to very few people and at the same time would shortchange much larger set
> >>of our Plain/LaTeX users (because by doing work on supporting ConTeXt we
> >>would have to do less in other directions).
> >
> >sure, chicken and egg problem: if there were more people using vtex i would
> >be more tempted to look into it -)
>
>Actually, the issue is the size of the intersection.  So far there were 4
>people who
>have expressed interest in ConTeXt and asked us.
>
> >
> >>When/if ConTeXt becomes more stable and "mainstream", it would be something
> >>to consider.
> >
> >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
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >                        information: http://www.pragma-ade.com/roadmap.pdf
> >                     documentation: http://www.pragma-ade.com/showcase.pdf
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
>
>---------------------------------------------
>Michael Vulis
>MicroPress
>
>mailto://support@micropress-inc.com
>http://www.micropress-inc.com
>
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        information: http://www.pragma-ade.com/roadmap.pdf
                     documentation: http://www.pragma-ade.com/showcase.pdf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------