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From: thomas@gmdzi.UUCP (Thomas Gordon)
Newsgroups: comp.text,comp.text.desktop
Subject: Re: Which is better?  Textprocessing langs or DeskTop publishing pgms?
Message-ID: <1256@gmdzi.UUCP>
Date: 7 Sep 89 09:19:36 GMT
References: <509@mjbtn.MFEE.TN.US>
Organization: GMD, Sankt Augustin, F. R. Germany
Lines: 46

From article <509@mjbtn.MFEE.TN.US>, by root@mjbtn.MFEE.TN.US (Mark J. Bailey):


>  [asks about the pros and cons of systems like TeX vs. systems like
> Interleaf.


Both WYSIWYG and progammable batch-oriented systems are very useful. 
The best of both worlds is an integrated system offering both: a 
WYSIWYG front-end to TeX, for example.    Actually, I have mistated
my position somewhat.  Actually, another level is also helpful, if
not absolutely necessary: the "logical" level of document description
offerred by  SGML.

We currently use SoftQuad's Author/Editor quasi-WYSIWYG Macintosh
editor for creating and editing documents.   (It could be completely
WYSIWYG and I hope SoftQuad will be improving their product.) 
Authr/Editor produces SGML.  Then we use an SGML paser (Daphne from
DFN, the German Research Net) to create TeX.  

ArborText's Publisher system for Suns is very similar, and offers
a complete, integrated solution.  However, to my knowledge Publisher
is restricted to the SGML document types created by ArbotText, which
defeats the main purpose of SGML.  We need to create our own document
types and exchange SGML documents with users of other text processing
systems.

Of course, this approach is quite complicated.  It requires a miriad
of tools (the WYSIWYG editor, an SGML parser, a translation language
for mapping SGML into some formatting language, and the formatting
system such as TeX).  Mastering all of these tools is a job in itself.
However, in organizations, where specialists can be responsible for
various aspects of the process, this approach is very flexible and
powerful.    Authors have the ease of use of a WYSIWYG editor, but 
the typesetters have the complete power of TeX at their disposal.


Thomas F. Gordon		                    email: thomas@gmdzi.uucp
GMD / F3			                          phone: (+49 2241) 14-2665
Schloss Birlinghoven
D-5205 Sankt Augustin 1, FRG
-- 
Thomas F. Gordon		                    email: thomas@gmdzi.uucp
GMD / F3			                          phone: (+49 2241) 14-2665
Schloss Birlinghoven
D-5205 Sankt Augustin 1, FRG