Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!watmath!maytag!aftermath!water!shallit
From: shallit@water.waterloo.edu (Jeffrey Shallit)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: TeX to ascii conversion
Message-ID: <1990Oct9.014055.9719@water.waterloo.edu>
Date: 9 Oct 90 01:40:55 GMT
Distribution: comp
Organization: University of Waterloo
Lines: 37

I need a program to convert TeX code to an ordinary ascii file.  Obviously
the requirements are a bit underspecified.  What I have in mind is something
that can handle things like \centerline and \noindent "properly", and
do intelligent things to other TeX commands, so I can easily take
a colloquium announcement (say) written in TeX and make it readable
on e-mail to the non-TeX-speakers.

For example, if the input were

--------------------------------------------------------------------

\centerline{Analytic and Algebraic Topology of Futharks}

\noindent{\it Abstract.}

	 We prove that $1 + 1 = 2$.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd like the output to be:

*********************************************************************

                Analytic and Algebraic Topology of Futharks

Abstract.

	 We prove that 1 + 1 = 2.

**********************************************************************

Yes, I could write it myself, but why reinvent the wheel?  If you know
of such a program, please send mail to me -- I don't usually read this
group.

Jeff Shallit
shallit@water.waterloo.edu