Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!randvax!urban
From: urban@randvax.UUCP (Mike Urban)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Re: Why is TeX so Great? (want info)
Message-ID: <2816@randvax.UUCP>
Date: 19 Nov 90 16:38:41 GMT
Reply-To: urban@rand.org (Mike Urban)
Organization: RAND Corp., Santa Monica, Ca.
Lines: 47

One class of advantage of TeX or LaTeX over WYSIWYG systems like
Microsoft Word or FrameMaker can broadly be termed `deferred formatting
decisions.'  TeX's macro facility is important for this.  Rather than
trying to explain what I mean, let me give some examples.  I am not an
expert in WYSIWYG systems, but am given to understand that these
systems provide only limited ability to address such problems.

1. I write a paper about some Unix(tm) software package.  I refer
to `Unix' several times in the paper.  I think that Unix should
be spelled as UNIX, in all caps, but am not sure.  I use a macro,
\Unix, which I define as UNIX at the top of my paper.  Later, I
realize that I want the `U' as a big cap, and the `nix' in smaller
caps, with a little kerning between them.  I change the macro.  Oh yes,
the first time the macro is used, it is clever, and adds a footnote
containing Trademark information.

2. In the paper, I refer to programs like `ls' and `rm'.  I use
a macro \progname{ls}, and only later decide that it should be
italics (or is it boldface).

3. I write a paper on card games like Bridge.  I need diagrams
that show hands for four players.  I come up with a syntax for
describing each hand, and implement a macro (or I steal one from recent
TuGBoat articles).  Just when I get it right, my publisher tells me
that the four hands should be labeled one thru four, rather than North,
South, etc.  I have twenty of these diagrams, but I only need to modify
one macro definition.

4. I have a presentation for a Usenix conference and need transparencies.
I also want to distribute copies of the transparencies in `miniature'.  I
use LaTeX macros for my slides such that `\section' starts a new
slide with an appropriate title.  By changing the \documentstyle from
`myslides' (or whatever) to `article', I can print out the same slide
information in more condensed form.  By adding an option, I can add 
marginal notes to my own article-form copy to use as reminders during
my presentation.

Note that these solutions require a certain discipline to code your TeX
or LaTeX in the body of your text with only the most conservative
assumptions about the final appearance of the output.  A WYSIWYG
system, almost by definition, discourages such technique.

	Mike
-- 

	Mike Urban
	urban@rand.ORG