Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!arc!arc!steve From: steve@Advansoft.COM (Steve Savitzky) Newsgroups: comp.text.tex Subject: Re: Why is TeX so Great? (want info) Message-ID: Date: 19 Nov 90 21:26:19 GMT References: <1990Nov17.070321.9995@nas.nasa.gov> Sender: @advansoft.com Organization: Advansoft Research Corp, Santa Clara, CA Lines: 39 In-Reply-To: gutierrez@noc.arc.nasa.gov's message of 17 Nov 90 07:03:21 GMT In article <1990Nov17.070321.9995@nas.nasa.gov> gutierrez@noc.arc.nasa.gov (Robert Michael Gutierrez) writes: yorkw@stable.ecn.purdue.edu (Willis F York) writes: > 1) Why is a "Language" like program soo much better then a WYSIYUG program > a) Why is TeX better then WORD (Ick) Actually, TeX is not "better than WORD," per se, since WORD is a word processing program. TeX is not a word processor, but a typesetting program (yes, I'm being *very* general here, so no flames!!!). Let me add to this the fact that because TeX is a pure formatter, it lets you use your own favorite text editor. > b) That can ya do with TeX that ya can't with TeX is very good for tables, equations, and general text. Things like bulleted lists, hanging indent, and so on are trivial. (Which they are not in most word processors.) > 2) How advanced is the "macro" ability, and what's a good way to prove this. It is possible to write macros that draw pictures and graphs. I once wrote a set of macros that interpreted the syntax of a little window- definition language we were using locally, so that I could incorporate window descriptions from actual programs into documentation as illustrations. Try that in your word processor! TeX's macros have all the power of a general-purpose programming language (though the syntax is on the weird side). > 4) Why is TeX better then Troff or Nroff. > (dvi files for one) Troff and Nroff macros are neither especially readable nor especially writeable (I have written Nroff macro packages). They have a very restricted syntax, little mnemonic power (1- and 2-character names), and many stupid restrictions. TeX macros can be named by arbitrary identifiers, can specify the delimiters for their arguments, and can appear anywhere in a document. -- \ --Steve Savitzky-- \ ADVANsoft Research Corp \ REAL hackers use an AXE! \ \ steve@advansoft.COM \ 4301 Great America Pkwy \ #include \ \ arc!steve@apple.COM \ Santa Clara, CA 95954 \ 408-727-3357 \ \__ steve@arc.UUCP _________________________________________________________