Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!elroy!mahendo!jplgodo!wlbr!scgvaxd!trwrb!trwspp!spp2!urban
From: urban@spp2.UUCP (Michael Urban)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: The GNU Manifesto
Message-ID: <295@algol.spp2.UUCP>
Date: 3 Feb 88 16:15:48 GMT
References: <9591@tekecs.TEK.COM> <328@splut.UUCP> <3144@briar.Philips.Com> <1902@optilink.UUCP> <3678@megaron.arizona.edu>
Reply-To: urban@algol.UUCP (Michael Urban)
Organization: TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 47

In article <3678@megaron.arizona.edu> mike@arizona.edu (Mike Coffin) writes:
>I have used word processors, a bunch of them.   I'll take my favorite
>editor plus TeX any day.  
>
>Why do you suppose most UNIX-snobs have never used a word processor?
>Hint: it's not because there aren't any available.
>
To expand on Mr. Coffin's point: 
I have found that LaTeX (or Scribe), with the support of a good editor
like Emacs, is AT LEAST as useful, and convenient, as any word
processor I've seen.  It is important, however, that the editor
provide keyboard macros which can reduce (or, often, even eliminate) the need
to type control sequences---this creates much the same ``typewriter
with a lot of magic keys'' typing `feel' that most word processors
give.   The local Emacs LaTeX mode has keys for font switching, environments,
sectioning, etc., etc, as well as a set of template files for the most
common LaTeX document styles.  Since this Emacs knows about the Sun
mouse, filling in the \author and \title arguments is just a
point/click/type operation.  In a typical document I may never
actually hit the backslash key.  In terms of what my FINGERS do,
preparing a document is as easy (if not easier) than any word
processor I've seen.

The only thing that word processors provide is immediate visual
feedback.  I would argue that this is a two-edged gift, if you 
will excuse the mixed metaphor.  It causes the
person preparing the document to concentrate on the form of the
document rather than its content; it forces `visual' decisions to be
made and locked down fairly early rather than deferred.  For example,
if I'm writing about Emacs, and want to tell someone to type Meta
characters, on a word processor I have to decide right at the
beginning whether I want this to be META-A, M-A, circle-M-a, or
whatever.  In TeX, I can just type \META{A} and decide much later
how all those Metas will actually LOOK.   

I won't even discuss mathematical equations.

Word processors are nice and "typewriter-like" in their interface, but
even the best of them lack much of the power and flexibility that
preparations systems like TeX can provide.  And, oh yes, GNU Emacs
plus LaTeX can often be obtained for $0 per workstation.


-- 
   Mike Urban
	...!trwrb!trwspp!spp2!urban 

"You're in a maze of twisty UUCP connections, all alike"