Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!bridge2!jarthur!mti!adrian From: adrian@mti.mti.com (Adrian McCarthy) Newsgroups: comp.text Subject: Re: Why learn Tex? Message-ID: <924@mti.mti.com> Date: 1 Mar 90 23:27:38 GMT References: <11457@socslgw.csl.sony.co.jp> Reply-To: adrian@mti.UUCP (Adrian McCarthy) Organization: Micro Technology, Anaheim, CA Lines: 23 In article , melling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger)writes > numbered? Everyone in the non-Unix world is using word processors. > Why aren't Unix people? Using an editor and a text formatter (such as (La)TeX or *roff) is more akin to writing source and using a compiler than conventional word processors. Many programmers (including myself) prefer this approach for all of the benefits of the source->compiler->code model: ASCII sources are generally more portable, small changes to macros will propagate significant changes in a consistent manner, other sorts of general tools can be used on the sources. To me, writing on a word processing package is like programming in machine language. The first runoff-type processors were a big step up; they are like writing in assembly language. The more sophisticated systems like TeX & LaTeX are similar to high-level programming languages. I also prefer breaking apart the writing from the formatting because it is easier to concentrate on the content rather than the format There are too many distractions in a(n) WYSIWYG environment. Aid.