On 01/10/2012 07:44 PM, Joachim Schrod wrote:

John Andersen wrote:

...

On 1/9/2012 9:09 PM, Charles Philip Chan wrote:

...

John Andersen writes:

...

LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting system; it includes features designed for the production of technical and scientific documentation. You mean TeX. LaTeX is simply a set of macros to make the production of documents easier. There are other newer systems available, for example, XeTeX. Sigh...

I took that quote directly off the Latex web page, so NO I DON'T mean Tex.

Please stop arguing we me and go to http://www.latex-project.org/ and argue with them and explain to them how they don't have a clue what their own project is all about. No, please don't go there, continue to issue your opinions here...

After all, I'm one of those who would have to answer, and I don't indent to. ;-) FWIW, John, you're right with your answer in the context of this question, and Charles regretfully doesn't grok it. While newer developments like XeLaTeX and luaTeX are exciting, they're not there for a beginner who wants to write a "small book".

Cheers, Joachim (active in TeX development since 1982, owner of latex-project.org, one of the CTAN maintainers, xindy maintainer, TL upstream for several projects :-))

PS: For those of you who want to know more about TeX vs. LaTeX, http://www.tug.org/levels.html has links availabe.

I'm no expert, just an amateur, but it seems to me that most writing and publishing is done in separate steps: 1. Write the copy on a word processor, using ragged right and double spacing. 2. At this point, it is edited and finalized. Save all versions in a format that your publishing software can read. 3. Import the copy into dtp--DeskTop Publishing--software, (we use PageMaker.) and format it in the fashion it will need to be in the printed output, including picture wrap-arounds, captions, graphics, etc. 4 Send the result to the print shop. Note that it is not necessary, but certainly permissible, for the author to format the final output. In the case of any kind of book, or even a pamphlet that will have significant distribution, it will have to be professionally printed; this is not a job for your LaserJet. It will be necessary to determine what dtp software your printer can read, or to find a printer who can read whatever dtp software you'd like to use. I am the editor (but not the publisher) of a low volume (~1000 copies) newsletter of 16 to 20 pages per 10/year issue. The author's material funnels thru me. The publisher, in this case, does the layout. The layout is transmitted, in digital form, to a printshop, which prints, folds, and addresses from a provided mailing list. I think this sort of routine is fairly standard, altho I'm sure that some material is completely self-created and published. --doug -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org