mailing-list for TeXmacs Users

[Alvaro Tejero Cantero <address@hidden>]

Quoting Magnus Rohde <address@hidden>:

> Congratulations on the new graphical mode, that we've been hearing 
> about for so long.
> 
> However there are a few thoughts that I've done on the direction of the
> project that I would like to share with you, even though you might not
> agree.
> I think that the focus of the TeXmacs-project should be on improving 
> the essential functionality of TeXmacs instead of adding new (major) 
> functions, like the graphical mode. It is impossible to compete with 
> purposebuilt applications such as Xfig or (the non-free) Illustrator on
> "their turf". 

I agree with this point, but please don't mention Xfig. A much more decent
program is Inkscape, which also could give some inspiration to texmacs 
graphical
mode. In general it seems a good idea (which all modern programs incorporate) 
to
overload a few manipulation functions in the "handlers" of the object. I.e.
click and you get resize handlers, click once more and you get rotation and
shearing handlers, and so on. This object orientation is more efficient than
going to the icon bar to select some other function.

On the Illustrator point I only have to add that it is rather the opposite way
to the one you put it. It is impossible for Illustrator to compete with any 
free
application because it is not free. 

> Such new functions only have some justification if they 
> can in some way enhance the existing program e.g. via resizing/place 
> graphics with the mouse.

Which program does a decent job of incorporating structured typesetting and a
more free placement of objects? I would be delighted to hear names...


The graphical mode will bring extraordinary capabilities to TeXmacs, and will
send to the thrash can all this old stuff of postscript postprocessing with
LaTeX, and similar hacky approaches. Just because the older people around have
grown accustomed to these crappy ways it doesn't mean that it shouldn't be 
done
better.

You would have a point though if TeXmacs were easily integrable with a desktop
environment in which embedding of foreign applications would offer a possible
alternative.

> I fully understand that TeXmacs is dependent on volunteers, and that it
> 
> is often more exciting to work on "new fancy things", but if TeXmacs 
> should ever be a mature, widely used program, someone has to do the 
> boring stuff too.

I also would perhaps prefer more development in the mainline of structuration,
export, styles, extremely careful typesetting, etc. But if you have been 
around
in this list for enough time, you should know by now that the statement above 
is
more than a bit unfair and impolite to Joris to say the least.

If there were both full understandings of "that TeXmacs is dependent on
volunteers" and then some real commitment he would not be doing such "boring
stuff" as maintaining the documentation or answering even the most basic
questions in the list, among others.

'Alvaro.

> 
> Magnus
> 
> 
> Den 28/9-2005, kl. 12:08, skrev Joris van der Hoeven:
> 
> > We are happy to announce a new mode for drawing graphical pictures.
> > A first alpha-release comes with the last version 1.0.5.9 of
> TeXmacs,
> > which is available now. In order to insert a graphics, do
> >
> >     Insert -> Image -> Draw image
> >
> > More information is available from
> >
> >
>       http://www.ags.uni-sb.de/~henri/texmacs/aTeXmacsGraphicsTutorial.pdf
> >
> > A reference manual will be included directly into TeXmacs later.
> >
> > Best wishes, Joris
> >
> 



Alvaro Tejero Cantero
Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics
Ludwig-Maximilian Universitaet
Muenchen