[texhax] A.Mani :Re: texhax Digest, Vol 2004, Issue 41, Message No.1, 3

A.Mani a_mani_sc_gs at vsnl.net
Mon Feb 9 23:33:37 CET 2004


> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2004 02:51:14 -0800
> From: Roland Schoettle <rolands at otii.com>
> Subject: [texhax] Can Tex do that?
> To: support at tug.org
> Message-ID: <B709BDF1-5A24-11D8-A473-000A95972AFC at otii.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I am a FrameMaker user that is now switching to Mac OSX. Unfortunately 
> Adobe does not support FrameMaker on OS X and is suggesting we move to 
> InDesign. However good, InDesign cannot do many FrameMaker functions 
> such as footnotes, autoflow of text and paragraphs, or math symbols. 
> InDesign is a poor document processor for our needs.
> 
> I would like to try Tex, but thought it best to ask if Tex can be used 
> to create reasonably complicated color product brochures. The goal 
> would be to produce brochures, newsletters, business proposals, and 
> also "publish" data from a database that looks as if came from a 
> high-end layout package such as Quark Express or  something similar.
> 
> Can Tex be easily used for these type of functions?
> 
> Your help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Roland

> Message: 3
> Date: Sun, 08 Feb 2004 15:17:30 +0000
> From: Robin Fairbairns <Robin.Fairbairns at cl.cam.ac.uk>
> Subject: Re: [texhax] Can Tex do that? 
> To: Roland Schoettle <rolands at otii.com>
> Cc: texhax at tug.org
> Message-ID: <E1Apqgd-00066o-00 at wisbech.cl.cam.ac.uk>
> 
>>I am a FrameMaker user that is now switching to Mac OSX. Unfortunately
>>Adobe does not support FrameMaker on OS X and is suggesting we move to
>>InDesign. However good, InDesign cannot do many FrameMaker functions
>>such as footnotes, autoflow of text and paragraphs, or math
>>symbols. InDesign is a poor document processor for our needs.
> 
> 
> gosh.  i knew it was imperfect, but you make it sound worse still...
> 
> 
>>I would like to try Tex, but thought it best to ask if Tex can be used
>>to create reasonably complicated color product brochures. The goal
>>would be to produce brochures, newsletters, business proposals, and
>>also "publish" data from a database that looks as if came from a
>>high-end layout package such as Quark Express or  something similar.
>>
>>Can Tex be easily used for these type of functions?
> 
> 
> tex _can_ be used for these sorts of things -- tex can be used for
> pretty much anything -- but whether you'ld _want_ to use it as part of a
> commercial workflow for such highly graphical stuff is more doubtful.
> 
> the problem, it seems to me, is that most of tex's capabilities in this
> area rely on its programmability (tex, per se, doesn't recognise
> graphics at all, though it provides slots into which one might program
> graphics capabilities).  since you need to ask your question at all,
> you'll not be an expert tex programmer, which in turn means there will
> be a long learning curve for you before you get to write anything
> complicated for yourself.  (i speak from experience: i've enormous
> experience of programming in the large, yet it's taken me more than a
> decade to achieve my present capability of doing "most" tex-based things
> _slowly_.)
> 
> there are semi-graphical front ends to tex; i don't know if any of them
> even approach what you need.  i doubt it, but others may know better,
> and will need to chip in to put me in my place.
> 
> robin

I do not think it would be that difficult. Because the number of 
'difficult' programs to be written can be expected to be quite small and 
these can always be reused...it is certainly worth the trouble. Another 
option would be use both tex and GIMP for the purpose.

A.Mani
Member, Cal.Math.Soc.



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