Received: by nummer-3.proteosys id <01C19443.486CDB1C@nummer-3.proteosys>; Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:42:04 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 x-vm-v5-data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil t nil][nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil]) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.486CDB1C" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5 Content-class: urn:content-classes:message Subject: Re: \verbosity Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1991 01:00:00 +0100 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: From: "Michael Downes" Sender: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" To: "Rainer M. Schoepf" Reply-To: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 395 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.486CDB1C Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable (Leslie): > ... How about a file help.tex so that the user could type > > latex help > > and then be prompted for requests? It could provide canned info about > commands and selected topics. Sounds good to me... > If style files were properly formatted, information about a particular > style could be obtained by reading the style file itself. (This is > somewhat dangerous, since a misspelled or nonexistent style will > produce a TeX request for another file name, but the user could first > receive instructions to type "stop" if that happens, causing the file > stop.tex to be read.) Is there a stop.tex already part of the official LaTeX distribution (if so our distribution here at the AMS is out of date) or do you mean adding it with LaTeX 3.0? In any case I think it's a good idea. An added benefit of help.tex is that if a novice user encounters the message Please type another input file name: due to some other file location problem, and tries typing "help", something useful will happen. On most systems, of course, typing "nul" already allows people to escape from the potential endless loop, but that's something most users are unlikely to think of trying. Additional files h.tex and ?.tex (though unfortunately many operating systems won't allow the latter) equivalent to nul.tex---or perhaps containing something more useful, like \errmessage{Type ? to see your options; x to exit} would offer users further latitude in recovering from a missing file problem. Michael Downes mjd@math.ams.com ------- ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.486CDB1C Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Re: \verbosity

(Leslie):
> ... How about a file help.tex so that the user = could type
>
> latex help
>
> and then be prompted for requests? It could = provide canned info about
> commands and selected topics.

Sounds good to me...

> If style files were properly formatted, = information about a particular
> style could be obtained by reading the style = file itself. (This is
> somewhat dangerous, since a misspelled or = nonexistent style will
> produce a TeX request for another file name, but = the user could first
> receive instructions to type "stop" if = that happens, causing the file
> stop.tex to be read.)

Is there a stop.tex already part of the official LaTeX = distribution
(if so our distribution here at the AMS is out of = date) or do you mean
adding it with LaTeX 3.0? In any case I think it's a = good idea. An
added benefit of help.tex is that if a novice user = encounters the
message

  Please type another input file name:

due to some other file location problem, and tries = typing "help",
something useful will happen. On most systems, of = course, typing "nul"
already allows people to escape from the potential = endless loop, but
that's something most users are unlikely to think of = trying.
Additional files h.tex and ?.tex (though = unfortunately many operating
systems won't allow the latter) equivalent to = nul.tex---or perhaps
containing something more useful, like

  \errmessage{Type ? to see your options; x to = exit}

would offer users further latitude in recovering from = a missing file
problem.

Michael Downes
mjd@math.ams.com
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