Received: by nummer-3.proteosys id <01C19443.485D92EC@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_01C19443.485D92EC" 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: "Leslie Lamport" Sender: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" To: "Rainer M. Schoepf" Reply-To: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 396 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.485D92EC Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The idea of on-line documentation is intriguing, though generating it as part of ordinary LaTeX processing is the wrong way to do it. 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. 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.) Judging by my experience answering user's questions, most problems could be solved by having a help program that simply looks up words in the manual's index and refers the user to the appropriate page. (The help info could be generated automatically from the index.) Leslie Lamport ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.485D92EC Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Re: \verbosity

The idea of on-line documentation is intriguing, = though generating it
as part of ordinary LaTeX processing is the wrong way = to do it.  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.  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.)

Judging by my experience answering user's questions, = most problems
could be solved by having a help program that simply = looks up words in
the manual's index and refers the user to the = appropriate page.  (The
help info could be generated automatically from the = index.)

Leslie Lamport


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