Received: via tmail-4.1(11) (invoked by user schoepf) for schoepf; Sun, 24 Sep 2000 23:30:00 +0200 (MEST) Received: from mailgate1.zdv.Uni-Mainz.DE (mailgate1.zdv.Uni-Mainz.DE [134.93.8.56]) by mail.Uni-Mainz.DE (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id XAA00841 for ; Sun, 24 Sep 2000 23:29:59 +0200 (MEST) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C0266E.97B73C00" Received: from mail.listserv.gmd.de (mail.listserv.gmd.de [192.88.97.5]) by mailgate1.zdv.Uni-Mainz.DE (8.11.0/8.10.2) with ESMTP id e8OLTxU23092 for ; Sun, 24 Sep 2000 23:29:59 +0200 (MET DST) Received: from mail.listserv.gmd.de (192.88.97.5) by mail.listserv.gmd.de (LSMTP for OpenVMS v1.1a) with SMTP id <8.CFFBBAEF@mail.listserv.gmd.de>; Sun, 24 Sep 2000 23:29:56 +0200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5 Received: from RELAY.URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE by RELAY.URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 1.8b) with spool id 471380 for LATEX-L@RELAY.URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE; Sun, 24 Sep 2000 23:29:53 +0200 Received: from ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de (mail.urz.uni-heidelberg.de [129.206.119.234]) by relay.urz.uni-heidelberg.de (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id XAA06088 for ; Sun, 24 Sep 2000 23:29:52 +0200 (MET DST) Received: from relay.uni-heidelberg.de (relay.uni-heidelberg.de [129.206.100.212]) by ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id XAA32276 for ; Sun, 24 Sep 2000 23:29:53 +0200 Received: from knatte.tninet.se (knatte.tninet.se [195.100.94.10]) by relay.uni-heidelberg.de (8.9.3+Sun/8.9.3) with SMTP id XAA14140 for ; Sun, 24 Sep 2000 23:29:52 +0200 (MET DST) Received: (qmail 17617 invoked from network); 24 Sep 2000 23:29:52 +0200 Received: from delenn.tninet.se (HELO algonet.se) (195.100.94.104) by knatte.tninet.se with SMTP; 24 Sep 2000 23:29:52 +0200 Received: from [195.100.226.156] (du133-226.ppp.su-anst.tninet.se [195.100.226.133]) by delenn.tninet.se (BLUETAIL Mail Robustifier 2.2.1) with ESMTP id 94552.830986.969delenn-s1 for ; Sun, 24 Sep 2000 23:29:46 +0200 Return-Path: X-Sender: haberg@pop.matematik.su.se Content-class: urn:content-classes:message Subject: Letter class Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 22:28:17 +0100 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: From: "Hans Aberg" Sender: "Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project" To: "Multiple recipients of list LATEX-L" Reply-To: "Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project" Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 3608 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C0266E.97B73C00 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I think that the letter class should have some additional features: The letter style I use is from_address date to_address [Dear Foo Bar,] signature whereas the LaTeX letter style puts the from_address to the right, and = the to_address, if present, somewhere else. In addition, the LaTeX style has a strange text formatting, which really = is an emulation of a style used for mono-spaced fonts (like when using a typewriter), namely, no paragraph indent with an empty line signifying a new paragraph instead.-- Once upon the time, when typeset letters were a novelty, it might have been suitable to emulate this, but nowadays, it appears at least that one should have easy access to a normal typeset = look. Of course, I have written a style file overriding these LaTeX defaults, = but I think that these simple features should easy to choose. In addition, = with new version of LaTeX, one must maintain the style overrides. So I suggest that one has the following commands \address[]{} -- =3D l | c | r, left, center or right = adjust \date[]{} -- =3D l | c | r -- When date & address are adjusted the same, one should possibly be = able to decide which one is above. \CornyLaTeXTypewriteEmulation & \NormalTypeset modes for the text body. -- Possibly a way to decide where to put the to_address field. \signature[]{} -- When the optional field is present, = takes the place of the space allocated for the handwritten signature. -- The signature could also be left, center or right adjusted. I have = never seen the center adjustment, but the left adjust exists, perhaps = influenced from email and the like. Hans Aberg ------_=_NextPart_001_01C0266E.97B73C00 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Letter class

I think that the letter class should have some = additional features:

The letter style I use is

from_address        &nbs= p;            = ;    date

to_address

[Dear Foo Bar,]

          &nbs= p;      <body>

          &nbs= p;            = ;     signature

whereas the LaTeX letter style puts the from_address = to the right, and the
to_address, if present, somewhere else.

In addition, the LaTeX style has a strange text = formatting, which really is
an emulation of a style used for mono-spaced fonts = (like when using a
typewriter), namely, no paragraph indent with an = empty line signifying a
new paragraph instead.-- Once upon the time, when = typeset letters were a
novelty, it might have been suitable to emulate this, = but nowadays, it
appears at least that one should have easy access to = a normal typeset look.

Of course, I have written a style file overriding = these LaTeX defaults, but
I think that these simple features should easy to = choose. In addition, with
new version of LaTeX, one must maintain the style = overrides.

So I suggest that one has the following = commands
\address[<just>]{<name>}  -- = <just> =3D l | c | r, left, center or right adjust
\date[<just>]{<date>}     -- = <just> =3D l | c | r
-- When date & address are adjusted the same, one = should possibly be able
     to decide which one is = above.

\CornyLaTeXTypewriteEmulation & \NormalTypeset = modes for the text body.

-- Possibly a way to decide where to put the = to_address field.

\signature[<pict>]{<name>}  -- When = the optional field is present, <pict>
takes the place of the space allocated for the = handwritten signature.
-- The signature could also be left, center or right = adjusted. I have never
seen the center adjustment, but the left adjust = exists, perhaps influenced
from email and the like.

  Hans Aberg

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