I'm just getting started with TeX and LaTeX for Linux - it comes with many
distributions. So what I say is by no means authoritative (Is it ever?).
Imagine being able to produce a document one time in a reasonably easy
markup language (more complicated than HTML - but not so bad) then "slice
and dice" it as HTML, Postscript, Braille, PDF (I know! Hold the
flamethrowers), RTF (If you MUST), etc...by choosing the proper utility
files to process it. WIth proper macro sets (like LaTeX) you can produce
first rate, typeset-quality documents without knowing too much about
things like font selection, ems and kerning.
"But wait! There's more!" All this is based on plain text files. So
it's VERY cross-platform compatible. Run TeX in DOS, Win, Linux and
more. It's also compact. A recent document I downloaded in TeX format
was less than 200 kb, while the corresponding GZipped Postscript was 300+
amd the (I know!) PDF was 450 something.
"How much would you pay for ALL THIS?" It's FREE. Though the DOS version
doesn't seem to be truly GPL'd code the Linux version is. But it's all
free, either way. The DOS version is emtex and it's a hefty directory at
www.cdrom.com among other places. I haven't tried it - nor can I state
memory requirements, etc...I did run across a reference to an 8 bit
version on CTAN, the Central Tex Archive Network - so this is probably
plain 16 bit.
BTW, the process of conversion is two step (sometimes more) process where
you convert your file first to a device independent file, dvi, and then
crunch that into your preferred format. There are dvi viewers for DOS in
the emtex packages and ghostscript (for Linux and Windows) allows viewing
as well.
This 20 year-old system has been sitting under my nose since the day I
installed Linux and I didn't realize what I was missing. It's going to
take some learning. But I believe that the results will be worth it for
me. And for the more creative programmers, you should not only be able to
produce high quality documents but also be able to do so with a program.
That is, a person could input some text to a cgi program, a database
program could crunch the data, the data can be coded up automatically,
processed into the desired format and emailed or downloaded to them.
Because EVERYTHING (except the pictures of course) is plain text such
implementations would seem trivial. "Would you like it in HTML,
Postscript or Braille?" Cool?
Bob
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