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Conference vaxuum::document_ft

Title:DOCUMENT T1.0
Notice:**New notesfile (DOCUMENT.NOTE) now available (see note 897)**
Moderator:CLOSET::ADLER
Created:Mon Feb 09 1987
Last Modified:Thu Oct 31 1991
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:897
Total number of notes:4397

526.0. "LaTeX2DOCUMENT ?" by CADSYS::MCDONOUGH () Thu Jun 18 1987 18:22

	I would like to convert a manual that was written in LaTeX
	to DOCUMENT. LaTex originally was chosen over DSRPLUS 
	because of the _many_ complicated equations in the manual.

	I would like to stop switching from DSRPLUS to DOCUMENT to
	LaTex as I switch from project to project. (I find myself
	relearning with each switch.) Eventually, all the DSRPLUS
	manuals will be converted. Can I do the same with the LaTex?
	Does anyone -- for some bizarre reason -- have such a program?

	Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

	Kevin McDonough
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526.1me2!WAGON::DONHAMBorn again! And again, and again...Wed Jun 24 1987 15:3311
    
    I'm looking for the same thing...I have a 2,000-page set of manuals
    that are in LaTeX which must be converted to DOCUMENT. Maybe it
    would be easier to bypass GUTENTAG, dumping the converted LaTeX
    code right into the formatter.
    
    I'd like to talk with anyone who is even just *thinking* about this
    conversion.
    
    -Perry
    
526.2Quick and dirty solutionCASEE::RAYNERDoug RaynerThu Jul 02 1987 03:2817
    We had a few LaTeX documents that we wished to convert to DOCUMENT so I
    recently wrote a VAX/SCAN program to convert only the LaTeX commands
    that we were using.  It could easily be enhanced to convert more of the
    commands if someone who knew SCAN were willing to modify the source.
    For example, we had only one table, so I did not translate those
    commands (but I am now convinced that it would not have been too big a
    job). 
    
    I may regret this later on, but I am willing to make available a copy
    of the program image and the SCAN source file.  Since we have converted
    all of our LaTeX documents, we will not be enhancing the program any
    further.  If someone does more work on it, they might post a note here
    for other interested people.  Please keep in mind that this program is
    offered on an "as is" basis: 
    
    	CASEE::SYS$PUBLIC:LATEX2GNC.EXE
        CASEE::SYS$PUBLIC:LATEX2GNC.SCN
526.3Thanks. I'll try it.CADSYS::MCDONOUGHTue Jul 07 1987 14:226
re: 526.2 

	Thanks very much. I am going to give your program a try and _do_
	understand that you cannot support it.

	Kevin
526.4Anyone else?CLARID::TURNBULLMon Sep 07 1987 08:036
    RE: 526.2
    
    Has anyone used and then expanded this converter, or does anyone have a 
    more powerful Latex-document tool?
    
    Greg.
526.5I (temporarily?) gave upIJSAPL::KLERKTheo de KlerkMon Sep 07 1987 10:3531
  I've used it some times and found that except for very simple files, it
  is not of much use. It does save you some of the tedious replacements
  for <list>s etc.

  I've tried to expand on it a little (against better judgement) but
  I ran into a lot of problems with Scan. To my experience with this
  language {it{does{not{like{{nested}commands}very}much}}}. What you need
  is a stack-oriented approach that pushes all commands and pops them
  one after the other. Scan doesn't do that (I think). Pascal does, but
  that means more programming on my side and I haven't got that time
  (it has to stay a hack to me).

  Effectively, currently I've given up. Some more problems encountered:
  - Text in headers may be \bf or \it, whereas in Document you would not
    want it that way and would rather ignore it. 
  - Sometimes it needs some intelligence to know when a certain command
    end due to grouping and scope. This requires more than a simple push/pop
    operation:
       \section{\it a title}   
    effectively is a 
       \section{ {\it a title} }
  - You need to remember \font definitions and ignore those commands when
    encountered.
  - Rather complicated math/tabular translations
  - What about user abbreviations? I've always used \bv for \begin{verbatim}
    and \def-ined it once.

  A good translator sounds like a proper project with resources allocated
  to it. It's not build on the fly.

Theo
526.6It should be officialCLARID::TURNBULLThu Sep 10 1987 06:035
    You're right, I think that resources should be allocated to this
    sort of project if Document is destined to become a DEC standard.
    I will enter a new note with that request in mind.
    
    Cheers, Greg.