WET01 Proceedings EuroTEX2005 – Pont-à-Mousson, France

ProTEXt, a new TEX-Collection for Beginners

Thomas Feuerstack, Klaus Höppner

Februar 27, 2005

Abstract

One of TEX’s largest strengths is embedded in the high modularity of the program. Beside the processor itself, every TEXnican might use the Editor, Post-Processor-Program, etc. he prefers most. For beginners or only interested person this advantage can lead to difficulties, especially in times, where users have gotten accustomed at "complete environments".

ProTEXt shows a way, how even Beginners can easily setup a complete running system and therefore it eliminates one of the main obstacles in using TEX.

78 ProTEXt, a new TEX-Collection for Beginners Thomas Feuerstack, Klaus Höppner rceig EuroT Proceedings hmsFurtc,KasHöppner Klaus Feuerstack, Thomas ProT

— yet — yet proTEXt proTEXt another another

E Prelude on stage

t e T new a Xt, TEX-Collection? TEX-Collection? Th. Feuerstack/ Th. Feuerstack/ K. Höppner K. Höppner

Prelude on the Prelude on the stage stage

E The general Setup The general Setup -olcinfrBeginners for X-Collection proT Xt — yet another T X-Collection? of the kit of the kit E E The year 2005 – the whole world seems is occupied by E Things to discuss M$-Wordians. WET01 Things to discuss France Pont-à-Mousson, – X2005

Th. Feuerstack/ ? Really the whole world? K. Höppner I According to our experience there are still some TeX interested individuals ! And lately they become even more. . . March 9, 2005

— yet — yet proTEXt proTEXt Prelude on stage another The “Furthermore you also need” situation another TEX-Collection? TEX-Collection? Th. Feuerstack/ Th. Feuerstack/ K. Höppner K. Höppner Lets imagine someone asks you, how to find an entrance Prelude on the Prelude on the Compared to the mainstream users named above, the stage in TEX. So you’ll point him to stage The general Setup The general Setup coming TEX-user suffers from a handicap which usually is of the kit of the kit I an easy to install TEX-implementation. . . an advantage, i.e.: Things to discuss Things to discuss I . . . an easy to use editor to compose his texts. . .  A complete TEX-environment is highly adjustable to the user’s needs. Everybody can choose the editor, TEX-engine, postprocessing tools, . . . she/he likes I . . . additional information and How-To’s to learn the best. way TEX works. . .

 Unfortunately most “rookies” are no more I ... accustomed to such conditions, because “modern software” claims an “All-in-One”-Status. ! As to us, most “someones” give up between the items 2 and 3 and fade. . . 79 E0 rceig EuroT Proceedings WET01 0ProT 80

— yet — yet proTEXt proTEXt A picture of this situation another What is actually needed? another TEX-Collection? TEX-Collection? Th. Feuerstack/ Th. Feuerstack/ If the goal is something like this. . . K. Höppner K. Höppner

Prelude on the Prelude on the stage Depending on our experiences (and therefore included in stage The general Setup ): The general Setup of the kit proTEXt of the kit Things to discuss I An easy to install TEX-implementation for Windows Things to discuss § MiKTEX I A simple to use editor with hooks to TEX § WinEdt, TEXnicCenter . . . we’ll have to provide a starting-kit to let our I Postprocessing tools like and GSView “someone” enter the game.

I A short description how to combine these things!

— yet — yet proTEXt proTEXt Practical Demonstration another What could/should be changed in future another TEX-Collection? TEX-Collection? Th. Feuerstack/ releases? Th. Feuerstack/ K. Höppner K. Höppner

Prelude on the Prelude on the

E stage stage t e T new a Xt, The general Setup The general Setup hmsFurtc,KasHöppner Klaus Feuerstack, Thomas of the kit of the kit E

Things to discuss I Which editor ist the easiest/the best? Things to discuss France Pont-à-Mousson, – X2005

I Is there a free graphical frontend for Ghostscript? E -olcinfrBeginners for X-Collection I Are there any volunteers to translate the Install-Doc into additional languages? (Many thanks to Steve Peter, Grzegorz Domanski´ and Denis Bitouzé!)