Tricks for TeX and LaTeX - primarily taken from comp.text.tex and The Em TeX mailing list

Degree sign

\newcommand{\grad}{\mbox{$^{\circ}$}}

ernst wallenborn (wall@phys.chem.ethz.ch)

Bras and Kets

% Use $$\Braket{\phi | {\partial^2}\over {\partial t^2} | \psi}$$

\def\bra#1{\mathinner{\langle{#1}|}}
\def\ket#1{\mathinner{|{#1}\rangle}}
\def\braket#1{\mathinner{\langle{#1}\rangle}}
\def\Bra#1{\left<#1\right|}
\def\Ket#1{\left|#1\right>}
{\catcode`\|=\active 
  \gdef\Braket#1{\left<\mathcode`\|"8000\let|\bravert {#1}\right>}}
\def\bravert{\egroup\,\vrule\,\bgroup}

\newdimen\@tempdima
\newdimen\@tempdimb
\newdimen\@tempdimc
\newdimen\@tempdimd

\def\mathbox#1{\hbox{$\mathpalette\@mathbox{#1}}}
\def\@mathbox#1#2{#1#2}

\def\braket#1#2{%
  \setbox0 = \mathbox{#1} \@tempdima=\ht0 \@tempdimb=\dp0
  \setbox0 = \mathbox{#2} \@tempdimc=\ht0 \@tempdimd=\dp0
  \ifdim \@tempdimc > \@tempdima
    \@tempdima = \@tempdimc
  \fi
  \ifdim \@tempdimd > \@tempdimc
    \@tempdimb = \@tempdimd
  \fi
  \def\@tempa{\vrule width0pt height\@tempdima depth\@tempdimb}
  \left.\left\langle\@tempa{#1}\,\right|\,{#2}\right\rangle}

Four dot ellipses

I too have noticed that \dots plus a period produces irregular and unsightly spacing. Here's a solution: define a four-dot ellipsis on the same pattern as \dots, thus --

\def\ldotsplus{\mathinner{\ldotp\ldotp\ldotp\ldotp}}
\def\fourdots{\relax\ifmmode\ldotsplus\else$\m@th \ldotsplus\,$\fi}

Allin Cottrell (cottrell@wfu.edu)

Larger Parenthesis

I want the outer parenthesis larger than the inner parenthesis.

\bigl((x+b)\bigr)

First, the problem with \bigl and \bigr is (or was) that they just copy the plain TeX definition, for 10pt, and don't change size to match the document. Moreover, LaTeX, by default, uses the same font for big parentheses at all sizes. The upshot is that in a 12pt document, \big is the same size as an ordinary parenthesis!

The solution; \usepackage{exscale} to scale the math extensions properly, and get a sty file that redefines \big etc to be sensitive to the font size. I forget which package does this...but it should probably go into exscale.

Alternatively, use exscale, but set \delimitershortfall=-2pt and then type $\left((x+b)\right)$

Donald Arseneau (asnd@reg.triumf.ca)

Setting Margins

 %%% Begin Example

\newlength{\myrightmargin}
\newlength{\myleftmargin}
\newlength{\mytopmargin}
\newlength{\mybottommargin}

% Change these settings to change the margins
\setlength{\myrightmargin}{1.0in}
\setlength{\myleftmargin}{1.0in}
\setlength{\mytopmargin}{1.0in}     
\setlength{\mybottommargin}{1.0in} 
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{0.0in}   % extra room on inside side

%%% use margin settings to set width variables
\setlength{\evensidemargin}{0 in}
\setlength{\marginparsep}{0 in}
\setlength{\marginparwidth}{0 in}
\setlength{\hoffset}{\myleftmargin - 1.0in}
\setlength{\textwidth}
  {8.5in -\myleftmargin -\myrightmargin -\oddsidemargin}

%%% use margin settings to set height variables
\setlength{\voffset}{\mytopmargin -1.0in}
\setlength{\topmargin}{0 in}
\setlength{\headheight}{12 pt}
\setlength{\headsep}{20 pt}
\setlength{\footskip}{36 pt}
\setlength{\textheight}
  {11.0in-\mytopmargin-\mybottommargin-\headheight-\headsep-\footskip}

Keith Reckdahl (reckdahl@leland.stanford.edu)

Ragrighting a hole document

A full solution is the following LaTeX2e-style file:

\makeatletter

% LaTeX \raggedright turns off hyphenation somehow.

\rightskip=0pt plus2em
\spaceskip=.3333em plus.03em minus .02em
\xspaceskip=.5em plus.08em minus.02em
\@rightskip=\rightskip % for LaTeX


%\hbadness=10000

% This is supposed to prevent very long words from sticking out into the
% right margin.  Instead they will be moved into the next line.
\emergencystretch=\hsize
\tolerance=9999

\def\@arrayparboxrestore{%
  \let\par\@@par
  \let\-\@dischyph
  \let\'\@acci\let\`\@accii\let\=\@acciii
  \parindent\z@ \parskip\z@skip
  \everypar{}%
  \linewidth\hsize
  \@totalleftmargin\z@ 
  \leftskip\z@skip \rightskip\@rightskip
  \parfillskip\@flushglue \lineskip\normallineskip
  \baselineskip\normalbaselineskip
  \sloppy}

More than nine marginal notes on a page

David Gast (gast@twinsun.com)wrote:

If I ever try to put more than 9 marginal notes on a page, I get an error message like

   ! LaTeX Error: Too many unprocessed floats.

I was unsuccessful in avoiding this problem by setting values like \totalnumber.

Is there some way to permit more than nine marginal notes?

While searching for something else recently, I came across a reference to a package called morefloats.sty which claims to address this problem. I haven't found it yet let alone downloaded it and tested it. I guess its in CTAN somewhere and may or may not work with LaTeX2e.

Robin Fairbairns (rf@cl.cam.ac.uk)

How to Put Float And Caption on a Separate Page

text text text ...
\begin{figure}[p] ... \caption{...}\end{figure}
\clearpage

I have a LaTeX2.09 compatible style file which uses the ``^^'' symbol. This is not understood by LaTeX2e at all (illegal character), and I don't know how it worked or what it was meant to do originally.

Most likely the ^^ notation was refering to a chaacter of code less than 32, which are `illegal' in LaTeX as they do not work on all TeX systems. However if you just want to make them legal again to get your package working go

\catcode`\^^A=12
\catcode`\^^B=12

David Carlisle (carlisle@ma.man.ac.uk)

Non italicised Greek characters

How do you get non-italicised Greek lower case characters in LaTeX? Using \mathrm seems only to change capitals. I particularly need to get \mu for units such as microamps.

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\DeclareFontShape{OT1}{cmg}{m}{n}{<-> cmg10}{}
\DeclareFontFamily{OT1}{cmg}{}
\newcommand{\MU}{{\fontfamily{cmg}\fontseries{m}%
   \fontshape{n}\selectfont m}}
\begin{document}
 \MU
\end{document}

Upright Letters in Math

I am trying to substitute the italics in formulas for upright letters, but without the need for typing \mathrm{. . .} inside the formula all the time. In other words, I want to change the default font from italic to normal.

The only thing that worked sofar was

\SetSymbolFont{letters}{normal}{OT1}{cmr}{m}{n}

\DeclareSymbolFont{pletters}{OT1}{panr}{m}{it}
\SetSymbolFont{pletters}{bold}{OT1}{panr}{m}{it}
\DeclareSymbolFont{operators}{OT1}{panr}{m}{n}
\SetSymbolFont{operators}{bold}{OT1}{panr}{bx}{n}

\DeclareMathsymbol{a}{\mathalpha}{pletters}{`a}
\DeclareMathsymbol{b}{\mathalpha}{pletters}{`b}
\DeclareMathsymbol{c}{\mathalpha}{pletters}{`c}
\DeclareMathsymbol{d}{\mathalpha}{pletters}{`d}

What are the TC fonts?

Dan Luecking (luecking@comp.uark.edu)

Fonts at Great Magsteps

I am having trouble using cmb10 scaled at magstep8. Can anyone help? When I access it in Plain TeX however:

\font\bigfont= cmb10 scaled \magstep8
\bigfont{test of Bigfont}

TeX complains:

! Missing number, treated as zero0.

            \relax
l.5 \font\bigfont= cmb10 scaled \magstep8

\catcode `\@ = 11

\newcount \r@mainder
\newcount \m@gstepcount
\newcount \m@gsteplimit
\newcount \m@gstepvalue
\newdimen \m@gstepdimen

\def \magsteps {\afterassignment \m@gsteps \m@gsteplimit = }

\def \m@gsteps
    {\let \@r = \or
     \def \or {\noexpand \or}%
     \m@gstepdimen = 0.166667 \maxdimen
     \m@gstepvalue = 1000 
     \m@gstepcount = 0
     \def \magstep {}%
     \loop
     \ifnum \m@gstepcount < \m@gsteplimit
            \advance \m@gstepcount by 1
            \ifnum \m@gstepvalue > \m@gstepdimen
                   \advance \m@gstepcount by -1
                   \message {Sorry --- integer overflow would occur if
                             I went any further; stopped at 
                             \the \m@gstepcount.}
                   \m@gsteplimit = \m@gstepcount 
            \else
                   \multiply \m@gstepvalue by 12
                   \multiply \r@mainder by 12
                   \divide \r@mainder by 10
                   \advance \m@gstepvalue by \r@mainder
                   \r@mainder = \m@gstepvalue
                   \divide \m@gstepvalue by 10
                   \multiply \m@gstepvalue by 10
                   \advance \r@mainder by -\m@gstepvalue
                   \divide \m@gstepvalue by 10
                   \ifnum \r@mainder < 5
                     \edef \magstep {\magstep \or \the \m@gstepvalue}%
                   \else
                     \advance \m@gstepvalue by 1
                     \edef \magstep {\magstep \or \the \m@gstepvalue}%
                     \advance \m@gstepvalue by -1
                   \fi
            \fi
     \repeat
     \edef \magstep ##1%
          {\noexpand \ifcase ##1
                        1000\magstep 
           \noexpand \else 0%
           \noexpand \message 
                {Sorry --- \string \magstep \space ##1
                 is not in range 0 .. \the \m@gsteplimit}%
           \noexpand \fi
           \noexpand \relax
          }%
     \let \or = \@r
    }

\catcode `\@ = 12

Real HUGE fonts

\newcommand{\HUGE}{\fontsize{35}{45}\selectfont}

This gave me a problem. cm fonts are substuted by 24.88pt if I tried any bigger fonts, and it didn't work with some other fonts. Any further help? (I'm using emTeX under OS/2.)

Note that you can overrule the command in your own file, as eg by copying this from OT1cmr.fd to your LaTeX file

\DeclareFontShape{OT1}{cmr}{m}{n}
   {  <5> <6> <7> <8> <9> <10> <12> gen * cmr
      <10.95> cmr10
      <14.4>  cmr12
      <17.28><20.74><24.88>cmr17}{}

      <17.28><20.74><24.88><35>cmr17}{}

      <17.28><20.74><24.88->cmr17}{}

Timothy Murphy (tim@maths.tcd.ie)

Where to ask questions about METAFONT

Try subscribing to the metafont list. I wrote in the UKTUG FAQ:

Issues related to Metafont (and, increasingly, MetaPost) are discussed on the metafont mailing list; subscribe by sending a message `subscribe metafont your name' to listserv@ens.fr

Detecting two following tokens

Then, is there any way that achieves the following imaginary command: \futurefutureletCS-a CS-b TK1 TK2 TK3 performs \letCS-a=TK2, performs \letCS-b=TK3, processes TK1, processes TK2, and then processes TK3.

\def\futurefuturelet#1#2#3{\def\tempmacro{\afterassignment#3%
                           \futurelet#2}\futurelet#1\tempmacro}%

Tanmoy Bhattacharya (tanmoy@qcd.lanl.gov)

One can emulate \futurelet, when TK1 is a command, by the following: \afterassignmentTK1\letCS TK2 , provided TK1 does the job of processing TK2 (or rather, the CS that has been \let equal to TK2.

This type of thing can be extended to more than one following token by having TK1 perform another such operation or a \futurelet:

\def\X{\afterassignment\getsecond\let\first=}
  \def\getsecond{\futurelet\second\processboth}
  \def\processboth{%
     ...             % code to examine \first and \second,
     ...             % perform some actions and then...
     \first          % put \first back
  }

• \first is \let equal to TK1 (removing TK1 from input)
• \getsecond is expanded causing ... \second to be \futurelet equal to TK2
• \processboth (this plays the role of TK1) is \ expanded, taking action possibly dependent on both \first and \second and then causing ... \first to be executed at the end
• TK2 is processed

Dan Luecking (luecking@comp.uark.edu)

How to write commands to a file

\test{Hi \bf World}   =>   \let\protect\noexpand
                           \write\somefile{#1}

Robin Fairbairns (rf@cl.cam.ac.uk)

\newtoks\argtoks
\def\test#1{\argtoks={#1}\immediate\write\somefile{\the\argtoks}}

Anders Svensson (svensson@math.ubc.ca)

Using \jobname

I would like to include some conditional text, based on the name of the file that's being `TeXed'. I have tried the following:

\def\fname={somename}
if\jobname\fname\dothis\else\dothat\fi

However, the if-test is always false, even when the filename is `somename.tex'. ...

\if ....

So you probably meant \ifx rather than \if \def\x{abc} \def\y{abc} then \ifx\x\y will be true.

However \jobname is a strange beast. It returns the letters with catcode 12 and as it is not a macro it is not \ifx equivalent to any macro. Thus you first have to make a macro with the letters you want to test all set to catcode 12 (I use \meaning and the LaTeX command \stip@prefix to generate this below) and then you need a second macro with the contents of \jobname. Then you can compare them with \ifx.

\makeatletter
\def\aaa{xx}\edef\aaa{\expandafter\strip@prefix\meaning\aaa}
\edef\bbb{\jobname}

\ifx\bbb\aaa
   \show\yes
\else
   \show\no
\fi

David Carlisle (carlisle@ma.man.ac.uk)

where \filename returns the name of the file containing the \if statement.

\let\TeXinput\input
\def\input#1 {\edef\Temporary{\noexpand\TeXinput#1 
  \def\noexpand\filename{\filename}}%
  \def\filename{#1}\Temporary}

(I hope it works as typed.)

Donald Arseneau (asnd@reg.triumf.ca)

: \jobname returns the name of the file being processed,

This will give you the `name' part of the file (without path or extension). What is the hook for the full qualified file name?

but (if you know you are on a TeX that uses \jobname.log as the log file (ie not on VMS, where you have to make obvious change to .lis) you can get the full path from the log file. Unfortunately on Unix and presumably other systems writing to the file is buffered, so you have to write an awful lot of rubbish to flush out the buffer so the log really appears in the file, then you can read in the file and look at the first lines...

The code below sets the path to the path reported by TeX. If the file is in the current directory this may end up being just the filename like \jobname. On web2c unix TeX at least you can force TeX to give the full path in the log file by explicitly putting the current directory at the front of the TeX input path.

Thus if you save the code below as jobpath.tex this seems to work on my machine at least...

vummath> TEXINPUTS=$PWD: tex jobpath
This is TeX, Version 3.14159 (C version 6.1)
(/home/carlisle/jobpath.tex
Hyphenation patterns for english, german, loaded.
!!!
!!! Full path is /home/carlisle/jobpath.tex  !!!
!!!
 )
No pages of output.
Transcript written on jobpath.log.
vummath> 

\newread\logfile

\wlog{just to get started}

\def\flush{%
  \openin\logfile=\jobname.log
   \read\logfile to \rubbish % get rid of a \par
  \ifeof\logfile
    \writerubbish
    \closein\logfile
    \expandafter\flush
  \fi}

\def\writerubbish{%
   {\newlinechar`\ \wlog{\xx\xx\xx\xx}}}

\def\xx{\xxx\xxx\xxx\xxx\xxx\xxx\xxx\xxx\xxx\xxx}
\def\xxx{a b c }


\def\getpath{%
  \read\logfile to \jobpathname
  \expandafter\testbracket\jobpathname((\testbracket}


\def\testbracket#1(#2(#3\testbracket{%
   \def\jobpathname{#2}%
  \ifx\jobpathname\empty
    \expandafter\getpath
  \fi}

% get the log file started
\flush
% now read it
\getpath

% see what happened

\immediate\write17{!!!}
\immediate\write17{!!! Full path is \jobpathname\space!!!}
\immediate\write17{!!!}

\bye

% filename.sty  \filename records the current filename
%
% first version: 1 Mar 91 (br)
% last change  : 5 Mar 91 (br)
%
\typeout{Style option `filename' <5 Mar 91> (br)}

\let\filename=\jobname
\let\old@@input=\@@input
\def\@@input#1 {\def\file@name{#1}%
  \expandafter\file@@input
  \expandafter\reset@filename\expandafter{\filename}}
\def\file@@input{\let\filename=\file@name
  \old@@input\filename\relax}
\def\reset@filename{\def\filename}

\endinput
% -- end of `filename.sty'
%From: raichle@azu.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de (Bernd Raichle)

Jean-Pierre Drucbert

\csname\uppercase{#1}\endcsname replacement

  \def\uccsname#1#2{\expandafter\def\csname\uppercase{#1}\endcsname{#2}}

\def\uccsname#1{\uppercase{\expandafter\def\csname#1\endcsname}}

\uccsname{zappadapp}#1#2{something#1#2}

Dropping a capital a the start of a paragraf

It is an adaptation from drop.sty targeted to the use with the yinit fonts (in CTAN) and Times-Roman on a PostScript printer. Your mileage may vary...

% From "drop.sty", written by David G. Cantor and published 
% Fri, 12 Feb 88, in TeXhax, 1988 #16; then modified for use with LaTeX by 
% Dominik Wujastyk, February 17, 1988.
%
% Modified MLO 1994-12-05 :
% - advanced \dimen0 by 0.5em, for use with yinit fonts;
% - the largest declared size for yinit fonts is 24.88; here I define a
%   font"myinit", based on yinit.mf and having all sizes.  The actual 
%   size used is \dropcapsheight: the default (40pt) corresponds to 4 
%   lines of text with 10pt fonts, and generates a file yinit.310pk 
%   through METAFONT. \dropcapsheight can be redefined by the user: e.g.
%   with a command \renewcommand{\dropcapsheight}{48pt} before 
%   \begin{document}.

\NeedsTeXFormat{LaTeX2e}
\ProvidesPackage{ydrop}
  [1994/12/05 - Dropped capitals for the 'yinit' fonts]
 
\DeclareFontFamily{U}{myinit}{}
\DeclareFontShape{U}{myinit}{m}{n}{ <-> yinit }{}
 
\newdimen\dropcapsheight  \dropcapsheight=40pt
 
\def\dropinitialfont
  {\fontsize{\dropcapsheight}{1.2\dropcapsheight}
  \usefont{U}{myinit}{m}{n}}
 
\def\drop#1#2{{\noindent
    \setbox0\hbox{\dropinitialfont #1}\setbox1\hbox{#2}\setbox2\hbox{(}%
    \count0=\ht0\advance\count0 by\dp0\count1\baselineskip
    \advance\count0 by-\ht1\advance\count0by\ht2
    \dimen1=.5ex\advance\count0by\dimen1\divide\count0 by\count1
   \advance\count0 by1\dimen0\wd0
    \advance\dimen0 by.75em\dimen1=\ht0\advance\dimen1 by-\ht1
    \global\hangindent\dimen0\global\hangafter-\count0
   \hskip-\dimen0\setbox0\hbox to\dimen0{\raise-\dimen1\box0\hss}%
    \dp0=0in\ht0=0in\box0}#2}

Paragraphs in multiple columns

I want to typeset the same text in two languages side by side, and I thought that I had devised a suitable environment (using the tabularx and array packages):

....
"! Argument of \TX@get@body has an extra }".

This mechanism of grabbing an environment body does have the disadvantage (shared with the AMS alignment environments) that you can not make extension environments by code such as

\newenvironment{foo}{\begin{tabularx}{XX}}{\end{tabularx}}

as the code is looking for a literal string \end{tabularx} to stop scanning. Since version 2.02, one may avoid this problem by using \tabularx and \endtabularx directly in the definition:

\newenvironment{foo}{\tabularx{XX}}{\endtabularx}

The scanner now looks for the end of the current environment (foo in this example.) There are some restrictions on this usage, the principal one being that \endtabularx is the first token of the `end code' of the environment.

%% Save file as: MULTICOLPAR.STY        Source: FILESERV@SHSU.BITNET  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%  File multicolpar.sty
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% by
% Mauro Orlandini <orlandini@tesre.bo.cnr.it>
% Modified by Max Hailperin <max@nic.gac.edu>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%
%   This LaTeX style, writes different paragraphs in different columns
% the number of columns is free), as
%   This is the first paragraph  |  This is the second paragraph and its
%   and text follows...          |  own text follows...
%
%   This is the third paragraph  |  This is the fourth paragraph...
%   and text follows...          |
%
% This format is useful for translated articles, in which there is the
% original language in the first column and the translated version in
% the second.
%
% Usage: \begin{multicolpar}{N}
%         ... text ...
%        \end{multicolpar}
%
% where N is the number of columns in which the text will be displayed.
% Warning: Inside the environment, each blank line (ie a \par) will 
%          correspond to a paragraph, therefore do not leave blank lines 
%          soon after the \begin{multicolpar}{N} command and soon before 
%          the \end{multicolpar} command (unless you want so).
%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\newenvironment{multicolpar}[1]{\begin{trivlist}\item[]%
\multicolumnparallelparagraphs{#1}{2em}}%
{\endmulticolumnparallelparagraphs\end{trivlist}}

\newcount\columnsleft   \newcount\totalcolumns   \newdimen\separation

\def\multicolumnparallelparagraphs#1#2{%
    \hbadness5000 \vbadness9999 \tolerance9999
    \totalcolumns=#1   \separation=#2   \let\xpar=\par
    \vskip\parskip
    \columnsleft=#1\relax
    \hbox to\hsize\bgroup
    \let\par\nextmulticolumnparallelparagraph
    \dimen0=#2\advance\hsize-\columnsleft\dimen0 \advance\hsize\dimen0
    \divide\hsize\columnsleft\relax
    \vtop\bgroup}
\def\nextmulticolumnparallelparagraph{%
    \egroup
    \advance\columnsleft-1
    \ifnum\columnsleft>0
        \hfil\vtop\bgroup
    \else
	\egroup
        \xpar\vskip\baselineskip\xpar
        \multicolumnparallelparagraphs\totalcolumns\separation
    \fi}

\def\endmulticolumnparallelparagraphs{%
    \egroup
    \advance\columnsleft-1
    \ifnum\columnsleft>0
        \hfil\vtop\bgroup\hbox to \hsize{}
        \endmulticolumnparallelparagraphs
    \else
	\egroup
        \xpar
    \fi}

How to Put Something on a Fixed Placed on the Page

Hans-Juergen Godau (godau@dec2.wi-inf.uni-essen.de)

It seems wisest to put the picture in a header as the top of page could vary from page to page (eg. in the letter-class). (Added by editor after advise from Roger de Reus).

Roger de Reus (REUS@MIC.DTU.DK)

Printing Many pages on one

Barry Smith, Blue Sky Research (barry@bluesky.com)

Tricky Leaders

I'm trying to format an index, where the subject can sometimes be fairly long. I'd like to force the text into the first 3 or 4 inches, with at least an inch where there is nothing but leader. An example will clarify:
What I have now:

Here is a short title .................... 24

Here  is  a  long  and  annoying  title  that
won't fit onto one line .................. 25

This is a very bad case. No leaders at all 26

What I want:

Here is a short title .................... 24

Here is a long  and annoying
title that won't fit onto one
line ..................................... 25

This is a very bad case. No 
leaders at all ........................... 26

So the solution to my problem is to add an inch to my \rightskip, which forces the right edge over 1 inch. And to get my page numbers all the way over to the right, we set \parfillskip to -\rightskip to counteract the \rightskip. Lastly, to make sure the very last line doesn't take advantage of the extended room made available by the \parfillskip, we give the leader a minimum size of \rightskip.

I've put all this stuff together into a parameterized environment and played with \textwidth to stress the example I'm working from.

\newcommand{\leaderfill}{Error}
  % This will get redefined below

% #1 is the title, #2 the page number,
% and #3 and optional subtitle or author
\newcommand{\IndexPaper}[3]
  {#1 \leaderfill #2 \par\emph{#3} \hfill\hfill\par\smallskip}

\newenvironment{Myindex}[1]
  {\setlength\parindent{0pt}
   \setlength\rightskip{#1}
   \setlength\parfillskip{-#1}
   \renewcommand{\leaderfill}
     {\cleaders \hbox to 4pt {\hss.\hss}
                \hskip #1 plus1fil\relax}}
  {}

\begin{Myindex}{2in}
\IndexPaper{The Phenomenon}{3}{We can put a Subtitle here}
\IndexPaper{The Phenomenon of Being and the Being of 
            the Phenomenon}{7}{Or maybe an author}
\IndexPaper{The Pre-reflective \emph{Cogito} and the
            Being of the \emph{Percipere}}{9}{}
\IndexPaper{The Being of the \emph{Percipi}}{9}{}
\IndexPaper{The Ontological Proof}{21}{}
\IndexPaper{Being-In-Itself}{24}{}
\end{Myindex

The Phenomenon
3
We can put a Sub-
title here

The Phenomenon ............... 3
We can put a Sub-
title here

Format with preloaded packages

I use the xy-pic drawing package with emTeX. I am able to mage e.g. a format file XYPLAIN.FMT with xy-pic preloaded by saing `tex386 -i xyplain.ini', where the contents of XYPLAIN.INI is:
...
The same trick used to work with the old ``inferior'' LaTeX. I cannot get it to work with LaTeX2e. I tried ini-files such as:

\input latex.ltx
\documentclass{article}
\input xy
\xyoption{v2}
\xyoption{2cell}
\UseAllTwocelss
\xyoption{matrix}
\xyoption{arrow}
\dump

One way is to copy latex.ltx to (say) mylatex.ltx, edit this file to remove \dump near the end, and use mylatex.ltx in your file XYLATEX.INI or whatever you decide to call it. You will then have to modify your batch files, etc. And you won't be able to send your source file to anyone else and have them process it.

Ken Smith (kgs@maths.uq.oz.au)

  \documentclass[english,german,....,12pt,a4paper]{article}
  \usepackage[cp850]{inputenc}
  \usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
  \usepackage{babel,mymacros,....}

 
tex386 -i -8 latex.ltx 

and then a format ``my_latex'' with tex386 -i &latex my_latex.tex where my_latex.tex contains the above line plus \dump. Then you can comment out these lines and load my_latex.fmt instead. Portability is no problem: Just uncomment the lines and the file is as portable as any other LaTeX file (which is admittedly not very portable in view of the various font, packages, encoding etc. which are meanwhile in use).

Peter Ryder (ryder@theo.physik.uni-bremen.de)

Side by side figures

Can anyone suggest a simple means of placing two figures side by side?

the width of the two minipages plus the \hspace should not be more than \textwidth. this assumes you're using graphicx. if not, simply replace \includegraphics[...] by your favorite command to include pictures.

\begin{figure}[ht]
\begin{minipage}{187pt}%\mbox{}
\center{\includegraphics[
%       bb=llx lly urx ury,
%        angle=270,
        width=187pt,
%       height=v_length,
%       scale=factor,
%       clip=true/false,
       draft=false,
        ]{...ps}}
\parbox{187pt}{\caption{.....
\label{...}}}
\end{minipage}
\hspace{14pt}
\begin{minipage}{187pt}%\mbox{}
\center{\includegraphics[
%       bb=llx lly urx ury,
%        angle=270,
        width=187pt,
%       height=v_length,
%       scale=factor,
%       clip=true/false,
       draft=false,
        ]{....ps}}
\parbox{187pt}{\caption{.....
\label{...}}}
\end{minipage}
 \end{figure}

Source code for the TeX-book

1. You need the manmac.tex file (which is usually distributed with TeX.)
2. You need all the *.tfm files called for by texman.tex (this includes some fonts that are distributed with Metafont only in *.mf source form. But all the font sources are in the typical Metafont distribution.)
3. TeX the texman.tex and read the Warning Message carefully.
4. Realize that you have to edit the source and that you need to run TeX in debug mode to figure out what's going on.
5. Break out the warning loop by changing one boolean variable's value.
6. TeX again to get the texman.dvi file.
7. Call 1-800-321-4AMS to order the TeXBook from the AMS.

Here is the relevant statement from the latest texbook.tex:

\loop\iftrue
  \errmessage{This manual is copyrighted and should not be TeXed}\repeat

There are a few specific conditions under which knuth has given explicit permission for the TeXbook to be TeXed:

• testing, by the implementor, of a new or updated implementation of TeX
• timing tests of different TeX implementations on the same machine by someone preparing a review for publication

bbeeton (BNB@MATH.AMS.ORG)

Simple Guide to MetaFont

Laurence Penney (Lorp@truetype.demon.co.uk)

Donald A. Hosek (quixote@Primenet.Com)

Robin Fairbairns (rf@cl.cam.ac.uk)

Uploading to CTAN

• the name of the package
• which CTAN host you uploaded to
• an outline the package's function
• a suggestion for its location on CTAN (if you have one)

Robin Fairbairns (rf@cl.cam.ac.uk)