TeX Knowledge Data Base

T_EX Knowledge Data Base (under construction)
Last updated: January 26, 1999
© 1999 Michael A. Golub
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Dear Friends!

I often receive questions about TeX and from time to time I experience my own problems with tex-files.

I have decided to make a kind of a small subset of TUG service on my page, so choose what category you want to look through. If you cannot find an appropriate category, then try "Etcetera":

→ TeX → Portable Document Format (PDF)

→ AMSTeX → TeX Directory Structure (TDS)

→ LaTeX → Russification

→ Graphics → Comprehensive TeX Archive Network (CTAN)

→ PostScript → [Cyrillic] TeX User Group

→ Hypertext markup (HTML) → Etcetera: DvI, national characters, and so on.

Please, send your comments, questions and suggestions in the following form:

category (e.g., TeX)
your query/suggestion (e.g., How to write chemical formulae?)

your query/suggestion
...

category
your query/suggestion
...

to me.

General TeX usage and plain TeX

Problem Solution

TeX does not hyphenate words with explicit hyphens \def\dash{\nobreak\hskip0pt\nobreak-\hskip0pt}
% Use \dash instead of - for hyphens,
% e.g., above\dash mentioned

AMSTeX specific questions

Sorry, not ready yet.

LaTeX format and its peculiarities

Sorry, not ready yet.

Using graphics with TeX

Sorry, not ready yet.

PostScript: language and tools

Sorry, not ready yet.

Portable Document Format (PDF) and TeX

Sorry, not ready yet.

TeX Directory Structure (TDS)

Initially TeX has no directory standards, but now it is of a great importance. Not all TeX implementations follow the standard, e.g., very popular emTeX has its own directory structure, but its directory tree cannot grow infinitely: You wuold need to specify longer and longer SET values to find include files, etc.

Many other TeX implementations allow one or more TDS trees. Each of them comprises TeX binaries, TeX code, fonts and so on like this:

			       texmf
				 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
|		|		 |		|		|
tex		fonts		 metafont	metapost	...
 |- generic	 |- afm 	  |- base	 |- base
 |- latex	 |- ofm 	     ...	 |- misc
 |- plain	 |- ovf 			    ...
 |- texinfo	 |- ovp
    ... 	 |- pk
		 |- source
		 |- tfm
		 |- type1
		    ...

Each subdirectory may start a subtree. Each directory in each subtree is automatically (or after running some automatic configurator) is included into the appropriate path (font, TeX and METAFONT input, etc.)

Russification: how to...

Problem Solution

How to send a 7-bit e-mail (without MIME or UU encoding) with Russian (Cyrillic) text? Use WNCYR* fonts and cyracc.def from AMSTeX package. You need to read amsfndoc.dvi to know how to apply it. It is simple. It works with plain TeX and AMSTeX (perhaps with LaTeX also). You may need to download Russian 7-bit hyphenation patterns from CTAN (see below) or disable hyphenation by using \tolerance and \pretolerance commands as described in the TeXbook.

Comprehensive TeX Archive Network (CTAN)

CTAN -- is a (almost) complete collection of TeX resources (formats, fonts, binaries, utilities, etc.) The main problem is to choose the mirror, find the item you are interested it and remeber CTAN's directory structure.

Fortunately here is some automatically generated catalogue: Please, try CTAN at Dante first. Each CTAN site contains the references to all other sites (and the catalog also) The TeX Catalogue Online, CTAN Edition

Note that it is not an HTTP, but an FTP link, though it is an HTML (WWW) document.

[Cyrillic] TeX User Group

As a CyrTUG member I advise to visit Cyrillic TeX Users Group Home Page first, there you can find references to all other TUGs. TUGs are important information resources.

Hypertext markup (HTML) and TeX

Sorry, not ready yet.

Etcetera including troubleshooting

Problem Solution

How to make a double quote work as a «smart one»? % NB: careful! " is active now!
% Do not nest! Do not use in \write!
% Make "..." perform like \LQ...\RQ.
\let\dquote=" % save original " definition
\catcode`\"=\active % Make " active
% Russian left quotes (,,):
\def\LQ{{,\kern-.07em,}\penalty10000\hskip0pt}
% Russian right quotes (``):
\def\RQ{\penalty10000\hskip0pt{``}}
% Quote counter:
\newcount\quoteord \quoteord=1
\def"{\ifnum\quoteord=1\global\quoteord=0\LQ
\else\global\quoteord=1\RQ\fi}

Included graphic object (say, PCX file) does not appear when viewing or printing the DVI file.

Make sure you do \supereject (\bye and not \end)
Try embed as insertion (e.g., \midinsert ... \endinsert)
Make sure the object fits the page margins

Text is hidden behind the included picture (say, PCX file) emTeX DVI-drivers deal with bitmap as transparent (white is a transparent colour), DVIWIN deals with it as non-transparent. Avoid overlapping the text.

How to transform the DVI file if Epson 9-pin resolution is used? emTeX drivers are incapable of transforming DVI if its vertical and horizontal resolutions differ. It may be the same with some other DVI drivers.

DVIWIN shows the document correct but priting is magnified (even does not fit the page) Your font resolution does not match Windows printer or DVI-driver resolution. Note that Windows cannot print with the best quality on 9-pin printers.

DVIWIN displays the DvI file incorrectly after tuning the Matrox (or similar) video card Switch but mastering off: Run Matrox display properties, choose Settings tab, hit Advanced button, choose Performance tab and uncheck Use bus mastering. Hit OK (Apply button(s) and reboot (normally it is to be done automatically). Everything is to be OK.

End of TeX Knowledge Data Base page

→ TeX	→ Portable Document Format (PDF)
→ AMSTeX	→ TeX Directory Structure (TDS)
→ LaTeX	→ Russification
→ Graphics	→ Comprehensive TeX Archive Network (CTAN)
→ PostScript	→ [Cyrillic] TeX User Group
→ Hypertext markup (HTML)	→ Etcetera: DvI, national characters, and so on.

Problem	Solution
TeX does not hyphenate words with explicit hyphens	\def\dash{\nobreak\hskip0pt\nobreak-\hskip0pt} % Use \dash instead of - for hyphens, % e.g., above\dash mentioned

Problem	Solution
How to send a 7-bit e-mail (without MIME or UU encoding) with Russian (Cyrillic) text?	Use `WNCYR*` fonts and `cyracc.def` from AMSTeX package. You need to read `amsfndoc.dvi` to know how to apply it. It is simple. It works with plain TeX and AMSTeX (perhaps with LaTeX also). You may need to download Russian 7-bit hyphenation patterns from CTAN (see below) or disable hyphenation by using `\tolerance` and `\pretolerance` commands as described in the TeXbook.

Problem	Solution
How to make a double quote work as a «smart one»?	% NB: careful! " is active now! % Do not nest! Do not use in \write! % Make "..." perform like \LQ...\RQ. \let\dquote=" % save original " definition \catcode`\"=\active % Make " active % Russian left quotes (,,): \def\LQ{{,\kern-.07em,}\penalty10000\hskip0pt} % Russian right quotes (``): \def\RQ{\penalty10000\hskip0pt{``}} % Quote counter: \newcount\quoteord \quoteord=1 \def"{\ifnum\quoteord=1\global\quoteord=0\LQ \else\global\quoteord=1\RQ\fi}
Included graphic object (say, PCX file) does not appear when viewing or printing the DVI file.	Make sure you do \supereject (\bye and not \end) Try embed as insertion (e.g., \midinsert ... \endinsert) Make sure the object fits the page margins
Text is hidden behind the included picture (say, PCX file)	emTeX DVI-drivers deal with bitmap as transparent (white is a transparent colour), DVIWIN deals with it as non-transparent. Avoid overlapping the text.
How to transform the DVI file if Epson 9-pin resolution is used?	emTeX drivers are incapable of transforming DVI if its vertical and horizontal resolutions differ. It may be the same with some other DVI drivers.
DVIWIN shows the document correct but priting is magnified (even does not fit the page)	Your font resolution does not match Windows printer or DVI-driver resolution. Note that Windows cannot print with the best quality on 9-pin printers.
DVIWIN displays the DvI file incorrectly after tuning the Matrox (or similar) video card	Switch but mastering off: Run `Matrox display properties`, choose `Settings` tab, hit `Advanced` button, choose `Performance` tab and uncheck `Use bus mastering`. Hit `OK` (`Apply` button(s) and reboot (normally it is to be done automatically). Everything is to be OK.