Re: gEDA-user: OT: Latex

[Peter Clifton <pcjc2@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 2010-02-07 at 16:39 -0700, John Doty wrote:
> On Feb 7, 2010, at 3:38 PM, Peter Clifton wrote:
> 
> > Lyx has its own file format, but it can export to various flavours of
> > LaTeX (IE.. code for plain latex, pdflatex).
> >
> > Similarly, "File->Export->PDF (pdflatex)" is all you need to produce a
> > document - not sure if it can be driven via the command line or not.
> 
> What if the hand is 10,000 km from the mouse? What if the "user" is a  
> script? This is why I'm so skeptical of "integrated" GUI  
> environments: they get in the way of automated flow.

I'm previewing typeset work - I'm working in a GUI environment, so yes..
the mouse is next to my hand. If you're happy checking your output on a
xterm, please go right ahead and use emacs + LaTeX.

> LaTeX works so well in an automated flow with things like gEDA: why  
> don't the LyX developers get this? It *should* be so easy.

It is in Lyx.. as far as I can tell. If you wanted to do your "TeX" bit
from within Lyx, using Lyx as an editor exporting LaTeX code, then you
can still happily integrate "make" based work-flows with it. - merge
output from gEDA etc..

A cursory look at "lyx --help" also suggests that it can execute "lyx
commands", import / export from the command line... sounds like it can
be used in an automated work-flow to me.

You can completely customise the file-translators Lyx uses to import and
convert graphics - all based in calling external programs. Lyx really is
a well engineered piece of software.

(Also, Lyx's file-format is ASCII based).

> But this is completely normal: developers of specialized GUI tools *almost  
> always* lose sight of the bigger picture. I plead that this not  
> happen to gEDA.

Developers of specialised GUI tools cater for users who wish to work
from within such a tool.

Just because you don't necessarily want to do that, doesn't make the
idea invalid. It is nice that in this case, the GUI tool can cater for
automated work-flows.

Regards,

Peter C.





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