Why can't TeXShop replace FrameMaker?

D

Durbrow

Registered
Why can't TeXShop replace FrameMaker or even Word for medium to long documents? Version 1.35 is out and with XeTeX it can use Mac fonts. There is also a Tables editor now. Although painful to install, once going it seems pretty powerful. Can DTP professional tell me what is still missing or if the learning curve is still too high?

P.S. Anyone try Publicon from the makers of Mathematica?
 
Why can't TeXShop replace FrameMaker or even Word for medium to long documents?
Click to expand...
Okay, this is a really odd question.

TeXShop (like all TeX based editors I know of) is hand coded layout. You can't tell me you learned TeX coding in a matter of minutes (or even hours). Word, AppleWorks, FrameMaker, QuarkXPress, Create and InDesign are all WYSIWYG layout tools for document creation. Even TextEdit works better than any TeX based editors for writing for most everyone.

NO code based document layout program is ever going to match any WYSIWYG program for the general public. That is like asking people to go back to running their computers via command line (definitely not the Mac way of doing things).

I'm in mathematics, so I use TeX (I happen to like iTeXMac). I provide service for a number of local magazines so I'm very proficient with QuarkXPress and InDesign (though I use Create on my systems). I do some web design and I use a combination of WYSIWYG web tools (Create, GoLive and ImageReady) while still hand tweaking the source code in OmniWeb.

What I'm saying is that it is great that you have discovered the power of TeX, but it is as far from being a universal replacement for Word and FrameMaker as you can get. Until the average person can walk up and start using a TeX based editor as quickly and easily as they can with a WYSIWYG application, it'll never have mass appeal.

What I find curious is that what seems like a very obvious concept has alluded you. :confused: You aren't really asking "why" here... are you?

On the other hand, Publicon does look promising... but considering the pricing of Wolfram's other products... I'll stick to my current methods of document creation (and most likely wouldn't recommend it as a replacement for FrameMaker or Word unless TeX out put is needed). ;)
 
Perhaps TeXShop could replace FrameMaker _for you_ if you know what you are doing. (La)TeX is intended as document typesetting program, not as a full-blown publishing tool to edit complete journals or magazines. Yes, if you are really really good at LaTeX you could do that and there are people who indeed _do_ do that. I use TeXShop for most and any documents I write, but then I mostly write articles and essays (and the odd letter). Trying to use TeX as a complete DTP solution is like trying to do image manipulation from the command line, it's possible for the advanced expert, but not the easiest / best / most intuitive / clearest solution.

BTW. If you succeeded in setting up XeLaTeX to use Zapfino as a font to typeset a mathematical formula I'd be interested in your settings/code/preamble ... :D ;)
 
You're right; my question was odd. Too much caffeine combined with too much enthusiasm for the latest TeXShop (which has been updated three times in the last four days BTW). I take it your comments on using a TeX-based system for "Common Man" type projects would still apply to LyX, right?

P.S. And no I have not started to use XeTex or XeLaTeX yet.

P.P.S. Images are a pain in the neck in TeXShop although tables has improved.
 
Durbrow said:
I take it your comments on using a TeX-based system for "Common Man" type projects would still apply to LyX, right?
Click to expand...

Yes, but it is a nice step in the right direction.

Thanks for pointing it out, I'm playing with it right now. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top