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To: SC22WG5@dkuug.dk
Subject: WG5 document representation format
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Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 10:54:39 -0700
From: Van Snyder <vsnyder@vanpc.jpl.nasa.gov>


Craig Dedo wrote:

>    IMHO, the most important criterion for a document distribution format
> is that it is faily easily and inexpensively convertible from the SC22
> "standard" format into the user's preferred word processor document
> format.  From the way things look right now, MS Word has that capability,
> but PDF does not.  Most of the other popular word processors also have
> this capability.

>    Does anyone have a better idea than what SC22 is proposing?

I believe the primary use of WG5 documents is to read and print them.
To that end, PDF and PostScript are eminently well suited.  If somebody
other than the author needs to modify a WG5 document, the source form
can usually be gotten from the author.

If you really insist on being able to read, print, edit and convert WG5
documents, as opposed simply to reading and printing them, there is no
solution that is more portable and less expensive than plain text.

If you want the ability to make attractive documents, there is no solution
that is more portable, flexible and powerful, and less expensive, than
LaTeX.

LaTeX is free, available for every platform, can produce output for
numerous printers, can do most things other word processors can do, and
does some things (at least equations) far better than others do.  There
are numerous good texts and references for LaTeX, and a world-wide community
of developers that is far larger than the staff that is committed to
development of any single proprietary document processing system.

LaTeX has the additional advantage that it is text with markup.  Therefore,
although it is tedious, LaTeX documents can be read directly.

Best regards,
Van Snyder