typesetting script calls and iTeXMac and wrappers (was Re: [OS X TeX] Page size? (Using TeXShop and XeTeX and plain))

[Adam Maxwell]

On 17 Apr, 2004, at 08:21, William F. Adams wrote:

> I regret that I'm not more familiar w/ iTeXMac --- unfortunately, I 
> found it to be somewhat overwhelming when I first tried it out. My 
> mindset doesn't wrap around the UI properly or something, but it does 
> work well for a lot of people, and I do try to remember to suggest it 
> when I mention TeXshop and I do need to look into it again.

Perhaps a simple (detailed) example of the way things can be done with 
iTeXMac would help.  To typeset `peace.tex,' I defined a new Generic 
Project in iTM which can be used to call XeTeX on any file that I 
choose.

A Generic Project is a rootless project, i.e. it has no particular .tex 
file associated with it.  To create such a project, go to 
iTeXMac->File->New, and make a "Project" document called XeTeX.pTeXMac. 
  If it is stored in ~/Library/Application\ Support/iTeXMac/Generic\ 
projects/, it will show up in iTeXMac's TeX->Activate Project or Show 
Project menus.

A project defines commands that can be bound to the compile (C), 
typeset (T), bibliography (B), and makeindex (I) buttons on the iTM 
text editor, as well as the macro sets which will be accessible from 
the editor menus.  To access the settings for each of these, use the 
buttons along the bottom of the iTM project window.

For XeTeX, we really just want a new compile command.  Click the "File" 
button at the bottom of your new project window, and check the "Generic 
Project" checkbox (this is where you could associate the project with a 
particular file).  Click the "Compile" button at the bottom of your new 
project window, and enter `xetex ${iTMInput}` (no quotes) and hit 
return to validate the command.  Save the project.

Now, to typeset 'peace.tex' you open it with iTM, go to the TeX menu 
and choose Activate Project->XeTeX.  In the editor, hit the "C" to 
compile the project with xetex.

Further, you can bind a typeset command to the "T" button, which might 
run your compile command twice, and perhaps runs bibtex, makeindex, 
etc.  I generally make a rooted project that I associate with a 
particular article that I'm working on, and put specific commands for 
that paper in my typeset script (I use the nomencl package, which 
requires a makeindex command that I can never remember).

For further info on projects, see the iTM online help, and look at the 
generic projects supplied with the program.

> Perhaps there could be a ``simple UI mode'' for iTeXMac where it'd 
> mimic TeXshop and one could turn on features as one needs them?

It _is_ simple (FSVO simple).  I started to learn LaTeX using iTM, and 
got frustrated every time I tried TeXShop; I think the primary problem 
for TeXShop users who try iTeXMac is that it is a new paradigm for TeX 
usage.

Apologies for the long post, but I hope someone finds this useful.

-- 
Adam

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