[OS X TeX] Re: wishing for an "outlining" mode for TeXShop

Denis Chabot chabotd at globetrotter.net
Fri Mar 21 09:02:02 EDT 2008


Hi,

I don't know if this would be very difficult to implement, but given  
the fact that LaTeX encourages structure, it would be nice to have an  
"outlining" mode when starting to write new documents, or rethinking  
the structure of a draft.

Back in the 80s I started using Acta for this purpose but switched to  
the outlining mode in Word when it became available. It was more  
useful to me to be able to switch back to an outlining mode at any  
stage of the production of a document than to stay with the better  
outlining of Acta, but an outline that did not evolve as my document  
did evolve.

Now that I move more and more of my writing to LaTeX, I'm left without  
an outlining mode. I've read a while back that Omni's outliner could  
export to LaTeX, but this brings me back to Acta: an outline that  
won't evolve with my document.

I do not require a very complex outliner. For instance, if TeXShop had  
a switch that made everything but the items that show under the  
"Labels" button disappear, I could function. I believe this would  
leave the lines defined as chapters, sections, subsections, etc.  
visible. No need (well, I would not turn it down if it was offered) to  
see the first line of regular text paragraphs, like full-fledged  
outliners do. But if one moves one of these labeled lines around, all  
the text belonging to that chunk would follow it. If the label (say a  
subsection) was moved to a different location, the text would move. I  
supposed that if a chunk was deleted, its text should go too, the user  
would bear the blame if he/she regretted it later.

Would this be difficult to add to TeXShop? If so can it be added to  
the wish list?

Cheers,

Denis



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