#LyX 1.3 created this file. For more info see http://www.lyx.org/
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\layout Title

Availability of LaTeX systems
\layout Standard

The traditional TeX implementation is a Command-Line Interface (
\shape smallcaps 
cli
\shape default 
)
\begin_inset LatexCommand \index{CLI}

\end_inset 

, that is, a `console' program which you run from a Unix or Mac shell window
 or an MS-DOS command window by typing the command 
\begin_inset ERT
status Collapsed

\layout Standard

\backslash 
verb+tex+
\end_inset 

 or 
\begin_inset ERT
status Collapsed

\layout Standard

\backslash 
verb+latex+
\end_inset 

 followed by the name of your document file.
 In automated (unattended) systems, this command is issued from within a
 Unix shell script or MS-DOS/Windows batch file.
 All the popular distributions for Unix and MS-DOS/Windows, both free and
 commercial, deliver this interface as standard (teTeX, fpTeX, MiKTeX, PC-TeX,
 TurboTeX, etc).
\layout Standard

While it is quite possible to run TeX and LaTeX this way, it is more normal
 to use an editor as your interface to the program as well as to your document.
 This allows you to control LaTeX, the typeset display, and other related
 programs with a mouse-click or menu item.
 This is the method assumed in this booklet.
 In both the editors used for examples (
\emph on 
Emacs
\emph default 
 and 
\emph on 
WinEdt
\emph default 
) the typesetting process is logged visibly in an adjoining text window
 so that you can see the progress of pages being typeset, and any error
 messages that may occur.
\begin_inset Foot
collapsed true

\layout Standard

Some recent versions of 
\emph on 
Emacs
\emph default 
 hide this window by default but it is easily revealed.
\end_inset 

 This method is called 
\series bold 
\shape italic 
asynchronous
\series default 
\shape default 

\begin_inset LatexCommand \index{asynchronous@}

\end_inset 

 because the typeset display only updates 
\emph on 
after
\emph default 
 you have typed the text and processed it, not 
\emph on 
while
\emph default 
 you type it.
\layout Standard


\begin_inset LatexCommand \label{synchro}

\end_inset 

Some commercial implementations of TeX offer a 
\series bold 
\shape italic 
synchronous
\series default 
\shape default 

\begin_inset LatexCommand \index{synchronous@}

\end_inset 

 typographic interface: 
\emph on 
Textures
\emph default 
 for the Apple Macintosh from Blue Sky Research, 
\emph on 
Scientific Word
\emph default 
 from MacKichan Software, and 
\emph on 
VTeX
\emph default 
 from MicroPress, Inc (both for Microsoft Windows) are three examples.
 At least one free version for Linux and MS-Windows (
\emph on 
Lyx
\emph default 
) offers the same kind of interface.
 In these, you type directly into the typographic display, as with a graphical
 wordprocessor, using the font controls of whatever Graphical User Interface (
\shape smallcaps 
gui
\shape default 
)
\begin_inset LatexCommand \index{GUI@}

\end_inset 


\begin_inset LatexCommand \index{}

\end_inset 

 are appropriate.
\layout Standard

With a synchronous display you get your instant textual gratification, but
 for complete control of the formatting you still need access to the LaTeX
 language.
 There are several methods available free for Unix and some other systems
 for close-to-synchronous updates of the typeset display (such as Jonathan
 Fine's 
\emph on 
Instant Preview
\emph default 
 and the TeX daemon), and for embedding typographic fragments from the typeset
 display back into the editor window (David Kastrup's 
\family sans 
preview-latex
\family default 
 package).
\the_end