[texworks] Some (simple) questions

[Morten Høgholm]

On Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:18:49 +0200, Joseph Wright wrote:

Hi Joseph,

> I've been looking briefly at the current development version of
> TeXWorks, and a few things have struck me.  As I'm not familiar with the
> inspiration (TeXShop on the Mac), I don't know if my thoughts are valid
> or are missing the "point" of the program.  I'd love to know what others
> think.  Just to make it clear, I'm on Windows and normally use WinEdt
> for TeX work.

If TeXworks has a motto, it is something along the likes of "simple is  
better". This was what made TeXshop so popular on the Mac and part of the  
reason TeX on the Mac thrives the way it does.

> 2) Another short one.  The program doesn't seem to add an extension by
> default.  Is that deliberate?

Strange - it does on the Mac (r132).

> 3) When compiling with, for example, pstricks enabled, pdf output is not
> a possibility.  So I'd usually use auto-pst-pdf to get things working
> nicely.  However, that needs write18 support enabled, which I don't like
> having on all of the time.  A graphical switch might be handy for this.

I think this is unlikely to be added as it is going in the opposite  
direction of the purpose of the program. How many users would want to  
toggle that switch? Very few I would think and so adding a graphical  
element for that 0.01% would just clutter things for the 99.99%.

> Sorry if these are known points or miss the idea of the system.

If you don't ask, you get no answers. :-) I can see where you are coming  
 from as I am myself firmly planted in the programming end of LaTeX. My  
users, however, are not, hence the need for a basic editor fulfilling  
their needs.


-- 
Morten