[OS X TeX] R, paradigm to bring into the LaTeX world?

[Claus Gerhardt]

Let's not mixing up different requests. Themis request was a help  
feature in TS such that he could find information for the command  
\atop, etc..

Now,\atop is not an original latex command but is part of amsmath.  
Thus Themis's request would require that TS would provide information  
for the commands in any package available which is not reasonable.

His request is also unnecessary, since amsmath, which is by the way  
part the current tetex installation, is an important package for him  
(as well as for me),  so that he should have installed the package's  
documentation in an easy to find location like I did. Moreover, being  
aware of the command, he should have known that it is an amsmath  
command, I probably would have, so that with a simple mouse click he  
could have opened the documentation and a search for \atop would have  
given him the information in five seconds. Even, if he didn't  
remember that \atop is part of amsmath googling would have provided  
this information in another five seconds; that's why I called his  
request unnecessary.

Claus



On Oct 23, 2006, at 19:10, Jeffrey Weimer wrote:

> On Oct 23, 2006, at 9:21 AM, Claus Gerhardt wrote:
>
>> I didn't know that \atop is a command of amsmath, but googling  
>> reveiled it immediately, though I assume that you knew it from the  
>> start. Hitting then  the icon of the amsmath pdf documentation  
>> which is stored handily in the side bar of my Finder windows, I  
>> got the description in another five seconds; total search time 10  
>> seconds.
>>
>> This example reveils that your request is neither reasonable nor  
>> necessary.
>
> I would argue, while the requested change is perhaps not necessary  
> for SOME users, the request itself is certainly not unreasonable  
> for the benefit it would provide for ALL users.
>
> Your example shows that three separate tools were required to find,  
> document, and install a LaTeX package.
>
> 1) You had to go to google to search for the package.
> 2) You used the amsmath icon in YOUR Finder window to get the  
> package documentation.
> 3) You installed the package to use for your TeX compiler  
> (TexShop ...) using whatever installer.
>
> By comparison, as I understand the discussion about R, these three  
> three steps are done within the SAME tool - the R program itself.
>
> I am one who's major frustration in using LaTeX is that learning  
> how to find, understand, and install/update packages to do things  
> is a significant rate limiting step in my productivity cycle. I  
> attribute this barrier not to any lack of the needed computer  
> skills, rather to the disorganized or overwhelming manner in which  
> TeX/LaTeX packages are stored, documented, and obtained.
>
> Therefore, IMO, suggesting that TeX/LaTeX would benefit by a  
> similar integration of the steps (FIND PACKAGE, GET DESCRIPTION,  
> INSTALL/UPDATE PACKAGE) as under R is more than just reasonable, it  
> is rather brilliant!
>
> --
> J. J. Weimer, Chemistry / Chemical & Materials Engineering
> University of Alabama in Huntsville, MSB 125, 301 Sparkman Dr
> Huntsville, AL 35899                phone: 256-824-6954
>
>
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