[pdftex] problems with using refman.sty

[Robin Fairbairns]

Ryszard Czermiński <ryszard at czerminski.net> wrote:

> Please help!

this is absolutely nothing to do with pdftex; this list is related to
development of pdftex, etc., whereas you question is about latex.

> I am trying to use refman.sty I copied from the web (I want to use
> \pagestyle{myfootings})
> but I am getting an error (see below)
> In refman.sty docs it is stated that "These classes do not work with LATEX 2.09"
> and I am not quite sure if this is the reason.

what refman.sty docs?

> How can I find out if latex I am using is 2.09 or not?

since you're using pdftex, you're using a latex of the late '90s at
least.  nobody has ever distributed a latex 2.09 on pdftex.

> (./refman.sty
> ! You can't use `\spacefactor' in vertical mode.
> \@->\spacefactor
>                  \@m
> l.33 \@
>        ifundefined{leftmarginwidth}{}{\endinput}
> ?

this code is only present in the obsolete latex 2.09 version of refman.sty

how do you come to be using that?  the documentation you're looking at
seems inappropriate to the package you have in hand.

furthermore, if you're loading a latex package, your command is

  \usepackage{foobar}

rather than

  \input{foobar.sty} % or similar

which you seem to be using.

but you really need to get the current latex version of the package and
install that.  the faq discusses installing files at:

  http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=installthings

in future, please consider the faq advice about asking questions:

  http://www.tex.ac.uk/cgi-bin/texfaq2html?label=maillists+askquestion

the maillists faq suggests places to ask
the askquestion faq explains how to construct a question that maximises
    the possibility of an answer that solves your problem

Robin Fairbairns

UK TeX FAQ maintainer