[pdftex] problems with using refman.sty

[George N. White III]

2011/4/20 Ryszard Czermiński <ryszard at czerminski.net>:
> Please help!
>
> 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)

You will get more helpful answers if you post a more carefully written
question to a more suitable list.

What is it you want to accomplish?  The refman package provides a
LaTeX layout suitable to reference manuals.  \pagestyle{} is standard
latex, so wanting to use \pagestyle is not a reason to use the refman
package.

You should start by running one of the sample files from the documentation, say
layout_e.tex to verify that your tex system works.  It rarely helpful
to post an error
without the source document so others can reproduce your problem.

> 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.

You seem to be mixing the current docs with the original refman.sty.
The current
docs refer to refart.cls and refrep.cls.

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

When you run latex, you should see something along the lines:

$ latex layout_e.tex
This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.11 (TeX Live 2010)
 restricted \write18 enabled.
entering extended mode
(./layout_e.tex
LaTeX2e <2009/09/24>                <=================== 2e came after 2.09
Babel <v3.8l> and hyphenation patterns for english, dumylang, nohyphenation, uk
english, usenglishmax, loaded.
(/usr/local/texlive/2010/texmf-dist/tex/latex/refman/refart.cls
Document Class: refart 2006/11/13 v2.0e LaTeX document class


> (./refman.sty
> ! You can't use `\spacefactor' in vertical mode.
> \@->\spacefactor
>                 \@m
> l.33 \@
>       ifundefined{leftmarginwidth}{}{\endinput}
> ?
>
> bash-3.2$ latex -version
> pdfeTeX 3.141592-1.21a-2.2 (Web2C 7.5.4)
> kpathsea version 3.5.4
> Copyright (C) 1997-2004 Peter Breitenlohner (eTeX)/Han The Thanh (pdfTeX).
> Kpathsea is copyright (C) 1997-2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> There is NO warranty.  Redistribution of this software is
> covered by the terms of both the pdfeTeX copyright and
> the GNU General Public License.
> For more information about these matters, see the files
> named COPYING and the pdfeTeX source.
> Primary author of pdfeTeX: Peter Breitenlohner (eTeX)/Han The Thanh (pdfTeX).
> Kpathsea written by Karl Berry and others.
>
> Best regards,
> Ryszard
>



-- 
George N. White III <aa056 at chebucto.ns.ca>
Head of St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia