[pracjourn-forum] Another newby question: Finding documentation

[Peter Flynn]

On Fri, 2005-05-06 at 17:20, Peter Flom wrote:
> The previous thread was generated when I tried to run a .tex file that
> someone else had sent me in response to a request on texhax.   That
> reply used pstricks.  Now, I'd like to understand that package, so I can
> modify his code to do exactly what I want.
> 
> I went to CTAN, typed 'pstricks' and searched.
> 
> Pages and pages of directory files.......Which one is what I want?  I
> don't know.  I tried opening a few that SEEMED promising, but didn't get
> what I want, which is the documentation file for pstricks.    
> 
> I've had similar problems with other packages....So what I am doing
> wrong?  Is there some standard way that the basic doc file for a package
> is llisted?  (e.g. should I have searched for pstricks.doc?)  

You're not doing anything wrong. The searches are rather indiscriminate:
they return all entries which mention pstricks, even in passing. 

The search page at http://www.ctan.org/search/?action=/index.html  has 
three boxes and I tend to use the bottom one (the catalog) when I want 
a specific package, because it lists only packages. The top one lists 
individual files, which isn't really clear. 

However, you just prompted me to do what I've been meaning to do for
years, and start categorising search results, so have a shot at
http://www.ucc.ie/cgi-bin/uncgi/ctan

///Peter