[pstricks] Jumping in the deep end

[Jean-Come Charpentier]

Shelagh wrote:

> Hello'
> I've recently been exploring LaTeX and what can be done with PSTricks. 
> I  have been working thorugh the various tutorials on Latex and have 
> used it  for some real work I have been doing. However, I wanted to 
> learn Latex and  Pstricks because I had in mind a project where I had 
> sections in a grammar  workbook where the sentences are parsed. As we 
> used to do on the board at  promary school. (Are you old enough to 
> remember a time when we did parse  sentences on the board? :) )


Sure: I'm old enough!

> I wnated to include samples similar to that.  I realise this probably 
> means creating a special environment where the  double spacing, 
> coloured lines (to mimic texta/chalk lines) for underling  and arrows 
> from and to pharses and words. Latex is the only chance I can  see to 
> actually get something like this off the ground. But for a complete  
> newcomer, it is a tall order.
>
> 1)Does anyone know of a package which already does something like 
> this  already?


I don't know exactly how you want parse the sentences but pstricks can 
help you.  Write some macros to automate this parse will be not very 
hard I suppose.  E.g. something like this:

\namegroup{\article{The}\name{cat}}\verb{eat}\directobject{\article{the}\name{mouse}}.

Without such macros, this example can be typeset like:

\psframebox[linecolor=...]{\psframebox[linecolor=...]{The} 
\psframebox[linecolor]{cat}}
\psframebox[linecolor=...]{eat}
\psframebox[linecolor=...]{\prframebox[linecolor=...]{The} 
\psframebox[linecolor]{mouse}}

>
> 2)Where do I get help on how to develop my own package? The only  
> programming I've done is with Turtles and Logo, so complex 
> instructions  would just bamboozle me.


Here or on <country>.comp.text.tex or ...
Say exactly what you want.

>
> 3)If this is the wrong forum, could you direct me to the correct one?
>
No, your question isn't out off topic.

  Jean-Côme Charpentier