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[Blenda Horn]

>---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
>From: Rosa Mª Gómez Flores <Filigrana at auna.com>
>Reply-To: Rosa Mª Gómez Flores <Filigrana at auna.com>
>Date:  Thu, 2 Oct 2003 10:35:54 +0200
>
>-Does it implement its own TeX engine or uses one from the free distribution?

It is very much is Y&Y own's TeX engine --- with many features not found in
standard distributions.
See e.g. http://www.yandy.com/yandytex.htm  for some details.

>If yes:     ·Do you offer sopport to it?

The TeX engine itself is part of the system and is supported.
Of course, since it completely implements Knuth's TeX, there isn't really
anything needed in the way of "support" (except notes on how to use the
advanced features that go beyond that).

Support does not cover issues of usage of the TeX or LaTeX language.

> ·Do you have dinamic memory allocation? (i.e. the TeX-memory limits
> regarding strings, pattern, registers, etc are deleted).

Yes, Y&Y TeX is the only Window's TeX system that does.
It turns out to be quite tricky to implement, and the only other system on any
platform that  does have dynamic memory allocation is Textures on the
Macintosh.

>     ·Exists the possibility of buying it without buing the editor,
> printers and viewers?

No.  It is an integrated system.  The TeX engine itself is not much use
unless the previewer and printer drivers support such advanced features as on-the-fly full
reencoding of fonts (which makes unaccessible characters accessible, for
example).

>-Do you implement or support Omega?

No. Omega is an interesting non-standard experimental system. Most users want TeX instead.

>If not:
>     ·is your system able to read UNICODE input in any other way?

No. TeX is inherently designed for 8-bit characters.
This does not prevent you from accessing glyphs in "large" fonts
(fonts with more than 256 glyphs).  The only constraint is that TeX
itself "sees" the font as "sub-font" "windows" of no more than 256 glyphs.

>     ·Is it able to manage UNICODE fonts?

You can use it with any font supported by the operating system, although
the most features are available with Type 1 fonts.  You can use fonts like
Lucida Sans Unicode in Type 1 format, for example, but TeX will only
provide access to 256 glyphs at a time. You would need to treat the Lucida
Sans Unicode font as a collection of sub-fonts.

>     ·Do you provide a way to write left to right texts (like arabic or
> hebraisch)?

No.  There are some crude methods just using TeX itself but there is no
support for  XeT-TeX e.g.

>     ·Is your system able to swicht between fonts depeding on characters
> readed from the input? (Omega allows it with the OCPs)

No.  You can use any windows supported font, using the standard TeX and
LaTeX mechanism.

>-About the loeadind of hyphenation-pattern files,
>     ·does Y&Y allow it at run-time (separat from the format file)?

Yes, although it isn't always the best way to go.

>     ·do you have corrected the limits regarding that?

TeX as defined by Knuth does not permit this, Y&Y TeX does.

>     ·do you allow to make a list of hyphenation exceptions for each language?

>-Regarding fonts:
>     ·Is your system able to use PostScript fonts? does it convert to TeX
> fonts or use as they are?

It works best with fonts in Adobe Type 1 format also known by some as
"PostScript fonts"
(which suggests they are only useful for PostScript output --- which is not the case).
It does *not* convert to bitmapped PK fonts which would lead to lower
quality in preview and printing.

>·Idem for TrueType

Yes, but you do not get the special features of the PostScript printer
driver then.
Generally Type 1 fonts are preferred and provide more options.  For some
font options
see:  http://www.yandy.com/options.htm  although any of the 20,000 or so
text fonts
in Adobe Type 1 format can also be used.

>     ·Idem for MultipleMaster fonts

Yes, Y&Y TeX supports MM fonts --- very few TeX systems do.
Not however that Adobe has abandoned MM fonts a few years ago, and
the built in support for Type 1 fonts in Windows 2000 and Windows XP does not
support MM fonts.  With Windows 2000 and Windows XP you would need
to get Adobe Type Manager 4.1 Deluxe in order to use MM fonts.

>     ·Do you handle ligatures for special (UNICODE) characters?

If the Type 1 font has ligatures specified in its AFM file then these will be
transferred to the TFM file and can be used.  You can also edit the AFM file
and add ligatures you need before conversion to TFM.  In a large font
(more than 256 glyphs) you need all characters relevant to the ligature to
be in the same "subset" of the font (256 glyphs).  The system also supports
left and right "boundary" characters.

For other unique advantages of the Y&Y TeX System, see
http://www.yandy.com/unique.htm  particularly the section below the heading:

"Use literally dozens of other power features not found elsewhere, including: "


Regards,
Support at yandy.com


>That's all. Thank you very much for your attention.
>
>Rosa Mª Gómez Flores Software Eng.
>
>