[texhax] WYSEEWYG Editors for LaTeX

[Thomas Schneider]

Paul:

> I have heard of such things and what I'd like to know is, is the 
> LaTeX source *interpreted*, as it were, live in the edit window? for 
> example, say, I wanted to typeset a fraction such as `\frac{x}{y^2}', 
> would I be able to *see* the result of my code immediately, that is 
> to say, without having to run the LaTeX compiler separately?

You could use my little atchange program to automate a script to do
whatever you want to do:

http://alum.mit.edu/www/toms/atchange.html

I currently set up an atchange to watch my LaTeX source (.tex file)
and when the source changes it runs my 'l' script.  The pdf results
are sent to another script, pdfshow, which displays the pdf using skim
(or sends the file to me at home for display).  The skim pdf reader
automatically updates when the file changes.

The result:  In one window I edit my LaTeX file.  I write the file out
(programmed in vim to be a comma, ',').  In another window next to
that I get the results without touching the mouse.  It's flexible and
fast, nearly ideal.

So, since you are blind, you could set up a script that is triggered
by an altered LaTeX file and does whatever you need to do to get the
result so you can sense it.

If there is an error, my latest version of 'l' (not yet available)
even cuts out the relevant part of the log file and shows me that as a
pdf using skim.  It's cute because all I see are two windows on my
screen: the vim editing window and the typeset LaTeX output.  I
usually put the other window which shows the process of typesetting
behind the LaTeX window so I never see it (or I let it peak out a bit
so I can see that it is running).  When there is an error the error
window pops to the front.  It even says out loud to me that there is
an error!  Without moving my fingers from the keyboard, I correct the
error, hit a comma and the now-correct LaTeX window comes to the front
showing the corrected text.

(This is on a Mac OS X and uses a script called 'focus' that activates
the Terminal after completing so I never need to take my fingers off
the keyboard.)

Tom

  Thomas D. Schneider, Ph.D.
  National Institutes of Health
  National Cancer Institute
  Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology Laboratory
  Molecular Information Theory Group
  Frederick, Maryland  21702-1201
  schneidt at mail.nih.gov
  toms at alum.mit.edu (permanent)
  http://alum.mit.edu/www/toms (permanent)