Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Gautier direct_replies_not_read]

TeXCAD is a program for drawing or retouching {picture}s in LaTeX.
More infos @ http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/texcad.htm

Why this announce in c.l.a. ? Guess why...
For the moment you'll find a MS Windows incarnation but the core of TC
is completely portable, so people interested in making a Mac, Linux, 
Unix,...
versions are invited to do so (and contact me!)
________________________________________________________
Gautier  --  http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/gsoft.htm

NB: For a direct answer, e-mail address on the Web site!

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Re: Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Preben Randhol]

Gautier direct_replies_not_read wrote:
> TeXCAD is a program for drawing or retouching {picture}s in LaTeX.
> More infos @ http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/texcad.htm
> 
> For the moment you'll find a MS Windows incarnation but the core of TC
> is completely portable, so people interested in making a Mac, Linux,
> Unix,...  versions are invited to do so (and contact me!)

How much work would it be to port it to GtkAda 2.0?

-- 
Preben Randhol                    http://www.pvv.org/~randhol/

Re: Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Preben Randhol]

Preben Randhol wrote:
> Gautier direct_replies_not_read wrote:
>> TeXCAD is a program for drawing or retouching {picture}s in LaTeX.
>> More infos @ http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/texcad.htm
>> 
>> For the moment you'll find a MS Windows incarnation but the core of TC
>> is completely portable, so people interested in making a Mac, Linux,
>> Unix,...  versions are invited to do so (and contact me!)
> 
> How much work would it be to port it to GtkAda 2.0?

I guess the major work is porting the drawing widget?

-- 
Preben Randhol                    http://www.pvv.org/~randhol/

Re: Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Gautier]

Preben Randhol:

> > How much work would it be to port it to GtkAda 2.0?
> I guess the major work is porting the drawing widget?

Not so much: the drawing is done in the generic package
TC.Display, i.e. in the platform-independent
part (unlike all TC.GWin.*). All you have to provide
is the appropriate placeholders for ClearScreen, SetColor,
PutPoint, SetLineStyle, Line, Rectangle, Ellipse, Arc,
SetTextJustify, OutTextXY. See TC.GWin.Display for an example.
It is straightforward.

The real "platform-dependent" challenge is to manage the
interactivity: windows, menus, scrolling, mouse's ergonomy.
Each system has its own specialities: multi-document windows
and registry for MS Windows, on mouse button on the Mac,
application owning a menu and windows (rather Mac) or a main
window owning a menu inside of it as well as subwindows whose
menus overlap the main menu, etc., etc.)
________________________________________________________
Gautier  --  http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/gsoft.htm

NB: For a direct answer, e-mail address on the Web site!

Re: Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Stephen Leake]

"Gautier direct_replies_not_read" <gautier_niouzes@hotmail.com> writes:

> TeXCAD is a program for drawing or retouching {picture}s in LaTeX.
> More infos @ http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/texcad.htm

Hmm. I downloaded it, unzipped TeXCAD.exe to a place in my PATH, and
ran texcad. The first time, it gave an error box, something about the
registry not finding a file. As usual for MS error messages, it didn't
say what file. But then, when I tried it again, to reproduce the error
message, I didn't get the error message.

I _strongly_ urge you to not use the Windows Registry for _anything_!
It is a royal pain, hard to test, hard to debug. But the worst thing
is that the user cannot change settings on a per-process basis; the
registry is strictly per-user.

Anyway, I look forward to having a WYSIWYG tool for {picture}s on
Windows; I've actually been looking for one for quite a while.

And it's written in Ada, so I have some chance of fixing it/improving
it! Thanks!

Hmm. The menus/commands are going to take some getting used to. Just
like LaTeX :).

-- 
-- Stephe

Re: Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Chad R. Meiners]

"Stephen Leake" <Stephe.Leake@nasa.gov> wrote in message
news:u1xz49na6.fsf@nasa.gov...
> Hmm. I downloaded it, unzipped TeXCAD.exe to a place in my PATH, and
> ran texcad. The first time, it gave an error box, something about the
> registry not finding a file. As usual for MS error messages, it didn't
> say what file. But then, when I tried it again, to reproduce the error
> message, I didn't get the error message.

I had a similar error message, too.
I like the program overall keep up the good work!

Re: Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Gautier]

> > TeXCAD is a program for drawing or retouching {picture}s in LaTeX.
> > More infos @ http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/texcad.htm

Stephen Leake:

> Hmm. I downloaded it, unzipped TeXCAD.exe to a place in my PATH, and
> ran texcad. The first time, it gave an error box, something about the
> registry not finding a file. As usual for MS error messages, it didn't
> say what file. But then, when I tried it again, to reproduce the error
> message, I didn't get the error message.

The error is fixed. It was indeed an unavoidable one... Thank you for
mentioning it.

> I _strongly_ urge you to not use the Windows Registry for _anything_!
> It is a royal pain, hard to test, hard to debug.

If you have a better way, I am all ears!

> But the worst thing is that the user cannot change settings on a per-process
> basis; the registry is strictly per-user.

But how do Install Shield & Co clear the options for all users when
uninstalling ?

> Anyway, I look forward to having a WYSIWYG tool for {picture}s on
> Windows; I've actually been looking for one for quite a while.

Me too - in vain, hence this little Ada-ptation work! In fact, tools
exist, but they require usually PostScript, or a set of .sty files
that cause a problem sooner or later (at least when publishing),
or are not free, or are no more maintained and without sources.
TC 3.2 is very good but really needed escaping from DOS and Turbo Pascal.

> And it's written in Ada, so I have some chance of fixing it/improving
> it! Thanks!
> 
> Hmm. The menus/commands are going to take some getting used to. Just
> like LaTeX :).

I roughly combined the ergonomic complications of TC 3.2 and
MS Office ;-). Well, one day I'll add some floating toolbar
for drawing commands.
________________________________________________________
Gautier  --  http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/gsoft.htm

NB: For a direct answer, e-mail address on the Web site!

Re: Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Stephen Leake]

gautier_niouzes@hotmail.com (Gautier) writes:

> Stephen Leake:
> 
> > Hmm. I downloaded it, unzipped TeXCAD.exe to a place in my PATH, and
> > ran texcad. The first time, it gave an error box, something about the
> > registry not finding a file. As usual for MS error messages, it didn't
> > say what file. But then, when I tried it again, to reproduce the error
> > message, I didn't get the error message.
> 
> The error is fixed. It was indeed an unavoidable one... Thank you for
> mentioning it.

Hmm. "unavoidable" errors that are now fixed; that's a conundrum :).

> > I _strongly_ urge you to not use the Windows Registry for
> > _anything_! It is a royal pain, hard to test, hard to debug.
> 
> If you have a better way, I am all ears!

Well, I need to know what you are using the registry for; I have not
yet downloaded the sources, nor did I peek into the registry to see
what you had done to it.

> > But the worst thing is that the user cannot change settings on a
> > per-process basis; the registry is strictly per-user.
> 
> But how do Install Shield & Co clear the options for all users when
> uninstalling ?

I don't see how that is relevant to my point. I assume they have a
list of registry keys they installed, and they simply delete them.

Which is one problem with the registry approach; if I manage to
install version 3.2 and 3.3 of something, and then uninstall 3.3, 3.2
probably doesn't work any more.

-- 
-- Stephe

Re: Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Gautier]

Stephen Leake:

> Hmm. "unavoidable" errors that are now fixed; that's a conundrum :).

Isn't it ?

> > If you have a better way, I am all ears!
> 
> Well, I need to know what you are using the registry for; I have not
> yet downloaded the sources, nor did I peek into the registry to see
> what you had done to it.

Very bad things. It must be in a terrible shape presently. Run "regedit",
type F3 and "texcad" to see the awful damages I have inflicted.

> > > But the worst thing is that the user cannot change settings on a
> > > per-process basis; the registry is strictly per-user.
> >
> > But how do Install Shield & Co clear the options for all users when
> > uninstalling ?
> 
> I don't see how that is relevant to my point. I assume they have a
> list of registry keys they installed, and they simply delete them.

And hopefully, it deletes all user options, so the registry is
not "strictly per-user".

> Which is one problem with the registry approach; if I manage to
> install version 3.2 and 3.3 of something, and then uninstall 3.3, 3.2
> probably doesn't work any more.

If it is just that... ;-)
________________________________________________________
Gautier  --  http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/gsoft.htm

NB: For a direct answer, e-mail address on the Web site!

Re: Ann: TeXCAD 4.0 (-\epsilon)

[Stephen Leake]

gautier_niouzes@hotmail.com (Gautier) writes:

> Stephen Leake:
> 
> > Well, I need to know what you are using the registry for; I have not
> > yet downloaded the sources, nor did I peek into the registry to see
> > what you had done to it.
> 
> Very bad things. It must be in a terrible shape presently. Run "regedit",
> type F3 and "texcad" to see the awful damages I have inflicted.

Hmm. looks like persistence for menus ("E:\Stephe\test.pic"), settings
(reduce, snap), and maybe some internationalization?

That's a job for Grace.Config_Files:
http://www.nongnu.org/Grace/Grace_Home.html, 
currently only accessible via the CVS web interface: 
http://savannah.nongnu.org/cvs/?group=grace

Be aware that Grace.Config_Files is not yet fully implemented, but it may
meet your needs. And it will be more portable and user-friendly than
the Windows Registry. Feel free to contribute!

-- 
-- Stephe