SemTeX is a utility for easy handling of files for the TeX/LaTeX document preparation package. It is of use only if you have a port of TeX for RiscOS, for example ArmTeX.
Features of SemTeX:
* Control window with history, i.e. a list of the documents that have been
loaded so far.
* At the click of a button you can
+ Edit a TeX document
+ Run TeX/LaTeX on a document
+ Load the TeX output into a DVI-previewer
+ Convert the TeX output to PostScript
+ Tidy a document directory
* Reacts to:
+ Shift-doubleclick on a document directory
+ Doubleclick+hold on a document directory
+ Dropping a document directory on the iconbar icon
or on the Control window
* Configurable:
+ How to react to the mouse operatons listed above
+ What to do when running TeX, LaTeX etc.
+ What files to remove when tidying a directory
* Can convert file names in RiscOS format (foo.tex) to DOS format (FOO/TEX)
SemTeX is FreeWare. For conditions of use, read the copyright notice at the end of this manual.
Starting
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The program installs itself on the icon bar. Click Select on the icon to open the Control window. (Adjust-clicking closes it again.)
The Control window
------------------
How you add files to the list in the Control window depends on how you have configured SemTeX, but let's assume you are using the default. You can add TeX/LaTeX documents to the list in the Control window by dropping the document directory on the iconbar icon, or on the Control window itself. SemTeX scans the directory for a file that looks like a TeX document, and if it finds one(*), the name of the document will be added to the list.
(*) SemTeX assumes that a file is a TeX document if:
+ It has filetype Text (&fff), TeX (&2a7) or LaTeX (&2a8), and
+ It has leafname "tex", "sty", "bst" or "bib"
You can perform the various actions on a document by selecting it in the list and clicking on the appropriate button. If you click with Adjust, the Control window will be closed afterwards.
You can remove a document from the list by clicking the Menu button on the document, and clicking on "Remove". A faster way to remove it is Shift-Menu.
Editing files
-------------
Select a document and then click on the "Edit" button. Alternatively, double-click on a document in the list. In the default configuration, you can also edit a file by
* Shift-doubleclick on a directory in a Filer window
* Doubleclick+hold on a directory ("hold" means keeping the mouse button
pressed down for about 0.2 seconds after the 2nd click)
SemTeX sends broadcasts a request to edit the file. If no editor is running at the moment, SemTeX will start one.
Running TeX/LaTeX/BibTeX/dvips
------------------------------
Select a document in the Control window and click on the appropriate button. In the default configuration, SemTeX
* Sets the current directory to the parent directory of the document. This
may be needed if there are other input files (style files etc.) that must
be read while processing your document.
* Runs TeX/LaTeX/BibTeX/dvips in a TaskWindow.
The default configuration will work with the ArmTeX distribution that has been prepared by Robin Watts. If you have another setup, then edit the files "Messages" in the !SemTeX application directory.
Other buttons
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"Preview" loads the dvi file that TeX has produced into a previewer (!DVIview). If the previewer is not running, it will be started (provided it has been "seen" by the Filer).
The "Open Dir." button opens the document directory.
The "Tidy Dir." button tidies the document directory. That is, it removes a couple of files that can be regenerated easily (default: log, aux, blg, toc, ps).
Creating new documents
----------------------
To create a new document directory, popup the menu on the iconbar icon and go to the "Create =>" submenu. Fill in a name for the directory and drag it to a Filer window. SemTeX then creates a directory with an empty file "tex" in it, and starts an editor on the file.
Configuring
-----------
In the Choices window you can choose how SemTeX reacts to mouse clicks. Click on a "menu" button, and select the action from the menu. "OK" activates the choices, also "Save" stores them on file.
You can edit the "Messages" files. The comments in the file explain how to change the contents. Configurable are:
* The commands to be executed when TeX/LaTeX/etc. are run.
* The maximum number of documents in the Control window.
* What files "Tidy Dir." should remove
Filename conversion
-------------------
If you want to transfer TeX files to/from a computer with another operating system, you have to convert the filenames. For instance, in RiscOS a document called 'foo' is represented as a directory 'foo', with a file named 'tex' in it; on an MSDOS floppy this file is named 'FOO/TEX'. You can rename the files by hand of course, but SemTeX can save you the trouble.
First, open the 'Convert' window, by choosing "Convert..." from the menu on the icon bar. Second, drag the stuff that you want to convert from its Filer window to the Convert window. And third, drag the icon from this window to a Filer window. You can drag an entire document directory to convert; in that case all the files in it will be converted. You can convert multiple files in one go, but the sort of conversion must be the same (i.e. from DOS -> RiscOS format or the other way around).
Copyright notice
----------------
This program is FreeWare. This means that I retain the copyright. You may freely copy and distribute it, provided that it is complete with all original files, and that you do not sell it. PD libraries may charge a nominal fee for the cost of duplication, postage etc. When you use the program, you do so entirely at your own risk. You may change the program to suit your own needs. If it's a bug fix, or if you think it's an improvement, then please send the changes to me at the address below.
