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3\usemodule[presentstepwise,presentwobbling,abr02]
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11 [title={\TEX\ and Reality\crlf Clashing Mindsets?},
12 topic={Bacho\TEX, May 1, 2010}]
13
14\StartItems{Some reasons to use \TEX}
15 \StartItem
16 There can be several reasons for using \TEX. Some are subjective.
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19 You like the way it works: you edit a document using a simple editor,
20 add a couple of directives and delay rendering. Its the content and
21 structure that matter.
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24 You need it for instance because you have to typeset math and you believe that
25 no other tool can do a better job on that.
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28 You found out that it can save time because it is programmable and after all,
29 programming is a nice distraction from writing.
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32 You dont want to change a 20 year old habit and why quit using something that
33 you know well by now.
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36 You like an occasional fight with a batch oriented system and updating (sometimes to
37 the extend of compiling) can be done while watching a movie.
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39 \StartItem
40 You dislike learning a new program every 5 years. Of course it would be different
41 if wed live for 500 years.
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44
45\StartItems{My reasons to use \TEX}
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47 Ive always used \TEX\ and can do what I need to do with it. I like to
48 focus on what can be done instead of what cant.
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50 \StartItem
51 I dont like disposable tools and am quite lucky that \TEX\ still
52 can adapt to my needs.
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55 I like my job but only when using the current tools and cooking up
56 reuseable solutions.
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59 I need it for rendering (often educational) content and also use it
60 for fun.
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63 In the process I need to implement styles based on designs provided by
64 designers, most probably only know click and point tools but some of them
65 can think outside that box.
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68
69
70\StartItems{Using \TEX\ in projects}
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72 Each project has at least a few challenges, the input,
73 the design, graphics, the boundary conditions, interfaces, etc.
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76 In quite some cases a printed product is an afterthought and coding is
77 driven by viewing on the web.
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80 Most time goes into mapping structure. Coding is done in \XML\ because
81 we can then manipulate content and publishers can reuse it.
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83 \StartItem
84 Publishers often use a preselected designer and ask himher to come
85 up with a design.
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87 \StartItem
88 Chapter openings and title pages take some effort as well, especially
89 if the implementation has to be exact. For some reason design comes before
90 content so the designer has to guess.
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93 Although one can try to catch bordercases it hardly pays off as the eventual
94 solutions are not that logic. Simplification is preferred over heuristics.
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97 Unfortunately designers never use the fact that we can program variations and
98 and flexible solutions. On the other hand in a later stage we can quite conveniently
99 provide solutions for problems resulting in the editorial workflow.
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101\StopItems
102
103\StartItems{Struggling with structure}
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105 Structure in regular \TEX\ documents assumes a proper nesting of chapters,
106 sections, subsections etc.
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109 In \CONTEXT\ we can clone heads and configure them independently. Often we end up with
110 tens of variants.
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113 In practice numberings can intermix, for instance subsections can be numbered
114 per chapter instead of per subsection.
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117 Numbers seldom run like 1 \unknown\ 1.1 \unknown\ 1.1.1 and individual components can be omitted and can
118 have different properties (font, color). This quickly becomes messy as more (unexpected)
119 structure is added.
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122 Its for this reason that we now have a more complex model of resetting and synchronization
123 of states in \CONTEXT. Actually we keep adding more structure support.
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126 Additional information that is used in a chapter sometimes is also used elsewhere, as
127 in tables of contents (for instance icons). Therefore in \CONTEXT\ \MKIV\ we now have
128 the possibility to let userdata travel around.
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131
132\StartItems{Bringing system in color}
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134 When making a product line it helps if there is some systematic
135 approach in defining colors but it does not work out that way.
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138 Unfortunately we can never use the colorpalet and colorgroup features
139 that have been present in \CONTEXT\ from the start.
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142 Spotcolors are nice as they enforce a more systematic approach than
143 process colors. In such cases there is often some system.
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146 With processcolors we often have to fight the \quotation {on my screen 0.01
147 \letterpercent\ makes a big difference} dilemma.
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150 Automatically converting graphics to such color spaces can save a lot of time and
151 money.
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154
155\StartItems{Relations between fonts}
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157 Although there is some fashion in using fonts most designs use at least
158 a few different ones.
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161 Not all fonts are equally well equipped and one cannot rely too much on
162 features without testing them first. Although \OPENTYPE\ makes things
163 easier it also introduces problems due to incomplete features.
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166 A macro package assumes some logic in sizes and relations but this is of no
167 use in practice. Most if the font mechanism is simply not used.
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170 The same is true for interline spacing. Often some standard latin quote and
171 title is used to determine the spec. Not seldom most spacing is inconsistent.
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174 It looks like justification is not wanted that much, let alone advanced features
175 like protrusion and expansion. Intercharacter spacing is sometimes requested.
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178
179\StartItems{Why I still use \TEX}
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181 We started making \CONTEXT\ for our own use, especially complex and demanding
182 educational documents.
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185 Nowadays we stick to typesetting and as we specialize in automated processing
186 we have to operate within strict bounds.
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189 We use not that many handy features as there is hardly any structure in the designs
190 we have to implement.
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193 But we use quite some of the manipulative power of \CONTEXT. Also, we are able to
194 fulfil even the most extreme demands.
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197 Its user demand that is the driving force behind most new features. Users typically
198 use \CONTEXT\ in a different way than we do.
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201 And \unknown\ some things can probably only be done with \TEX, especially in automated
202 workflows.
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206\StartItems{Suggestions for designers}
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208 Talk to those implementing the design, let them show you what can be done. Stick to
209 general designs and dont go into much detail. Its the look and feel that matters.
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212 Think in systematic solutions. Lack of freedom in interactive placement of graphics can
213 be compensated by other variations.
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216 Think outside the box. Use the fact that the system is programmable and can adapt. And it
217 probably goes beyond what you can think of.
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220 Try to make a design extensible. There will always be more structure. Some components
221 will have less text that expected. Titles can be very short or quite long. Keep in mind
222 that you cannot tweak.
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225 Try to see a pattern in structure and provide escapes for strange cases. Give the implementor
226 some freedom.
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