Documents, Compuscrip ts, Programs, and Macros
Jonathan Fine · 1994
Certain aspects of the history and nature of the TEX typesetting program are described. This leads to a discussion of strategies for possible future developments. For clarity, the key terms document, compuscript, program and macro are defined. The main argument is that improved macro packages and.dvi file processors will solve many problems, and that a rigorous syntax for input compuscripts should be developed and used. Such a strategy will allow a different and superior typesetting engine, should such arise, to be used in the place of TEX. It will also allow the same compuscript to be used for other, non-typesetting, purposes. The Beginning Much has changed since the creation of TEX by Donald Knuth in the years around 1980. Many millions now use computers for document preparation