Re: [Texmacs-dev] Why I hate TexMacs

[Eli Osherovich]

The point was to use vector graphics and not raster images. 

Dear TexMacs developers and users. 
In fact I do like TexMacs, but my last experience was so painful...

Here is my point in one sentence: the major barrier for adoption is low 
quality.

You may or may not take me seriously. 
Enjoy hacking TexMacs.
For me the conversation is over.


On Monday, 23 בJune 2008 11:59:12 Henri Lesourd wrote:
> Eli Osherovich wrote:
> >TexMacs HAS NO ABILITY TO PRINT/EXPORT/DO SOMETHING USEFULL
> >with images (is eps format). WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT.
>
> You can import GIF, JPEG, etc.
>
> With a little bit more work, you can also
> export a 1-page, eps document with no margins,
> having the width and height you want. As soon
> as you are there, you can export this eps image
> to any format by means of the usual UNIX image
> conversion tools.
>
> Thus *YES*, one can work with images in TeXmacs,
> but as often in TeXmacs, you need a little bit
> hacking.
>
> >It is something funny to read a hot discussion on how to compile it under
> >MacOS or any other OS. WHY DO YOU WANT IT???????
> >
> >All those people probably do not know that the tool they try to port
> > simply is not worth it.
>
> For people who do mathematics, it is very worth it,
> otherwise there would be no users, and no TeXmacs
> project anymore.
>
> But the fact remains that precisely, there is a
> lot of people which use TeXmacs for their daily
> work.
>
> >Do you want to waste your time on an editor that has the following
> > "features"
> >
> >1. Costant problems with speller (cannot connect to ispell...)
>
> This is a minor domain, especially in mathematics,
> where the vocabulary is reduced.
>
> >2. Has no ability to change an environment (say, you want to change
> > equation to eqnarray or vice versa)
>
> There is definitely such an ability, at least by
> means of editing the markup. Otherwise, something
> like Ctrl-Tab (if I remember correctly) can be
> used to cycle thru variants of a given feature.
>
> >3. Cannot print or export to PDF any high quality images.
>
> This is because of the external converters we use, but
> as soon as you have a better one, plugging it into the
> TeXmacs export pipeline is not very hard.
>
> >4. Export to latex is broken (try to compile a generic style document)
>
> You could contribute to it, instead of only whining !
>
> >5. And many many others....
>
> Same answer as previously !
>
> >P.S.
> >Actually I like TexMacs for it's ease of use and very good bindings,
> >unfortunately is can be used only for toy-problems.
>
> It has been used for writing several books, and
> is routinely used to write math papers by many
> people.
>
> >And developers are not
> >interested in any change. They would rather discuss months a new icon sets
> > or crap like that.
>
> We try to be well organized and plan things, and this happens to be
> our current task, that's all.
>
> As far as implementations and discussions are concerned,
> on the one hand discussing is very useful to collect
> info from users. And on the harsh side, I would say
> that the real problem is rather that wind-moving-with-their-tongues
> which say the software is address@hidden while doing nothing are many,
> while dedicated developers are scarce...
>
>
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