Re: [Boost-docs] The beauty of LATEX

Subject: Re: [Boost-docs] The beauty of LATEX
From: Joel de Guzman (joel_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-10-19 11:41:41

On 10/19/2011 5:08 PM, Paul A. Bristow wrote:

>> 1) What's the issue with XEP produced PDF's
> 
> I'm also puzzled by some 'yetch' reactions to the PDF versions.  Can anyone be more specific about
> what they dislike about the appearance (the content is pretty much identical to the HTML)?  Is it
> the font?  Or?

If you ask me, there is no 'yetch'. But OTOH, there is no 'wow' either.
Have you seen the link I gave showing of XeTeX?

  http://nitens.org/taraborelli/latex

Check out the advanced typographic features of OpenType and AAT:

  http://nitens.org/taraborelli/TeXOpenType

Here's a showcase:

  http://www.tug.org/texshowcase/

Now, that is 'wow'. Such fine control cannot be achieved with DocBook.
I can't even begin to imagine how much we can do with our output PDFs.
Comparing DocBook to modern LaTeX is like comparing a Ferrari to a
VW Bug. The Bug is not really 'yetch' for me, but a Ferrari is a 'wow'.

(To be fair, DocBook is not a typesetting system like LaTeX, but
that's another point! LaTeX *is* a typesetting system.)

But really, it's not just aesthetics. What I hate most is the insane
and fragile toolchain that's sooo impenetrable to hacking. I'd
insist that the way to move forward is to get rid of this nasty
toolchain, or at least provide an alternative, more reasonable,
more hackable, toolchain. LaTeX is vastly more refined and mature.

[snip Doxygen stuff. I'm already having an allergic reaction to it and
I've already said enough about it.]

Regards,
-- 
Joel de Guzman
http://www.boostpro.com
http://boost-spirit.com