New features of AsTeX 3.0

Scientific Calculations : the new version AsTeX 3.0 now permits to make scientific calculations. It contains the computer algebra program MuPAD, of B. Fuchssteiner et al. (SciFace GmbH and university of Paderborn), the program for interactive numeric calculations Scilab of C. Gomez et al. (INRIA Rocquencourt), the Fortran 77 compiler of the FSF and the Slatec library of Fortran subroutines for scientific numeric calculations (LANL and Sandia Labs). MuPAD has very powerful algorithms in most traditional domains of computer algebra. It is also capable to perform numeric calculations and three- dimensional representation of data. Scilab is capable to do numeric calculations in an interactive way in a very large number of domains of numeric analysis. For the domains that it doesn't yet know, it is capable to use some preexisting Fortran subroutines.

Example of computer algebra with MuPAD   (integration, differentiation and factorisation).

Example of interactive numeric calculation with Scilab (representation of numerical results).

Importance of MuPAD and Scilab  : the software for scientific calculation have a fundamental importance for research. As MuPAD and Scilab have been developed in the same spirit that TeX and LaTeX (free access for everybody), that they are already very powerful as they stand and that they are endlessly expandable by everybody, they have all ingredients to supplant sooner or later the commercial software in the scientific community. As they are in addition the only ones in their domain to be provided in free access, the programming languages of MuPAD and Scilab have all odds to become the language for computer algebra and the language for interactive numeric calculation, as well as TeX and the Fortran are respectively the language for scientific document description and the language for scientific numeric calculations, for the same reasons. The inclusion in AsTeX 3.0 of MuPAD, Scilab and Fortran tools is therefore an extremely important new feature.

AsTeX Assistant : The AsTeX Assistant is a program to help using TeX under Windows 9x/NT. It permits to enter commands or sets of TeX commands in any Windows editors by clicking on buttons in toolbars, instead of entering the text on the keyboard.

Main window of AsTeX Assistant

Entering \Longleftrightarrow in MicroEmacs from the button <=> of the toolbar TeX\Flèche of the assistant.

Assistant AsTeX permits further to compile and to display a portions of mathematical text in TeX with only a click of mouse, or to compile a complete document in the backgroud and to display it in an auxiliary window, without it being necessary to intervene nor to interrupt the typing of the text.

Display of a formula edited with Word.

The function for displaying a portion of document is usable with most Windows programs that have an option of text copy in the clipboard.

Tuning a formula by pieces.

The assistant also permits to display a portion of formula, and therefore to tune the most complex formulas easily.

Displaying a formula transmitted by electronic mail.

Tuning a document using the ArabTeX macros, of K. Lagally.

All commands of all macros packages (Plain TeX, TeXinfo, LaTeX and additional packages, personal macros) are usable, as well as all fonts recognized by TeX. The programs so- called WYSIWYG, as Scientific Word or Lyx, don't display anything in general, because they don't recognize macros or just a few of them, except the standard LaTeX macros (they can export LaTeX code but are not able to to import it).

Display of the table of the characters of the font yinitas.

The assistant also permits to display the tables of characters of TeX fonts, as well as the documentation of the distribution, by clicking on buttons of toolbars.

Example of navigation in a dvi file from its table of contents   (here, the assistant's documentation).

The assistant finally permits to navigate in an any dvi document from an auxiliary window, that can contain the table of contents and/or for example an index. The different chapters, sections etc.  can be individually opened or closed. The file that defines the window can be created automatically from the toc file if one has the LaTeX source, by hand if one only has the dvi. This method is usable with all dvi, created from any macros package, either Plain TeX, LaTeX, TeXinfo etc. : it is not necessary to have the source and to compile it with a specialized macros package.

Dvi file visualization in color   :  The new AsTeX 3.0 distribution contains also Dview, a new previewer of dvi files written by B.  Malyshev. Dview is revolutionary, because it permits to display directly TeX documents that contain bitmap and PostScript images in color, and that use special effects produced with the packages color, graphics and PSTricks. It is not more necessary to use Dvips and Gsview. In combination with assistant AsTeX, it is now possible to display, in some clicks of mouse, any portion of a document that contains pictures, formulas in colors and other special effects, and therefore to tune complex documents very quickly. In addition, Dview permits to create files in pdf format from the dvi, with the help of TeX fonts in PostScript format and not from the bitmap versions (that are displayed very badly by Acrobat Reader). Dview finally permits to search for chains of characters in the current dvi file.

New interfaces  : Burgundy Editor of J. Simon, and MéTeX by G. Frugier, are two new interfaces for Windows in French that permits to create TeX documents very conveniently. Burgundy Editor is capable to display the TeX commands in colors different from the text. MéTeX comes with toolbars with which one can enter some TeX or LaTeX commands by clicking on buttons.

Display in color of the TeX commands   with Burgundy Editor.

New documentations in French : The on line help of MicroEmacs is now available in French, thanks to A. Jaccomard, as well as the complete documentation of Slatec (library of Fortran subroutines). The menus and the on line help of dviwin have been translated by F. Brouchier. Other documentations in French are included on the CD-ROM (the French FAQ of M.P. Kluth and A short introduction to LaTeX 2 translates by M. Herrb).

Gallicizing of the on line help   and of the menus of Dviwin.

Translation of (La)TeX into HTML : TeX4ht, of E. Gurari, translates documents in Plain TeX or LaTeX with mathematical formulas, to the HTML format. The formulas are exported as gif pictures. TeX4ht has been adapted for AsTeX 3.0, in order to treat the accented characters of French correctly and to use Image Magick rather than Display. A complete example is available from the assistant (cf. figure). The complete documentations of the assistant AsTeX and the ALIRE are included also, in the form of source files in LaTeX, to provide a model to the machine translation in HTML of complex TeX documents (with figures and mathematical formulas).

Example of mathematical document in LaTeX, converted into HTML document with TeX4ht (displayed here with Netscape).

Translation of LaTeX to WinHelp and HTML  : TeX2rtf, of J.  Smart, translates some LaTeX documents without formulas in the WinHelp (on line help of Windows) or HTML formats. A complete example is available from the assistant. TeX2rtf has been adapted for AsTeX 3.0 in order to treat the accentuated characters of French correctly.

Example of LaTeX document, converted in on line help for Windows with Tex2rtf.

Creation and treatment of pictures  : Sinfo, of J. Aguirregabiria, permits to make captures of any portions of screen, and gives detailed information on all open windows. LaTeXcad, of J. Leis, is a Windows program that permit to create drawings in LaTeX with the mouse. MetaPost, of J. Hobby permits to create PostScript drawings from Metafont files. Image Magick, of J. Cristy, is a set of programs to treat bitmap pictures and to convert formats. Qv, of C.  Cambien, is a program to display and manipulate bitmap pictures, and create albums. Netscape, of Netscape Corp., display html files and Acrobat Reader, of Adobe Corp., display pdf files.

Creation of albums of pictures with Qv.

Synchronization of directories,   with Directory Compare.

Utilitaires : Directory Compare, of J.  Aguirregabiria, compares two directories (and possibly all its subdirectories) according to different criterias, and synchronizes the files that are in the directories. Serving Salamander, of P.  Solin, makes the same kind of work and permits in addition to search for files containing a chain of characters. Treesize, of J.  Marder, display the list of all subdirectories of a given directory, while indicating the size of all directories. Diskadata 1.0, of Digital Information Gallery Co., can also display the size of the individual files of a directory. Wzip, of the group Zip Info, provides a graphic interface to the zip program. It is for example possible to display the content of a zip archive and to visualize any file of the archive by clicking on its name. Pegasus Mail, of D.  Harris, permits to manage the electronic mail with the help of a system of filers.

Visualization of archive files with Wzip.

Displaying the size of the directories of a disk,   with Treesize.

To download the New Features of AsTeX 3.0 in pdf format (502 Kb), click here.