New features of AsTeX 3.1

Tuning of documents in color  : The new version of assistant AsTeX permits to display a portion of document selected with the mouse, not only in Dviwin, but also in Dview and GSview. It is thus possible to tune easily documents with formulas in color and bitmap and PostScript illustrations in color.

Example of display of a portion of a document in color in GSview with assistant AsTeX.

Hypertext navigation in dvi, ps or pdf documents  : AsTeX Navigator permits to move in any dvi, ps or pdf document by clicking on elements displayed in a window of navigation. It provides a common interface, independent of the program of visualization used. The programswhich function in standard with the navigator are Dviwin, Dview, GSview and Acrobat Reader. Otherscan be added. The elements of the navigation window are read in a special text file, the table of navigation, that contains informations about the structure of the document and possibly on the figures, the tables and indexed elements. It can be created automatically from a LaTeX file if one has the source file, or by hand with the help of any text editor if the document is available only in dvi, ps or pdf form.

Navigation in a PostScript file from navigator AsTeX

New functions of the assistant  :

• A local configuration file can now be attached to every main document, independently of the editor used. It is thus possible to memorize the specific parameters for the document, among others the format to be used (Plain TeX, LaTeX2 for Windows or DOS, etc.), the non-standard directories used by the document (locations of the figures, of the LaTeX styles non included in the distribution etc.), and the parameters of compilation (Huge TeX, particular memory configuration) necessary to treat some complex documents.
• Specialized buttons have been added to the MainDoc and MainDoD panels (treatment of TeX documents), to use the local configuration file and to create, display and customize the navigation table of a document.
• It is now possible to compile files with long names with TeX, under Windows 9x and OS/2 (for example a file of name MonAr- ticleSurLesPlasmas.tex). It is also possible to use, through the intermediary of the assis- tant, files with long names with DOS or Windows programs that don't support this function, as for example Dviwin and Dview. Thus, one can select the MonAr- ticleSurLesPlasmas.dvi file from the assistant and display it with the help of the button Dviwin FmL .
• It is possible to stock the name and the directory of a main file in a button. By regrouping the buttons of this type in a panel, one can have access very quickly to all main documents under tuning, without having to search for them from Windows Explorer.

• An icon editor has been added, to modify the buttons of the assistant's main window (cf. figure).
• The delay of compilation in automatic mode is now adjustable until 2 days, to allow the output of results of numeric simulations or experiments at regular intervals, without human intervention, for example.

• It is possible to decrease or to increase the size of the buttons, to adapt in the best way the panels to the resolution of the screen (cf. figure).
• A help button has been added to the main panels, describing the tasks achieved by the other buttons.

Coupling with Emacs  : The version 3.1 now contains Emacs, coupled to the assistant. It is thus possible to benefit from the numerous possibilities offered in standard by Emacs, in particular  :

• Putting into evidence commands of TeX and of other languages (Fortran, C, C++ etc.) with the help of colors different from the text.
• Mode table of contents, in which only the titles of the chapters and sections are displayed, with possibility to open one or several sections.

Use of Emacs with the assistant.

Spell-checking a document with Ispell and Emacs.

Spell-checking with Ispell : The version 3.1 also contains the spell-checker Ispell. Coupled with Emacs, it permits :

• To correct a complete text at the end of typing (cf. figure).
• To correct a document on the fly : if the word in the process of typing is not in the dictionary, it is displayed in red until it is corrected. The proposed corrections are displayed in a floating menu.

PARI : The computer algebra language PARI, by H.  Cohen et al., has been included in the distribution. It has especially been developed for the theory of the numbers but it has a lot of general functions. It is usable in text mode and is characterized by its high speed and its total opening (the source code is available).

Some examples of calculations with PARI.

User's manual  : This manual constitutes the continuation of the manual Installation, configuration and starter guide of AsTeX. It is divided in six parts, largely independent.

• The first part describes how to use the AsTeX Assistant, and explain how to adapt it to your needs and how to extend its possibilities. It shows how to create, treat and visualize mathematical documents in TeX, and how to export them on Internet with all formulas and all symbols.
• The second part explains how to use the AsTeX navigator to browse easily a voluminous document in dvi , ps or pdf format and how to create a table of navigation.
• The third part describes the options that have been added to TeXShell for the distribution. It complements the reference guide of TeXShell.
• The fourth and fifth parts explain how to write documents in French, English and Arabic with packages fr, frmin and ArabTeX.
• The last part explains how to use the Fortran with the distribution, the compiler g77 and the library of Slatec subroutines.

Installation, configuration and starter guide of AsTeX  : this manual is now available in HTML form on the AsTeX 3.1 CD-ROM, and on the site web of the association, at the address  :

To download the New features of AsTeX 3.1 in pdf format (285 Kb), click here.