\title{Letters to the editor}
\author{}
\begin{Article}
 
\section{A \TeX\ front-end in \emph{NextStep}}
 
Like most readers of \emph{Baskerville}, I greatly enjoyed
S.~Rahtz's survey of \TeX{} front-ends in the December 1993
number.  I noticed that he had not mentioned one very
interesting and useful such system---Tom Rokicki's
implementations of \TeX{} for the \emph{NextStep} operating
system---and I am writing to briefly discuss its most interesting
features.  \emph{NextStep} is a superior graphical user
interface that sits on top of BSD4.3 Unix.  Now that NeXT has
ceased the manufacture of their trademark black Motorola
hardware, the Intel-486 implementation of \emph{NextStep} is
their flagship product.
 
Although you can invoke `NeXT\TeX{}' via the usual command line,
the value of this \TeX{} lies in the integrated environment,
called \emph{\TeX{}View}, to which it belongs.  Begin by preparing
a usual source file with a \verb|tex| extension, and double-click
to begin \TeX{}ing.  \emph{\TeX{}View} automatically begins its
preview as soon as the first page is ready.  That is, while
\TeX{} is still typesetting the remainder of the document, page 1
is already there for your perusal.  Simple mouse click commands
zoom this display and drag and scroll the preview image in the
preview window.  \verb|dvips| is a part of \emph{\TeX{}View}, and
so it is possible to include color in your typesetting, and very
easily, too.  \emph{NextStep} is built around Display
PostScript, so \emph{\TeX{}View} readily offers all PostScript
fonts in the document for onscreen display, and color if you use
a color monitor.  Of course, included \verb|epsf| files are also
displayed.  (Color is rendered in an appropriate shade of gray on
the typical PostScript b\&w printer.)  There is an option for
`printing' to fax.
 
I can't resist the temptation to note two extensions
Tom has added to \TeX{} proper.
If the first line of a source file is \verb|~&foo|, then the command
\begin{verbatim}
 tex myfile
\end{verbatim}
invokes the format file \verb|&foo|; that is, it
is equivalent to the command \verb|tex &foo myfile|.
Output stream~18 will pipe commands to Unix.  It's possible
to sort and input an index file (say) in
one fell swoop via commands like:

{\footnotesize
\begin{verbatim}
        \immediate\write18{mysort <index.raw >index.sort}
        \input index.sort
\end{verbatim}
}

\noindent in your source file.
 
\signature{Alan Hoenig\\17 Bay Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743 USA\\
\texttt{ajhjj@cunyvm.cuny.edu}}

\section{Command line \TeX\ for ever}

I notice from at least two articles in the current issue of 
\BV\ (Vol.~3, No.~2) that there appears
to be some \emph{zeitgeist} within which the long-established,
traditional and highly logical method of using {\TeX} and its adjuncts
is brought into question; I refer, of course, to the articles
by R. Allan Reese (p.~3, col.~1, para.~-2), and by your esteemed
self (p.~4, col.~1, para.~-5).  

In particular, I wish to take issue with your assertion that:
``Every {\TeX} user knows that the traditional command-line way of
working (the `edit; compile; $\{$preview, print$\}$' cycle) is
far from ideal.''
This assertion, Sir, is blatantly and demonstrably
flawed.  There exists at least one {\TeX} user (and, I suggest Sir,
many many more) who is \emph {completely} satisfied with this
way of working, and who regards any and every attempt to protect
the intellectually-challenged from the realities of \emph {real}
computing by encapsulating trivial tasks in a so-called `development
environment' as a fruitless and totally misguided activity.

\signature{I remain, Sir, your most humble and obedient servant:\\
Philip Taylor.}

P.S. I see that our esteemed sometime Chairman, Malcolm Clark, now has
a \emph{doppleganger} who is also contributing to the columns of \BV;
who is this pretender to the throne who dares assert ``We've been nice
guys for too long.''?

\section{\protect\strikethrough{Jove} \LaTeX\ nods}

I see from the current issue of \BV\ (Vol.~3, No.~2) that
the dotfill leaders for the table of contents no longer align; is this yet
another demonstration of the inferiority of {\LaTeX} when compared to the
Real Thing?

\signature{I remain, Sir, Yours etc.,\\ Philip Taylor}
\end{Article}
