RE: Alternatives to Frame? (long)

[Mike Tatro <tatro@xxxxxxx>]

Larry-

This looks very interesting. How could any professional writer/publisher
*not* like this approach. Haven't we all talked until we are blue in the
face about the importance of controlled style and structure, form following
substance and admonishing people not to "swipe at some text and make it just
make it look pretty." I certainly have. 

I have to laugh though... for once it's us Windows users who are on the
outside looking in;-)

Warmest Regards,
Michael L. Tatro
Documentation Manager
V-Systems, Inc.
tatro@vsi.com 

> Hmmm, LyX (open-source word/document processor, <http://www.lyx.org/>)
> is looking pretty good right now. LyX uses the TeX H&J (in fact, it
> uses LaTeX to print) and can deal with HTML and DocBook. It requires
> a good bit of "think different," but one could say the same 
> of Frame. :-)
> 
> The following is my opinion only....
> 
> Some good things about LyX:
> 
>  - open source
>  - very stable
>  - quick, even on older hardware over a network
>  - structured editing (+SGML users will feel right at home)
>  - overrides are VERY difficult
>  - proven track record for working with long documents
>  - works with (at least) a subset of DocBook if needed
>  - export to HTML supported
>  - runs on Unix and most variants (especially Linux)
>  - actively supported
>  - good documentation (amazingly so for an open-source project)
>  - you can use raw LaTeX code if you want to do something fancy
> 
> Some drawbacks:
> 
>  - no book files
>  - no generalized SGML/XML support
>  - doesn't run on MacOS
>  - only runs in Windows inside Cygwin(?)
>  - no document variables (can be faked by macros)
>  - limited cross-reference styles (equiv. "paranumonly" and "page")
>  - you HAVE TO use raw LaTeX code if you want to do something fancy
> 
> I've been fiddling with LyX off and on for a while. It's *definitely*
> a good idea to read the included manuals (for a change!) if you're
> going to play with it. The developers call it a "WYSIWYM" system
> (what you see is what you *mean*) -- the idea is that you concentrate
> on your text and let the computer do the tedious typesetting stuff.
> 
> I wouldn't want to replace Frame with LyX, especially in shops
> where people use most of Frame's functionality, but it would
> certainly be a viable alternative for some folks if Adobe *does*
> kill Frame (which I doubt will happen any time soon, BTW). I'm
> just tossing out a possbility that's at least within the means
> of many reading this list.
> 
> 	Larry

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