793415
submission
Comments: 2 +- Stick to LaTeX on Saturday July 26 2008, @01:17PM javierzinho
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javierzinho
on Saturday July 26 2008, @01:17PM
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software
javierzinho writes "For many years I have been using LaTeX to compose scientific documents, but sincerely I'm getting tired of its complexity: it is necessary to install new packages for new features, compatibility issues are everywhere, you need to know commands for everything, table composition is a torture, image insertion an odyssey if you don't have the "right" format, and you need to be a LaTeX's jedi master to create a new document class. I'm looking for a document processor (NOT a word processor) as a viable replacement for LaTeX having all its advantages (consistency between text and math text, automated cross references, direct pdf creation, etc.) but not stuck with the compiler concept and weird 1980's font technology that uses LaTeX, I mean an application with visual interface and so on. I've tried Scientific Word and Lyx but both are front-ends for LaTeX, and Publicon only produces pdf files by ... exporting to LaTeX an subsequently using pdflatex. Add-ons for MS-Word are a joke, and webEq is intended for web publishing, not for pdf production. It seems no company has the guts to produce a decent scientific-structured document processor, am I wrong?, does anybody knows about a viable replacement for LaTeX in the form of a modern application?"
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There's no such thing (Score:3, Insightful)
I went the opposite route from you: I tried every package out there that claimed to offer good scientific document processing, and finally bit the bullet and learned LaTeX. It's a decision I've never regretted since. Front ends like Lyx are about as good as it gets for what you want.
Re: (Score:2)