[be] [task #8017] use/allow xetex as formatter

[Dennis Drescher]

Follow-up Comment #12, task #8017 (project bibledit):

Remember that to do complex non-Roman scripts like I think Farsi is, you will
need the latest version of XeTeX. The one that gets install with the current
version of Ubuntu (9.10) may not be good enough. You can pull the most up to
date version from the SIL repo. (deb http://packages.sil.org/ubuntu karmic
main).

Beyond that, the main element you will need is the ptx2pdf macro package. The
one that Paratext uses should do everything most people need. We are working
on a branch of that here that does a little more. I don't know if I can
recommend that one or not. You probably just want to use the same set of
macros that Paratext uses to have some compatibility.

I suggest you don't try to do too much. Just try to give basic output on the
first pass. Give them a little and people will ask for more. Before you know
it, you will be developing a full-blown publishing application and you may not
want to necessarily go there, at least not yet.

The nice thing about going this route is that it leaves it open to
modifications at the local level. One of our support guys was able to get
Paratext 7 to give some output that was never intended because he had access
to the TeX code. We would want this for BE as well.

One hurdle you will need to overcome is the fact that you store all your data
in chapter files. TeX (XeTeX) and ptx2pdf will need the data in book files in
order to process. You will need to provide that some way.

Dennis

    _______________________________________________________

Reply to this item at:

  <http://savannah.nongnu.org/task/?8017>

_______________________________________________
  Message sent via/by Savannah
  http://savannah.nongnu.org/