Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2003 14:12:30 -0500

Bob Tennent wrote:

>  > I'm trying to print nice looking reports from a script running on a
>  > linux server.
>  >
>  > Is there any app or utility that can make "nice" prints that support
>  > lines for columns/rows and different font sizes, headers and so on or
>  > do i have to code postscript by hand?
>  >
>  > I guess i'm looking for some sort of tagged data to postscript
>  > converter (sort of like a html to postscript converter).
>
> Have you considered LaTeX?  Professional-quality typesetting from
> marked-up text.

I used LaTeX for my books. It's absolutely the best, most precise way to handle text. But it's a markup language and takes some learning. For more information see:

http://tex.loria.fr/english/general.html

To start learning see "The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX2e," by Tobias Oetiker and a few others. Another excellent one is "A Simplified Introduction to LaTeX," by Harvey Greenberg.

"Not So Short" is a little more current than Greenberg, but I recommend both. Each goes a little more in depth than the other on certain topics.

If you want to know a little more about graphics (too much, actually) there's "Using Imported Graphics in LaTeX2e," by Keith Reckdahl. Another handy one is "The Comprehensive Symbol List," by Scott Pakin. Has all those wingdings, math and other symbols you might find handy.

LaTeX can also be used to make PDF files with hyperlinks within the document.

I like it so much I'm actually trying to figure out ways to use it in places where a traditional word processor is much more handy. The quality is such it can get that kind of hold on you.

Rod

Author of "Linux for Non-Geeks—Clear-eyed Answers for Practical Consumers" and "Boring Stories from Uncle Rod." Both are available at http://www.rodwriterpublishing.com/index.html