On Tuesday 15 May 2007 12:04, Richard Heck wrote: > Yes, but of course LaTeX isn't designed for end-users to do this kind of > thing. The class is supposed to handle all of that, and the end-user is > supposed to worry about content. True, there are times when one does > want to do that kind of thing, and if you're self-publishing books like > Steve Litt does then you wear both hats.
Thanks Richard, I think the right kind of documentation can make it much easier for LyX users to make their own paragraph and character styles, even if they're not programmers or "super smart". After years of trying to figure this stuff out (and lots of bald spots where I ripped out my hair), I've come to the conclusion that you can't really understand LaTeX and use it effectively without first understanding TeX, which fortunately is VERY simple. After learning TeX, I still can't figure everything out, but at least I'm not intimidated, and I can form questions to get the info I need on the LyX list. Personally, I'd recommend everyone on this list read "TeX for the Impatient", available here: http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/info/impatient/book.pdf After reading that book, I've never again been intimidated by LaTeX (confused, yes, but not intimidated). SteveT Steve Litt Author: Universal Troubleshooting Process books and courseware http://www.troubleshooters.com/
