That's why I use TeX. I understand it fairly well, have a lot of macros that work well, and can write more macros easily. So I have own macros for table of contents, cross references, numbering figures, tables, chapters, sections, theorems, etc., bibliographic entries, verbatim, putting text from TeX on figures, putting a frame around foils, lists, etc.
With LaTeX, (1) I would have to learn more and (2) to write macros, I might have to understand and then fight what LaTeX assumes. Also the LaTeX documentation is much larger than 'The TeXBook'! So, I just stay with TeX.
Also for me a big, HUGE, point is that input to TeX (or LaTeX) is just a simple 'flat ASCII' text file, and for those I use my favorite, programmable text editor, the same one I use for writing software, e-mail, and much more. E.g., when I need to do some special thing to a TeX file, I can write an editor macro to do it.
Net, in my general purpose, long lasting collections, I have about 150 macros for TeX, about 150 for my programmable editor, and about 100 for command line scripts. So, that's 400 names to remember? No, from my editor, I can quickly see all the names of all the macros and, of course, for each macro its source. Searching for macros? My editor is great at searching! Lacking anything else, I can quickly pull all the macros of one collection into one temporary file and just search that. I have no difficulty finding macros! Works well.
Not to be missed, I run TeX from a scripting language which is 'smart' enough to do the converstion to PDF, etc. So, I minimize clicking. It's easy: I just have a little text window, and to see the results of a change in my TeX input I just hit the retrieve key in that window and then Enter. It's FAST.
Broadly I like 'windows', lots of windows, even for just one piece of work. So, for TeX I will have at least three, one for each of my text editor, the TeX DVI preview output, and the command line scripts. For my current software project, putting a Web site in front of some of my other software, I have about 15 windows with a mixture of Web browser windows and my editor windows. To open all those windows at the start of work, I have a simple script. To arrange the windows, I have a simple script. When the windows on the screen get to be a mess, I have a simple script that will arrange them and can be executed with an icon on the UL corner of my screen.
Lesson: One 'application' that has just one window and tries to do everything within just that one window is less good than just using the ability of the operating system to display many windows. So, right, "Look, Ma, no IDE!". And no Word, either.
End of my contrarian view of graphical user interface!
With LaTeX, (1) I would have to learn more and (2) to write macros, I might have to understand and then fight what LaTeX assumes. Also the LaTeX documentation is much larger than 'The TeXBook'! So, I just stay with TeX.
Also for me a big, HUGE, point is that input to TeX (or LaTeX) is just a simple 'flat ASCII' text file, and for those I use my favorite, programmable text editor, the same one I use for writing software, e-mail, and much more. E.g., when I need to do some special thing to a TeX file, I can write an editor macro to do it.
Net, in my general purpose, long lasting collections, I have about 150 macros for TeX, about 150 for my programmable editor, and about 100 for command line scripts. So, that's 400 names to remember? No, from my editor, I can quickly see all the names of all the macros and, of course, for each macro its source. Searching for macros? My editor is great at searching! Lacking anything else, I can quickly pull all the macros of one collection into one temporary file and just search that. I have no difficulty finding macros! Works well.
Not to be missed, I run TeX from a scripting language which is 'smart' enough to do the converstion to PDF, etc. So, I minimize clicking. It's easy: I just have a little text window, and to see the results of a change in my TeX input I just hit the retrieve key in that window and then Enter. It's FAST.
Broadly I like 'windows', lots of windows, even for just one piece of work. So, for TeX I will have at least three, one for each of my text editor, the TeX DVI preview output, and the command line scripts. For my current software project, putting a Web site in front of some of my other software, I have about 15 windows with a mixture of Web browser windows and my editor windows. To open all those windows at the start of work, I have a simple script. To arrange the windows, I have a simple script. When the windows on the screen get to be a mess, I have a simple script that will arrange them and can be executed with an icon on the UL corner of my screen.
Lesson: One 'application' that has just one window and tries to do everything within just that one window is less good than just using the ability of the operating system to display many windows. So, right, "Look, Ma, no IDE!". And no Word, either.
End of my contrarian view of graphical user interface!