It may interest you to know that I have decided to see if the`latexconf'
idea mentioned here some months ago has the potential of being realized.
What I am currently doing is create a set of LaTeX classes (based on the
base classes, and backward compatible with them) that are massively
parametrized (i.e. anything you might want to change has a variable/command
name/counter/if attached to it). What I've done so far does not appear to
noticebly affect performance.
What I am also doing is moving some generally important add-on package
functionality into this package. Stuff (e.g. hanging captions and the
like, and some things found in Komascript and the Dutch classes and in
titlesec and the upcoming titletoc) that ought to be by its nature in the
base package, like it is in most word processors. Bloatware, you may say,
but situation now is a little bit different than when fifty scientists were
sharing a single VAX780!
Anyway, I am making this up as I go along; once finished, the idea is to
create a graphical control utility (in tcl/tk or whatever) to be able to
configure all these parameters in a sensible way. Of course this could be done
directly from within LyX; but I think this facility will be useful independent
of LyX. Derfor I think the only thing LyX will have to do is (1) have a menu
item for calling this config utility, (2) have it edit myfile.lcf, if the
document itself is myfile.lyx, and (3) insert \input{myfile.lcf} into
the preamble. Of course provided the LyX configure finds it. In due time!
All this is theory still, as I am busy becoming a TeX/LaTeX guru (fascinating
language, but tricky ;-). Look at the current status (below), remembering
that this is still pre-cambrian alpha. I am doing this at my own pace when
things are unusually hectic at my job, and will not get anywhere probably
before summer, if not autumn. It's mainly the philosophy behind it that might
currently interest you.
Have a look:
htpp://www.netby.net/Oest/Europa-Alle/vermeer/neoprene.dtx (and .ins)
Martin
