Re: Latex and indexes?

[Susan Self <susans -at- QUALCOMM -dot- COM>]

Matt,

I would do a web search to see what's available there about LaTex.
I had to convert a LaTex document to Framemaker and found in my web
search a freeware tool called la2mml that did the trick. It even did
a reasonable job with a series of complex mathematical formulas.
The tool runs on UNIX and Mac machines. Definitely do your homework
before responding to the job offer.

Susan Self
QUALCOMM, Inc.

>Date:    Fri, 25 Jul 1997 15:05:18 -0400
>From:    Matthew J Long <mjl100z -at- MAIL -dot- ODU -dot- EDU>
>Subject: Latex and indexes?
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
>
>AAAAAAHHHHH! Help!!!!
>
>I sent a few messages out to various software companies this week to try
>and churn up some contract work (this is the second response I have gotten
>out of 10 messages I sent--20% ain't bad, eh?).
>
>Now that I am getting responses, I am freaking out a little bit. I don't
>know if I should try to take on tasks that are not necessarily in my
>expertise. The following is the actual text I receive back from one of
>these companies:
>
>> We are currently updating a significant portion of our documentation.
>> Have you worked with Latex before?  We are converting all of our stuff
>> to FrameMaker and we have one large Latex document to deal with.
>>
>> Also, do you build indexes, by which I am primarily referring to the
>> act of identifying the topics and keywords and not simply the
>> mechanics of tagging them in a given word-processor program.
>>
>> What is your background/training/company?  Do you have a web page I
>> can look at?
>>
>> -Fred
>
>I have never heard of Latex (and I don't think this is a reference to
>prophylactics or gloves) before. Anyone?
>
>I have done some indexing for a manual that is less than 200 pages,
>but depending on what he is talking about, this maybe more than I can
>handle. Indexers... what do you think?
>
>How would you respond to this message if you were in my shoes?
>
>TIA
>
>-Matt
>
>p.s. I just had a thought... what if the guy who sent me this message is
>on this list? Hmmmmmmmm?
>
>////////////////////////////**************************************
>        Matthew J. Long
>        Technical Writer
>        mjl100z -at- mail -dot- odu -dot- edu
>        matt -dot- long -at- justice -dot- usdoj -dot- gov
>
>        -When you can't be eloquent, choose brevity!
>********************************************************////////////

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