Category:PlainTeX: Difference between revisions

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~~plainTeX~~ is the name used to refer to the default set of ''macros'' which are always present on all [[TeX]] systems

{{PlainTeX}} is the name used to refer to the default set of ''macros'' which are always present on all [[TeX|{{TeX}}]] systems

(and it is the default preloaded format for <tt>tex</tt> executable). They were written by Knuth himself, and provide the basic to start using [[TeX]] (since "raw" [[TeX]] is not ready-to-use for documents creation). Often when one says simply "TeX document", s/he means s/he is using the ~~plainTeX~~ macros, even though nowadays the success of the complex feature-full [[LaTeX]] macros package creates a little bit of confusion and a lot of people, ignoring that LaTeX is just one of possible macro packages for TeX, think that LaTeX is TeX and viceversa.

(and it is the default preloaded format for <tt>tex</tt> executable). They were written by Knuth himself, and provide the basic to start using [[TeX|{{TeX}}]] (since "raw" [[TeX|{{TeX}}]] is not ready-to-use for documents creation). Often when one says simply "{{TeX}} document", s/he means s/he is using the {{PlainTeX}} macros, even though nowadays the success of the complex feature-full [[LaTeX|{{LaTeX}}]] macros package creates a little bit of confusion and a lot of people, ignoring that {{LaTeX}} is just one of possible macro packages for {{TeX}}, think that {{LaTeX}} is {{TeX}} and viceversa.

Extension to the ~~plainTeX~~ exists, like eplain(TeX).

Extension to the {{PlainTeX}} exists, like eplain({{TeX}}).

Even though [[LaTeX]] is nowadays almost a typesetting "standard" when using a [[TeX]] system, ~~plainTeX~~ is still usable and used.

Even though [[LaTeX|{{LaTeX}}]] is nowadays almost a typesetting "standard" when using a [[TeX|{{TeX}}]] system, {{PlainTeX}} is still usable and used.