Python main documentation -- in LaTeX
-------------------------------------
This directory contains the LaTeX sources to the Python documentation
and tools required to support the formatting process. The documents
now require LaTeX2e; LaTeX 2.09 compatibility has been dropped.
If you don't have LaTeX, or if you'd rather not format the
documentation yourself, you can ftp a tar file containing HTML, PDF,
or PostScript versions of all documents. Additional formats may be
available. These should be in the same place where you fetched the
main Python distribution (try <http://www.python.org> or
<ftp://ftp.python.org>).
The following are the LaTeX source files:
api/*.tex Python/C API Reference Manual
ext/*.tex Extending and Embedding the Python Interpreter
lib/*.tex Python Library Reference
mac/*.tex Macintosh Library Modules
ref/*.tex Python Reference Manual
tut/*.tex Python Tutorial
Most use the "manual" document class and "python" package, derived from
the old "myformat.sty" style file. The Macintosh Library Modules
document uses the "howto" document class instead. These contains many
macro definitions useful in documenting Python, and set some style
parameters.
There's a Makefile to call LaTeX and the other utilities in the right
order and the right number of times. This will produce DVI files for
each document made; to preview them, use xdvi. PostScript is produced
by the same Makefile target that produces the DVI files. This uses
the dvips tool. Printing depends on local conventions; at our site,
we use lpr. For example:
make lib # create lib.dvi and lib.ps
xdvi lib # preview lib.dvi
lpr lib.ps # print on default printer
What if I find a bug?
---------------------
First, check that the bug is present in the online version of the
documentation at <http://www.python.org/docs/>; we may have already
fixed it.
If we haven't, tell us about it. We'd like the documentation to be
complete and accurate, but have limited time. If you discover any
inconsistencies between the documentation and implementation, or just
have suggestions as to how to improve the documentation, let is know!
Send comments and patches to the Python Documentation Team:
python-docs@python.org
Thanks!
What happened to the Macintosh chapter of the Python Library Reference?
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The directory mac/ contains the LaTeX sources for the "Macintosh
Library Modules" manual; this is built using the standard build
targets, so check the proper output directory for your chosen format
and paper size.
What tools do I need?
---------------------
You need to install Python; some of the scripts used to produce the
documentation are written in Python. You don't need this
documentation to install Python; instructions are included in the
README file in the Python distribution.
The simplest way to get the rest of the tools in the configuration we
used is to install the teTeX TeX distribution, version 0.4 or 0.9. More
information is available on teTeX at <http://www.tug.org/tetex/>.
This is a UNIX-only TeX distribution at this time. Note that the 0.9
release is still in testing; this documentation release was tested
with the 21 Apr 1998 release. We'll be upgrading to the final version
when it becomes available. Except for the PDF generation, it also works
with the (stable) teTeX 0.4 release.
If you don't want to get teTeX, here is what you'll need:
To create DVI, PDF, or PostScript files:
- LaTeX2e, 1995/12/01 or newer. Older versions are likely to
choke.
- makeindex. This is used to produce the indexes for the
library reference and Python/C API reference.
To create PDF files:
- pdflatex. We used the one in the teTeX 0.9 distribution
(version 0.12h at the time of this writing). Versions even
a couple of patchlevels earlier are highly likely to fail
due to syntax changes for some of the pdftex primitives.
To create PostScript files:
- dvips. Most TeX installations include this. If you don't
have one, check CTAN (<ftp://ctan.tug.org/tex-archive/>).
To create info files:
Note that info support is currently being revised using new
conversion tools by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.washington.edu>.
- makeinfo. This is available from any GNU mirror.
- emacs or xemacs. Emacs is available from the same place as
makeinfo, and xemacs is available from ftp.xemacs.org.
- Perl. Find the software at
<http://language.perl.com/info/software.html>.
To create HTML files:
- Perl 5.004_04 or newer. Find the software at
<http://language.perl.com/info/software.html>.
- LaTeX2HTML 98.2b6. Older version will fail with the new
directory layout. Version 98.2b8 specifically does not
work; it translates `` and '' to “ and ”, which
are not supported by popular Web browsers. Releases are
available at:
<http://cdc-server.cdc.informatik.tu-darmstadt.de/~latex2html/>.
What if Times fonts are not available?
--------------------------------------
As distributed, the LaTeX documents use PostScript Times fonts. This
is done since they are much better looking and produce smaller
PostScript files. If, however, your TeX installation does not support
them, they may be easily disabled. Edit the file
texiinputs/manual.cls and comment out the line that starts
"\RequirePackage{times}" using a "%" character at the beginning of the
line. An alternative is to install the right fonts and LaTeX style
file.
What if I want to use A4 paper?
-------------------------------
Instead of building the PostScript by giving the command "make", give
the command "make PAPER=a4"; the output will be produced in the
paper-a4/ subdirectory.
Making HTML files
-----------------
The LaTeX documents can be converted to HTML using Nikos Drakos'
LaTeX2HTML converter. See the Makefile; after some twiddling, "make
html" should do the trick.
What else is in here?
---------------------
There is a new LaTeX document class called "howto". This is used for
the new series of Python HOWTO documents which is being coordinated by
Andrew Kuchling <amk@acm.org>. The file templates/howto.tex is a
commented example which may be used a template. A script to "do the
right thing" to format a howto document is included as
tools/mkhowto.sh. These documents can be formatted as HTML, PDF,
PostScript, or ASCII files. Support for this document class is
still new, but is expected to evolve rapidly. Use "mkhowto.sh --help"
for information on using the formatting tool.
For authors of module documentation, there is a file
templates/module.tex which may be used as a template for a module
section. This may be used in conjunction with either the howto or
manual document class. Create the documentation for a new module by
copying the template to lib<mymodule>.tex and editing according to the
instructions in the comments.
Copyright notice
================
The Python source is copyrighted, but you can freely use and copy it
as long as you don't change or remove the copyright notice:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 1991-1995 by Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands.
All Rights Reserved
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted,
provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
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Centrum or CWI or Corporation for National Research Initiatives or
CNRI not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to
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While CWI is the initial source for this software, a modified version
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STICHTING MATHEMATISCH CENTRUM AND CNRI DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES WITH
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PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER
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PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
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