arabtex.faq                                                    17.11.1993
                            What ArabTeX is NOT
                            ===================

From some enquiries following the release of ArabTeX Version 1 we learned 
there are many possible misconceptions about what ArabTeX can and cannot 
do. ArabTeX is

- NOT a convenient, simple text system for everyday use. As with TeX and 
  LaTeX, it needs some practicing to work with it efficiently, and you 
  have to understand what you are writing. 

- NOT a WYSIWYG system. You need some text editor to produce the ASCII 
  input file it reads, and you have to format your document off-line in 
  order to look at its final form. However, the input should be fairly 
  readable, and you can make a good guess what the output it produces will 
  look like.

- NOT a preprocessor to produce input for TeX. It will directly extend 
  your TeX system's capabilities IFF your TeX system can be extended by 
  loading additional macros and fonts, AND is large enough not to 
  overflow. 

- NOT a substitute for a calligrapher. A competent human will do a much 
  better job, as also will a good printing shop. However, we found not all 
  printing shops are good, and at least outside the arabic world a good 
  calligrapher is hard to find. 

- NOT an automatic translator between Arabic and any other language. That 
  possibility is probably still very far off. However, ArabTeX may help 
  you by observing numerous schematic rules about writing, transliteration 
  and transcription of Arabic text. 

- NOT using any Artificial Intelligence techniques. The rules it observes 
  are frozen into its algorithm, and as there are many rules and special 
  cases, it is complicated (and slow). 

- NOT depending on special hardware and/or a special keyboard. It will run 
  on any PC or work station in conjunction with a TeX implementation that 
  is easily extensible and large enough.

- NOT perfect and not free of errors (alas!). We will consider any bug 
  report and any suggestion for new features and other changes. However, 
  we cannot promise to fix every bug as our resources (primarily time) are 
  limited, and we reserve the right to use our own judgment concerning 
  possible changes. 

- NOT particularly efficient up to now. We concentrated on getting it 
  running correctly first, and tuning should (and will) come later. There 
  is ample opportunity for improvements but they could take some time.

- NOT terribly expensive. In fact, it is free for scientific and strictly 
  private, noncommercial use. For commercial purposes you need a license 
  agreement; inquire at the author's address.

	     Prof. Klaus Lagally 
	     Institut fuer Informatik
	     Universitaet Stuttgart
	     Breitwiesenstrasse 20-22
	     D-70565 Stuttgart
	     GERMANY

	     lagally@informatik.uni-stuttgart.de

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	Copyright (c) 1990 - 1993, Klaus Lagally
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