4 ms·

What are the main differences between TeXmacs and LyX?

sadhen 7y ago
LyX uses LaTeX as its backend typesetting mechanism. TeXmacs implements its own typesetting system. I think this is the main differences.
- GiovanniP 7y ago
  Let's add also: as a software system (that is independent from TeX), TeXmacs is programmable on its own (using Scheme). Of course if you want to add functionalities to LyX you have to do it in the LyX way (and possibly in the TeX way).
mgubi 7y ago
Many. Among which TeXmacs is a structured editor. You manipulate the structure of your document, from chapter, to sections, to environment, down to fractions and brackets all is an environment, which means that you cannot have, for example, (unwillingly) unmacthed brackets. Then TeXmacs contains the UI, the typesetter, an interface to other programs like computer algebra systems, an internal image editor, an internal versioning system, all in \sim 170MB (without other external dependencies). An is extensible via Scheme (much like Emacs is extensible).
- improbable22 7y ago
  LyX is also structured in the sense you describe. But somehow I never realised that TeXmacs is actually not TeX at all, I assumed it was another front-end. How on earth did it get such a confusing name?
  - mgubi 7y ago
    Historical reasons. Initially was inspired by TeX and Emacs. The project started in 1998 so now is hard to change the name. For the moment there is no consensus on a better name, so we stick with it and just try to make it clear from the outset.
  - mgubi 7y ago
    I never used LyX so I cannot compare. The point I wanted to make is that in TeXmacs cursor movements are actually movements inside the document tree and there is a notion of current focus which is the innermost environment you are in. Many operations involve the current focus (e.g. you can switch from a Theorem to a Lemma or change round to square brackets with one keystroke). Then another peculiarity of TeXmacs is that what is on the screen is exactly what will be on the PDF, because the same typesetter is used for screen and PDF output.

LyX uses LaTeX as its backend typesetting mechanism. TeXmacs implements its own typesetting system. I think this is the main differences.

GiovanniP 7y ago
Let's add also: as a software system (that is independent from TeX), TeXmacs is programmable on its own (using Scheme). Of course if you want to add functionalities to LyX you have to do it in the LyX way (and possibly in the TeX way).

mgubi 7y ago

Many. Among which TeXmacs is a structured editor. You manipulate the structure of your document, from chapter, to sections, to environment, down to fractions and brackets all is an environment, which means that you cannot have, for example, (unwillingly) unmacthed brackets. Then TeXmacs contains the UI, the typesetter, an interface to other programs like computer algebra systems, an internal image editor, an internal versioning system, all in \sim 170MB (without other external dependencies). An is extensible via Scheme (much like Emacs is extensible).

improbable22 7y ago
LyX is also structured in the sense you describe. But somehow I never realised that TeXmacs is actually not TeX at all, I assumed it was another front-end. How on earth did it get such a confusing name?
- mgubi 7y ago
  Historical reasons. Initially was inspired by TeX and Emacs. The project started in 1998 so now is hard to change the name. For the moment there is no consensus on a better name, so we stick with it and just try to make it clear from the outset.
- mgubi 7y ago
  I never used LyX so I cannot compare. The point I wanted to make is that in TeXmacs cursor movements are actually movements inside the document tree and there is a notion of current focus which is the innermost environment you are in. Many operations involve the current focus (e.g. you can switch from a Theorem to a Lemma or change round to square brackets with one keystroke). Then another peculiarity of TeXmacs is that what is on the screen is exactly what will be on the PDF, because the same typesetter is used for screen and PDF output.