Packages and Style-Files

Similar to the document-class mechanism described in the previous section, L^ATEX2HTML provides a mechanism whereby the code to translate specific packages and style-files is automatically loaded, if such code is available. For example, when use of a style such as german.sty is detected in a L^ATEX source document, either by

• a \usepackage command of L^ATEX2_e;
• an option to the \documentstyle command of L^ATEX2.09;
• an explicit \input or \include command;

the translator looks for a corresponding .perl file having the same file-name prefix; e.g. the file $LATEX2HTMLDIR/styles/german.perl. If such a .perl file is found, then its code will be incorporated with the main script, to be used as required.

This mechanism helps to keep the core script smaller, as well as making it easier for others to contribute and share solutions on how to translate specific style-files. The current distribution includes the files to support the styles listed in the table below. These provide good examples of how you can create further extensions to L^ATEX2HTML.

Table 6: Supported L^ATEX2HTML packages and style-files.

.perl file	Description
alltt	Supports the LATEX2e's alltt package.
amsfonts	provides recognition of the special AMS font symbols.
amsmath	same as amstex.perl.
amssymb	same as amsfonts.perl.
amstex	Supports much of the AMS-LATEX package (not yet complete).
babel	Interface to german.perl via the babel package.
changebar	Provides rudimentary change-bar support.
chemsym	defines the standard atomic symbols.
color	Causes colored text to be processed as ordinary text by LATEX2HTML.
colordvi	supports the Crayola colors.
enumerate	supports structured labels for enumerate environments.
epsbox	Processes embedded figures not enclosed in a figure environment.
epsfig	Processes embedded figures not enclosed in a figure environment.
finnish	Support for the Finnish language.
floatfig	Processes floating figures.
floatflt	Processes floating figures and tables.
foils	Supports FoilTeX system.
frames	Provides separate frames for navigation and footnotes.
francais	Support for the French language, same as french.perl.
french	Support for the French language.
german	Support for the German language.
germanb	Support for the German language, same as german.perl.
graphics	Supports commands in the graphics package.
graphicx	Supports the alternate syntax of graphics commands.
harvard	Supports the harvard style of citation (same as fnnharvard.perl).
heqn	Alters the way displayed equations are processed.
hthtml	gives an alternative syntax for specifying hyperlinks, etc.
htmllist	Provides support for fancy lists.
justify	supports paragraph alignment--no longer needed.
latexsym	supports the LATEX symbol font.
lgrind	macros for nice layout of computer program code.
longtable	supports use of long tables, as a single table.
makeidx	provides more sophisticated indexing.
multicol	suppresses requests for multi-columns.
natbib	Supports many different styles for citations and bibliographies.
nharvard	Supports harvard-style citations, using natbib.
seminar	for creation of overhead-presentation slides.
spanish	Support for the Spanish language.
supertabular	supports use super-tables, as an ordinary table.
texdefs	Supports some raw TEX commands.
verbatim	Supports verbatim input of files.
verbatimfiles	Supports verbatim input of files, also with line-numbering.
wrapfig	Supports wrapped figures.
xspace	Supports use of the xspace package and \xspace command.
xy	Supports use of the XY-pic graphics package.

The problem however, is that writing such extensions requires an understanding of Perl programming and of the way the processing in L^ATEX2HTML is organised. Interfaces that are more ``user-friendly'' are being investigated. Some of the techniques currently used are explained in a later section.