@Preface @Begin
@LP
This User's Guide brings together in one document everything needed
for the day-to-day use of Version 3 of the Lout document formatting
system.
@IndexBlanks
@PP
There are three other documents describing Lout:  the Expert's Guide
@Cite { $kingston1994lout.expert }, formerly called `Document Formatting
with Lout,' which you need if you want to add new features to Lout; a
journal paper on the design and implementation of Lout
@Cite { $kingston1993lout.design }; and a set of overhead transparencies
@Cite { $kingston1994lout.overheads } that cover much the same ground
as this Guide.  These documents are all distributed with the software.
@PP
Lout is distributed free of charge under the GNU Public License.  The
gnu. @Index { GNU Public License }
primary source is a gzipped tar file called @Code "lout.3.04.tar.gz"
or similar which is kept in subdirectory @Code jeff of the home directory of
@Code ftp to {@Code "ftp.cs.su.oz.au"} with login name @Code anonymous
and any non-empty password.  This is redistributed on the
@Code comp.sources.misc newsgroup, which is archived at several sites
around the world.  The distribution contains source code, libraries,
documentation, license, and installation instructions.  Distribution by
uuencoded email is also available, from me.
@PP
A mailing list has been set up for discussion of all topics related to
Lout.  To subscribe, send email to @Code "lout-request@niif.spb.su"
containing the word @Code "subscribe" in the Subject line.  To post an
item, send email to {@Code "lout@niif.spb.su"}; it will be forwarded to
all subscribers via email.  To unsubscribe, send email to
@Code "lout-request@niif.spb.su" containing the word @Code "unsubscribe"
in the Subject line.
@PP
Version 2 documents should port to Version 3 almost unchanged.  If you
version. @Index { versions of Lout }
are using your own setup files, you will have to reconstruct them from
copies of the new Version 3 ones.  You may also need to revise some of
the options to {@Code "@Document"}, {@Code "@Report"}, and
{@Code "@Book"}.  Then delete all {@Code "@BeginFigures"},
{@Code "@EndFigures"}, {@Code "@BeginTables"}, and {@Code "@EndTables"}
symbols, change @Code "@EndList" at the end of raw lists only to
{@Code "@RawEndList"}, change the syntax of @Code "@TagItem" symbols
to the new form (Section {@NumberOf lists}), delete all database index
({@Code .li}) files, and you should be right.
@PP
Lout began in 1984 as a research project into the design of a high-level
language for document formatting.  At that time my name for the subject
was `document layout,' and this terminology survives in the names of
some of the standard packages, and in `Lout' itself.  The initial design
was strongly influenced by Brian W. Kernighan and Lorinda L. Cherry's eqn
kernighan @Index { Kernighan, Brian W. }
cherry.l @Index { Cherry, Lorinda L.}
eqn. @Index { @Code eqn equation formatter }
equation formatter @Cite { $kernighan1975eqn }, and also by Brian K. Reid's
Scribe system @Cite { $reid1980scribe }.  That
scribe.influence @SubIndex { influence on Lout }
reid.b @Index { Reid, Brian K. }
research phase ended in October 1991 with the first public release of Lout.
@PP
Since then the system has been steadily improved and extended.  Optimal
paragraph breaking and automatic hyphenation were copied from Donald
E. Knuth's @TeX system @Cite { $knuth1984tex }.  The strongest
knuth @Index { Knuth, D. E. }
tex. @Index { @TeX }
influence during this period has come from Lout's users; indeed the
number of people who have offered comments and suggestions is so great
that it is quite out of my power to acknowledge them individually.  I
hope that seeing their ideas adopted will be thanks enough.
@DP
@RLD lines @Break {
Jeffrey H. Kingston
Basser Department of Computer Science
The University of Sydney 2006, Australia
@Code "jeff@cs.su.oz.au"
}
@End @Preface
