% BELL.TXH; reference in TeXhax.8730 Date: Thu, 16 Apr 87 17:37:57 PST From: Subject: Documentation for earlier form letter submission. Well, after receiving numerous responses regarding my form letter format for (need I reiterate) PLAIN TeX, I realized that I provided no way for people to guess what the correct format for the letter file(s) and/or address file(s) are. I am sending on a text version of our local guide as to the usage. Unfortunately, since it uses a format that I developed here for producing TeXnical Memoranda, I am unable to send a TeXable version. Also, the examples refer to DCL (VAX/VMS) commands---users of other operating systems forgive me. I am certain that the file is too big to post in TeXhax, so hopefully it will be archived along with the macro files sent earlier. Ed Bell Dept. of Physics and Astronomy University of Kansas Bitnet: BELL@UKANVAX SPAN: KUPHSX::BELL (7.220) --------------------------Beginning of Document-------------------------------- AutoLetter A TeX Letter Formatting Facility E. V. Bell, II AutoLetter is a facility available for producing high quality letters capable of handling any number of people in a mailing list. Although the format of the address file is somewhat restrictive, it is still possible to create a form letter destined to be sent to a wide variety of people and still personalize each one. This document is designed to explain: (1) the few commands necessary to format the letter and personalize it; (2) the format of the address file; and, (3) how to generate labels for the letters. Getting started For each form letter, you must create two files. The first is a file containing a list of the names and addresses of the people to whom the letters are being mailed. The second is a file containing the letter. Once these files have been created, you are ready to TeX them. There are relatively few TeX commands required in the letter, although any valid TeX command will work, including macro definitions, font changes, etc. In this way you can still utilize the power of TeX without sacrificing the simplicity of typing a form letter. Once these files are created, then type the following at DCL level: $ tex autoletter AutoLetter will then read in some files and will prompt you for the names of the address and letter files. It handles everything from there. If you should happen to have TeX errors present in the letter, you should correct them before attempting to print the file. Your resulting DVI file will be called AUTOLETTER.DVI. LNTeX this file and print it to the laser printer. The way in which labels are formatted is similar. In this case, a different TeX facility is used (LABELS) and only the address file is needed. In this manner, it is not necessary to create labels for a group of letters unless it is desired. Also, it is possible to maintain a mailing list for the purpose of generating mailing labels without using the AutoLetter procedure. The letter file There are relatively few special commands required for producing a letter with AutoLetter. Many of them are similar to or exactly the same as the ones listed in Appendix E of The TeXbook. The very first line in the file should contain the command \letterbody. This merely informs TeX to set up some parameters in a particular way. The salutation then follows. The salutation may include some commands which will personalize the letter in a number of different ways. If you wish to refer to the person by title and last name (e.g., Dr. Davidson, Mr. Desko, Ms. Comfort, etc.), you need only use the command \person. The persons title and last name will be substituted anywhere in the document where you use this command. If the person should have no known title, the phrase ``Sir or Madam'' is substituted. An alternative way to address someone would be by their first name. This could be whatever name you specify as the persons first name in the address file or an optional nickname. You may do this with the \familiar command. Finally, if in the salutation line you wish to refer to the addressee formally, you may use the \formal command. If, then, the persons title is Mr., the word ``Sir'' will be substituted. If the persons title is Mrs., Ms., or Miss, the word ``Madam'' will be substituted. Finally, if the title is none of the above, it is the same result as typing \person). There are no special commands which are needed to produce the file from that point onward. You may specify any form of type you wish to use (roman, boldface, etc.) with the usual TeX commands. The letter is typeset by default in twelve-point roman and TeX places the date on every copy of the letter. Also by default, paragraphs are not indented. If you wish to have an paragraph indented on both sides, you can use the \narrow and \wide commands. TeXhax users should know at this point that these commands have been defined as: \def\narrow{\advance\leftskip by3em \advance\rightskip by3em} \def\wide{\advance\leftskip by-3em \advance\rightskip by-3em} When the body of the letter is finished, you specify the closing of the letter with the \closing command on a line by itself. The next line then contains the closing you wish to specify (e.g., Sincerely, Yours truly, etc., including the punctuation). The following lines until AutoLetter reaches a blank line, or one of the commands discussed below will be the placed after the signature space. The form, then, would be \closing Sincerely, J. P. Davidson Chairman The \annotations command is used to specify any special annotations required of the letter. These are specified no differently than any normal letter would be typed. Again, the \annotations command would be on a line by itself and each following line until a blank line is found would be typeset as a separate line. The \ps command is used to specify any post-scripts the author may wish. You need not type the usual ``P.S.'', however, as AutoLetter takes care of it. Again, leave a blank line after the post-script is finished. Finally, the last line in the document should have the command \endletter. This finishes the general description of the letter file. An example file follows (the result of which produces the last three pages of this document): --------------------------------Example---------------------------------------- \letterbody Dear \familiar, This is the first in what I expect to be a series of canned \TeX\ routines for the office staff of the University of Kansas' Department of Physics and Astronomy. The obvious intent is to facilitate the usage of the departments VAX 11-750 computer and ease the shock of transition for either those not used to working on computers in general or those simply not used to working on a VMS system. I hope to provide to the department a durable but relatively flexible system whereby the office staff will be able to: \narrow \item{1.}Create standardized form letters for mailing to a large group of people. \vskip-\parskip \item{2.}Allow creation of book and journal formats which will allow for providing camera-ready text for publication. \vskip-\parskip \item{3.}Provide for both a means of uniformity of appearance of departmental documents when that is desired and for diversity of appearance when personal taste dictates. \wide This will, I trust, give you a brief idea of what I have intended. A format for producing an interdepartmental memo already exists and the ability to produce dissertations exists in at least two formats. This letter proves the capability of creating mass mailings or even of a single letter in a uniform format. I hope that you will all find these routines useful and productive. \closing Sincerely, E. V. Bell, II System \TeX nician \ps The \TeX\ routine which produced this letter is called AutoLetter. It is available to everyone on the system and users manuals are available. \endletter -----------------------------End of Example------------------------------------ The address file The format of the address file is very specific. The first six lines are reserved for the name of the addressee and the address as it is to appear in the letter follows on subsequent lines. Each entry is separated by an asterisk (*) on a line by itself. An example of an address file might be: --------------------------------Example---------------------------------------- Mr. Edwin Ed V. Bell II 1011 Indiana, Apt. \#6 Lawrence, KS\ \ \ 66044-2952 * Dept. of Physics and Astronomy University of Kansas Lawrence, KS\ \ \ 66045 * Mr. R. Rick D. Desko Dept. of Physics and Astronomy University of Kansas Lawrence, KS\ \ \ 66045 * -----------------------------End of Example------------------------------------ Note that each part of the persons name (including their title) appears on a line by itself. The lines for the addressees name are: (1) The persons title (e.g., Prof., Mr., Ms., etc.). (2) The persons first name or initial. (3) The name to use other than their first name if the salutation is \familiar. (This can either be the same as (2) or a nickname.) (4) The persons middle name(s) or initial(s). (5) The persons last name. (6) Additional name information (used for such things as ``Jr.'', ``II'', or other things). Even if one or more parts of the name is unknown or irrelevant, a blank must be left for the entry. AutoLetter will reassemble the name as appropriate to certain commands. Also notice that if the letter is to an organization, as in the second entry, that you should leave all name lines blank except the one reserved for the first name. All other information would then appear as part of the address. The LABELS facility The ability to create mailing labels, while not necessarily useful only in the generation of form letters, is still so closely tied to the subject that I hesitated to write another manual iterating much of the same material. It is useful to be able to generate mailing labels both in coordination with and separately from the AutoLetter facility. It is therefore provided as a separate utility. The LABELS procedure creates a page containing 33 labels, three columns of eleven labels. In order to use it, have the address file (described above) already created and type at DCL: $ tex labels LABELS will then read in some files and will prompt you for the name of the address file, just as AutoLetter does. It handles everything from there. As always, if you should happen to have TeX errors present in the letter, you should correct them before attempting to print the file. Similarly to the AutoLetter procedure, your resulting DVI file will be called (this time) LABELS.DVI. LNTeX this file and print it to the laser printer. If you do not wish to use the AutoLetter facility directly, it is possible to just input the letter format file (with \input letter_format), but you will need to control the positioning of the date (as well as many other things) yourself. Enjoy! E. V. Bell, II -----------------------------Ending of Document-------------------------------- -------