Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

github.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

191–200 of 285 posts

Re: Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

#191

Post by tough »

SGML_ROCKSTAR wrote: post #154
cschmidt wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every conference has their own required LaTeX style file that must be used. Unless there is an automated way to convert these exactly, I don't see how LaTeX alternatives can be used.

Is LaTeX difficult to learn? An article stated something about how its syntax is inscrutable, from what memory will allow before the caffeine hits.

llms are great at handling syntax for you so you can focus on your work

I never wrote latex before, but writing a simple PDF / scholarly article from code is pretty easy with current tools if you're a dev

Re: Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

#192

Post by tough »

Biganon wrote: post #180
SGML_ROCKSTAR wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is LaTeX difficult to learn? An article stated something about how its syntax is inscrutable, from what memory will allow before the caffeine hits.

It's hell. You usually use an existing layout and adapt it to your needs, but even that can be counter intuitive. Source : wrote my MLaw papers with it.

What's the problem with making your own layouts? just the syntax?

Re: Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

#193

Post by bjornasm »

tiffanyh wrote: post #127
tinthedev wrote: post #102

I'm not quite sure who this is for. Markdown is for keeping things simple. There's plenty of of "proper" markup languages and full programming languages to actually write code in. Why do we need a hybrid program like this, which is not as simple as pure markup, and is not as powerful as a proper templating language? I personally just run markdown -> HTML/CSS -> python templating (Jinja or something) -> PDF/HTML As a…

This is for academic and publication journals. Which is why you see Typst it's strongest competitor in the Comparison Chart.

They should have added Quarto there imo.

Re: Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

#194

Post by kzrdude »

Onawa wrote: post #142
speerer wrote: post #4

I'm very excited to boot up and try this. I may have finally found what I need to replace my rickety pipeline of templates and pandoc conversions.

Maybe look at Quarto? Almost every project I start now begins with `quarto project create`. From there I can pivot the material into HTML, .docx, PDF, .PPTX, Typst, LaTeX, and all of them simultaneously.

Which editor or environment do you use to edit these?

Re: Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

#195

Post by MisterTea »

tinthedev wrote: post #102

I'm not quite sure who this is for. Markdown is for keeping things simple. There's plenty of of "proper" markup languages and full programming languages to actually write code in. Why do we need a hybrid program like this, which is not as simple as pure markup, and is not as powerful as a proper templating language? I personally just run markdown -> HTML/CSS -> python templating (Jinja or something) -> PDF/HTML As a…

> I personally just run markdown -> HTML/CSS -> python templating (Jinja or something) -> PDF/HTML

Unix philosophy vs highly integrated vertical Microsoft style applications. One benefits users, the other, the vendor.

Re: Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

#196

Post by throwawaymaths »

kylereeve wrote: post #184
WillAdams wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If one just chooses a reasonable documentclass and if need be a few packages suited to the requirements of one's document, then it all "just works" with (mostly) sensible defaults and minimal configuration. Memoir hugely simplified my own work in LaTeX back when I was doing book composition. Or, just use LyX....

> If one just chooses a reasonable documentclass and if need be a few packages suited to the requirements of one's document, then it all "just works" with (mostly) sensible defaults and minimal configuration. Ironically, very similar to the story with modern C++. If you use a limited subset it can "just work" but only if you are disciplined and don't have to mix in legacy code that's pre-C++11.

look c++99 was a very cromulent c++ as well. oh lol just like the LaTeX story

Re: Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

#197

Post by throwawaymaths »

blenderob wrote: post #162
sureglymop wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, you'll have to install and keep those packages somewhere on your system. And maybe a few months from now after your latex distribution got updated by the system your document suddenly no longer compiles. What I want is something like npm-like package management for this, where the packages are just kept there next to the document. I don't care if I'll have a package 20 times on my system either, storage hasn't…

> And maybe a few months from now after your latex distribution got updated by the system your document suddenly no longer compiles. I'm using LaTeX 2e for 25+ years. This has literally never happened to me. If that's not stability, I don't know what is. LaTeX documents I wrote in my grad days still compile for me. I just checked and it does. I do keep the dependency packages myself in my folder. Has this issue ever…

> I'm using LaTeX 2e for 25+ years

it gets annoying when you use LaTeX once a year for 25 years.

Re: Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

#198

Post by MikeTheGreat »

tincholio wrote: post #179
svara wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that might be true at some maths and computer science meetings but is unheard of in other scientific fields.

It's the standard in most hard science fields. Also common in some humanities, too.

Can I ask which humanities?

I'm probably showing my bias here, but I'm (respectfully) surprised that, say, poets would want to work in LaTeX :)

Re: Quarkdown: A modern Markdown-based typesetting system

#199

Post by nailer »

michal_h21 wrote: post #168
nailer wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

LaTeX also has some bizarre defaults like bitmap fonts in a tool designed to allow people to create high quality typeset documents.

This was true maybe 20 years ago, before TeX engines that output directly to PDF were created. Today, the recommended engine is LuaLaTeX, and it defaults to OpenType fonts.

Thanks for updating me. That corresponds with my own timeline where I last tried it 20 years ago.
Post reply on HN