General ⇒ Package Improvement

[ghostanime2001]

There are several packages that are very useful but have not been updated in recent time. One of them is the lewis package for drawing Lewis structures. This package should be updated and cleaned up because it is very useful in chemical illustrations and books. Also, I think there should be a separate topic for package suggestions. This would give a good indication to package authors the direction of future updates or bugs. Does anyone agree on this?

[cgnieder]

The best way IMHO is to contact package authors directly if a contact email address is given in the package documentation. Posting such suggestions or bug reports in a forum has the big chance that the package author will miss it entirely. Despite the fact that many authors are active in forums like this one or on TeX.sx or on comp.text.tex or ... doesn't mean they're active on all of them or even that they're reading there regularly or at all. Also sometimes older packages aren't actively maintained any more which could mean you're out of luck, anyway. The easiest way to get a response is an email.

This is certainly what I like if someone has a suggestion for one of my packages.

Regards

[localghost]

In this concrete case you may look at other chemistry related packages like chemfig or chemmacros.


Thorsten

[Stefan Kottwitz]

It's ok to talk about it, also here. Especially, if the developer or maintainer is unknown. So it's an opportunity to ask if somebody knows a way to contact the maintainer, of if somebody likes to develop the package further.

The address of the lewis developer is in the .sty file, at the top. You can contact him. The package is public domain, so anybody may improve it, even without notice, such as if you don't get an answer.

Btw. a more specific topic title would be meaningful.

Stefan

[ghostanime2001]

I have changed the title of this topic to something more or less meaningful. Also, How do you open .sty files ? I am using MiKTeX 2.9 so can TeXworks open this format ? The point of all this is because a lot of things are lacking any organization and I am forced to search through endless web pages and posts and other documents. So I suggested having people organize many documents into maybe one or two websites or by other means of organization so people could access information faster and have available up to date documents.

[localghost]

[…] Also, How do you open .sty files ? I am using MiKTeX 2.9 so can TeXworks open this format ? […]

Since class (*.cls) and package (*.sty) files are plain text files like your LaTeX sources (*.tex), they can be opened with every text editor. Hence TeXworks can do that, too.

[…] So I suggested having people organize many documents into maybe one or two websites or by other means of organization so people could access information faster and have available up to date documents.

The place you are searching for is called CTAN. And package documentations are either available by browsing the package list or opening a command line and typing in the following.

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texdoc lewis

You will then get the documentation corresponding to the package version installed on your system.

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Also, How do you open .sty files ?

On Linux, I use

Code: Select all

gedit `kpsewhich lewis.sty`

to directly open it. On Windows, just

Code: Select all

kpsewhich lewis.sty

and copying and pasting that location into the explorer field or browsing there. .sty files are simple text files, similar to normal .tex files. You can open them in any editor, also in TeXworks.

I am forced to search through endless webpages and posts and other documents.

Just look on CTAN. That's the authoritative source. In such cases, I quickly open http://ctan.org/pkg/lewis, i.e. attaching the package name. Of course CTAN has a search feature, but already knowing this link pattern saves time.

Stefan

[ghostanime2001]

There is a very long command line in .sty file. Is this the command \lewis is made from ?

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\providecommand{\lewis}[9]{ \mbox{\ensuremath{ \begin{array}{c} _{#4 \,\, #5}\\ \raisebox{0.25em}{\ensuremath{^{#3}_{#2}}}\,\mbox{#1}\, \raisebox{0.25em}{\ensuremath{^{#6}_{#7}}}

[cgnieder]

There is a very long command line in .sty file. Is this the command \lewis is made from ?

Yes, it is. Interestingly enough it's also the entire code of the package... I agree with the following comment in the sty file:

This package is provided without guarantees or support. I don't recommend that you use this package at all.

The \lewis and \Lewis commands provided by chemfig are surely more powerful.

Regards