A basic pre-processor for LaTex files, this open-source tool is designed to simplify the formatting of documents.
At its core, PreTeX is a simple preprocessor for TeX and LaTeX documents. But it's important to note that it's not a typesetting program. Instead, PreTeX is more like a document translator. It relies on TeX to do the actual layout work while it converts strings of letters and symbols into different strings of letters and symbols.
One of the key features that makes PreTeX stand out is its use of context-free grammar. This allows for intelligent translations that are defined by one or more map files. For those who need to typeset Indian languages, this is an incredibly useful tool. Indian languages are alphabetic, like English, but there are many sets of symbols that need to be written as a single symbol when they're used together. PreTeX simplifies this process by automatically applying the appropriate rules for each language.
Even if you don't need to typeset Indian languages, PreTeX still has potential uses. For example, it can be used to typeset English with ligatures, like 'fi', which some fonts include as a single glyph. To use PreTeX, all you need is LaTeX. Give it a try and see if it can make your document preparation process easier.
Version 0.96: N/A