Document formats

The on-line library disseminates electronic documents in the following formats.

BibTeX (BIB)
Probably the most common format for bibliographies in the Internet, designed for cooperation with the LaTeX document preparation system. A BibTeX entry typically consists of a few lines of text and contains all necessary bibliographic information concerning a publication's reference. In the on-line library, abstracts are included in the BibTeX entries of electronic documents. A reader with some imagination can easily understand a BibTeX file. Although BibTeX files are typically used in cooperation with LaTeX, they can converted to DVI and subsequently printed by running the bib2dvi program. For more information about the BibTeX format, as well as for tools supporting it, the reader is referred to BibTeX references!!!.

TeX/LaTeX (TEX)
One of the most popular document preparation systems in the Academia today. TeX/LaTeX files are text files containing usually a lot of cryptic instructions and macros. LaTeX files, which are more common, can be transformed to DVI by running the latex program. There is a special version (among others) of the latex program for the modern Greek language, which is called grlatex and can be found in grlatex reference!!!. For more information, the reader is referred to TeX/LaTeX references!!!.

Device Independent (DVI)
A device independent (supposedly, at least) format for electronic documents, closely related to the TeX/LaTeX document preparation system. DVI files are binary and can only be read with special viewers. The most common such viewer for Unix systems with X-Windows is the xdvi program. Although the DVI format is not very popular with PC users, there are also viewers for Windows 3.11 (e.g. !!!) and Windows 95 (e.g. !!!). DVI files can be transformed to PostScript files by running the dvips program (among others).

PostScript (PS)
Probably the most popular format for the dissemination of electronic documents in the Internet nowadays. PostScript files are text files that can be printed directly to PostScript printers. One can read them by using a number of viewers, the most popular of which are the ghostscript (gs) and ghostview programs, available for a variety of platforms. Notice that the latter requires the existence of the former.

Microsoft Word (DOC)
One of the most popular word processors for the family of PCs and Macs. DOC files can be read and edited by opening them with an appropriate version of Microsoft Word. They can also be read and edited on a PC by using the Word Pad program, which however does not support all capabilities of the DOC format. In addition, one can use the !!! program, which is a DOC file viewer for PCs.

Please, notice that all long files have been compressed by the GNU gzip program, in order to reduce the network load on our server. The files must be uncompressed before use:

In a Unix system, this is typically done by executing the gunzip program. Both the gzip and gunzip programs can be downloaded from gzip ftp!!!.

The gzip and gunzip programs are also available for PC computers. However, there are several popular programs, such as WinZip, that support gzip compression/decompression.

This page is maintained by Nikos Papaspyrou (nickie@softlab.ntua.gr).
Feel free to share with us your comments and remarks.

	BibTeX (BIB) Probably the most common format for bibliographies in the Internet, designed for cooperation with the LaTeX document preparation system. A BibTeX entry typically consists of a few lines of text and contains all necessary bibliographic information concerning a publication's reference. In the on-line library, abstracts are included in the BibTeX entries of electronic documents. A reader with some imagination can easily understand a BibTeX file. Although BibTeX files are typically used in cooperation with LaTeX, they can converted to DVI and subsequently printed by running the `bib2dvi` program. For more information about the BibTeX format, as well as for tools supporting it, the reader is referred to BibTeX references!!!.
	TeX/LaTeX (TEX) One of the most popular document preparation systems in the Academia today. TeX/LaTeX files are text files containing usually a lot of cryptic instructions and macros. LaTeX files, which are more common, can be transformed to DVI by running the `latex` program. There is a special version (among others) of the `latex` program for the modern Greek language, which is called `grlatex` and can be found in grlatex reference!!!. For more information, the reader is referred to TeX/LaTeX references!!!.
	Device Independent (DVI) A device independent (supposedly, at least) format for electronic documents, closely related to the TeX/LaTeX document preparation system. DVI files are binary and can only be read with special viewers. The most common such viewer for Unix systems with X-Windows is the `xdvi` program. Although the DVI format is not very popular with PC users, there are also viewers for Windows 3.11 (e.g. !!!) and Windows 95 (e.g. !!!). DVI files can be transformed to PostScript files by running the `dvips` program (among others).
	PostScript (PS) Probably the most popular format for the dissemination of electronic documents in the Internet nowadays. PostScript files are text files that can be printed directly to PostScript printers. One can read them by using a number of viewers, the most popular of which are the `ghostscript (gs)` and `ghostview` programs, available for a variety of platforms. Notice that the latter requires the existence of the former.
	Microsoft Word (DOC) One of the most popular word processors for the family of PCs and Macs. DOC files can be read and edited by opening them with an appropriate version of `Microsoft Word`. They can also be read and edited on a PC by using the `Word Pad` program, which however does not support all capabilities of the DOC format. In addition, one can use the `!!!` program, which is a DOC file viewer for PCs.

	In a Unix system, this is typically done by executing the `gunzip` program. Both the `gzip` and `gunzip` programs can be downloaded from gzip ftp!!!.
	The `gzip` and `gunzip` programs are also available for PC computers. However, there are several popular programs, such as `WinZip`, that support `gzip` compression/decompression.