AMSTeX accents, not in math mode

Question

I need to have a dash (or a bar) over a letter in a name, say G\=o ro for Goro, with one o "accented". The TeXBook tells me to do this: \=o for the dash over o. It does not seem to be working. I also tried \={o} which is on AMS website (since I am using AMSTeX), but it is not working either. I am puzzled, because other accents over letter seem to work.

Please note, the claim that the question has been answered before is incorrect, since the answers referred to concern Latex, not AMSTeX. See further discussion down below. Therefore, the problem has not been solved yet.

Minimal example

\input amstex
\documentstyle{amsppt}
\document 

\={o}

\enddocument

\={o} works find for me... but I suggest using unicode input encoding and writing ō directly — JJoao, Nov 17 '15 at 18:28
are you really using ams-tex or ams-latex? please provide a brief example that demonstrates the problem -- since this accent code is the correct (if old) code that is known to work in text, in either ams-tex or ams-latex, you must be inputting something else that modifies the behavior, and you haven't told us what it is. (by the way, welcome to tex.sx.) — barbara beeton, Nov 17 '15 at 18:53
Are you using it in a tabbing-like environment which redefines \= (in which case you need to use \a={o}, if I recall correctly)? — Nicola Talbot, Nov 17 '15 at 20:01
I now figured out where the problem lies, but not how to overcome it. — Rado, Nov 18 '15 at 16:52
If. I process the file containing my reference name Gor=o by clicking the AMSTeX button on my Texshell menu (remember that version of TeX with the picture of shell as its icon). It gives me "undefined command" message... Now when I isolate this into a separate file and process using the TeX button, it works perfectly fine My main file (about 300 pages long) is typeset with AMSTeX with \documentstyle{amsppt} and when I try to process it with just clicking TeX (instead of AMSTeX) it gives me all the complaints like not recognizing \roster \endroster, and all. — Rado, Nov 18 '15 at 16:59
@egreg The example is simple: When TeX-ing =o (or as AMS has it ={o}) it works perfectly fine. When AMSTeX-ing it, it does not work. Your referring me to Latex does not help, since I am not using Lates, but AMSTeX. There are a number of questions asked and answered in this forum regarding AMSTeX — Rado, Nov 18 '15 at 17:17
@Rado You're perfectly right! I didn't remember that amstex changes \= into \B! — egreg, Nov 18 '15 at 17:21
@Rado It looks like you've got two separate accounts, which means you cannot edit your original post or leave comments. The StackExchange staff can merge them together for you. — egreg, Nov 18 '15 at 17:36
Perhaps not separate accounts, but I asked a question re AMS, without logging in once. I do do math part as well, maybe you are referring to that? Yes, you are welcome to merge my account(s) whatever that means — Rado, Nov 18 '15 at 17:44
The other question you asked about AMS-TeX was with an unregistered account. It would be better if you ask the staff to merge the accounts. — egreg, Nov 18 '15 at 18:44

score 5 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 18 '15 at 17:28

5

The amstex format redefines a couple of accents from Plain TeX syntax. Specifically, \= becomes \B and \. becomes \D.

Here's the fixed minimal example together with the other accents:

\input amstex
\documentstyle{amsppt}
\document 

\B{o} \`o \'o \~o \^o \D{o}

\enddocument

answered Nov 18 '15 at 17:28

egreg

1,121,712

YEEEEEEEIII !!!!! It works like a charm! Thanks @egreg for the detective work nicely done. I am penciling these into my TeX book for future reference. If I knew how to do it, I would give your answer a medal – Rado Nov 18 '15 at 18:30
since you seem to be such an AMSTeXPert, perhaps you can try your hand at another AMSTeX question that I asked. here it is http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/277872/amstex-chapter-title-no-running-head – Rado Nov 18 '15 at 18:43
@Rado Sorry, but the code in that question is rather messy and I don't have AMS-TeX manuals available any more. – egreg Nov 18 '15 at 18:45
:( OK, that mystery will remain unsolved then – Rado Nov 18 '15 at 19:04
@Rado: Why didn't you notify me that my answer doesn't work for you? It worked fine for me (after I added the missing \document) and I will add some images as proof. – Ulrike Fischer Nov 18 '15 at 19:08
Ulrike, I tried to but the se supreme policemen told me that I need to be 15 star general to be able to do that (comment). So the thing I did was edit the original post in effect responding to you – Rado Nov 18 '15 at 19:18
@Ulrike, could it be the same syndrome as my other question, regarding the accents. People reported this worked with them, but it is because they used some other processing method, not the one I said I had troubles with. I click "AMSTeX" button on the menu of TeXShell to process the file. I did not see any difference after I incorporated your two command lines. – Rado Nov 18 '15 at 19:20
Perhaps the lack of ability to get back to you is due to the fact that I asked the running heads question without logging into the account, where the confusion may rest – Rado Nov 18 '15 at 19:21
@Rado: Are you sure that you also inserted the \plainpagestyle in \chtitlen? I now put my whole code in the answer (you will perhaps have to remove the first line, I only added it because I prefer pdf). Btw: I did use amstex (I did it from the command line, so no danger that I confused it.) – Ulrike Fischer Nov 18 '15 at 19:23
@UlrikeFischer OK, let me try things yet again. I am crossing my fingers, because, it has been bugging me for some time. I'll let you know what happens – Rado Nov 18 '15 at 19:27
@Rado: Try at first my unchanged code in some test file. – Ulrike Fischer Nov 18 '15 at 19:27
I tried these {\catcode`@=11 \gdef\plainpagestyle{\firstpage@true}} %new
\def\chtitlen#1#2#3{\centerline{\titlefontd#1}% \plainpagestyle %new and it seemed that I had the third line (second 'new') switched with the second, I permuted these three lines in all ways, it still does not work. Of course the first page of the whole thing does comply (since it is the first page of the file), namely the page is at the foot, and there is no running head, but the other first chapter page(s) still have page number in the running head, not at the foot.
– Rado Nov 18 '15 at 20:35
@UlrikeFischer hang on, this last permutation of the command lines may be working – Rado Nov 18 '15 at 20:48
@UlrikeFischer OK I think you solved the problem, I do not know how to move relevant comments to the original question place. The problem is solved for the file that I thought was a homomorphic (but not isomorphic image of the 300 page manuscript). In the big manuscript, however, while the running heads disappear from chapter title pages, those title pages lose the pagenumers not only on top but on the bottom as well, unlike the small file that has everything OK. – Rado Nov 18 '15 at 21:29

AMSTeX accents, not in math mode

1 Answers1