Computers and Typesetting
Encyclopedia
Computers and Typesetting is a 5-volume set of books by Donald Knuth
published 1986 describing the TeX
and Metafont
systems for digital typography
. Knuth's computers and typesetting project was the result of his frustration with the lack of decent software for the typesetting of mathematical and technical documents. The result of this project include TeX for typesetting, Metafont for font
construction and the Computer Modern
typefaces that are the default fonts used by TeX. In the series of 5 books Knuth not only describes the TeX and Metafont languages (volumes A and C), he also describes and documents the source code (in the WEB
programming language) of the TeX and Metafont interpreters (volumes B and D), and the source code for the Computer Modern
fonts used by TeX (volume E). The book set stands as a tour de force demonstration of
literate programming
.
The books are loved by mathematician
s and other users of TeX. They may be less well known to computer scientist
s and programmer
s, as the TeX project was an 8-year diversion to Knuth's multi-volume The Art of Computer Programming
.
The books themselves were typeset in the Computer Modern
Roman typeface using TeX; thus, in Knuth's words, they "belong to the class of sets of books that describe precisely their own appearance."
The set is also available as a hardcover boxed set with the latest editions as of the year 2000. ISBN 0-201-73416-8
Donald Knuth
Donald Ervin Knuth is a computer scientist and Professor Emeritus at Stanford University.He is the author of the seminal multi-volume work The Art of Computer Programming. Knuth has been called the "father" of the analysis of algorithms...
published 1986 describing the TeX
TeX
TeX is a typesetting system designed and mostly written by Donald Knuth and released in 1978. Within the typesetting system, its name is formatted as ....
and Metafont
METAFONT
Metafont is a programming language used to define vector fonts. It is also the name of the interpreter that executes Metafont code, generating the bitmap fonts that can be embedded into e.g. PostScript...
systems for digital typography
Digital typography
Digital typography is the arrangement of type using computers.- See also :* Typography* Computer font* Web typography* Desktop publishing* Font rasterization...
. Knuth's computers and typesetting project was the result of his frustration with the lack of decent software for the typesetting of mathematical and technical documents. The result of this project include TeX for typesetting, Metafont for font
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
construction and the Computer Modern
Computer Modern
Computer Modern is the family of typefaces used by default by the typesetting program TeX. It was created by Donald Knuth with his METAFONT program, and was most recently updated in 1992. However, the family font was superseded by CM-Super , the latest release dating 2008...
typefaces that are the default fonts used by TeX. In the series of 5 books Knuth not only describes the TeX and Metafont languages (volumes A and C), he also describes and documents the source code (in the WEB
WEB
WEB is a computer programming system created by Donald E. Knuth as the first implementation of what he called "literate programming": the idea that one could create software as works of literature, by embedding source code inside descriptive text, rather than the reverse , in an order that is...
programming language) of the TeX and Metafont interpreters (volumes B and D), and the source code for the Computer Modern
Computer Modern
Computer Modern is the family of typefaces used by default by the typesetting program TeX. It was created by Donald Knuth with his METAFONT program, and was most recently updated in 1992. However, the family font was superseded by CM-Super , the latest release dating 2008...
fonts used by TeX (volume E). The book set stands as a tour de force demonstration of
literate programming
Literate programming
Literate programming is an approach to programming introduced by Donald Knuth as an alternative to the structured programming paradigm of the 1970s....
.
The books are loved by mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
s and other users of TeX. They may be less well known to computer scientist
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
s and programmer
Programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
s, as the TeX project was an 8-year diversion to Knuth's multi-volume The Art of Computer Programming
The Art of Computer Programming
The Art of Computer Programming is a comprehensive monograph written by Donald Knuth that covers many kinds of programming algorithms and their analysis....
.
The books themselves were typeset in the Computer Modern
Computer Modern
Computer Modern is the family of typefaces used by default by the typesetting program TeX. It was created by Donald Knuth with his METAFONT program, and was most recently updated in 1992. However, the family font was superseded by CM-Super , the latest release dating 2008...
Roman typeface using TeX; thus, in Knuth's words, they "belong to the class of sets of books that describe precisely their own appearance."
Volumes
The five volumes are published by Addison-Wesley.- Volume A: The TeXbook. Describes the TeX typesetting language. It is by far the most common and available of the set, as the TeX interpreter is widely used for typesetting. It is available in softcover ISBN 0-201-13448-9 (blue spiral-bound with a built-in flap for a bookmark) and hardcover ISBN 0-201-13447-0
- Volume B: TeX: The program. A documented listing of the source code of the TeX interpreter The 1986 edition in hardcover is ISBN 0-201-13437-3
- Volume C: The METAFONTbook. Describes the METAFONTMETAFONTMetafont is a programming language used to define vector fonts. It is also the name of the interpreter that executes Metafont code, generating the bitmap fonts that can be embedded into e.g. PostScript...
font description language. Hardcover ISBN 0-201-13445-4, softcover ISBN 0-201-13444-6. - Volume D: Metafont: The program. A documented listing of the source code of the MetafontMETAFONTMetafont is a programming language used to define vector fonts. It is also the name of the interpreter that executes Metafont code, generating the bitmap fonts that can be embedded into e.g. PostScript...
interpreter. Hardcover ISBN 0-201-13438-1, paperback ISBN 0-201-60658-5 - Volume E: Computer Modern Typefaces. A character-by-character listing (in the MetafontMETAFONTMetafont is a programming language used to define vector fonts. It is also the name of the interpreter that executes Metafont code, generating the bitmap fonts that can be embedded into e.g. PostScript...
language) of the source code for the Computer ModernComputer ModernComputer Modern is the family of typefaces used by default by the typesetting program TeX. It was created by Donald Knuth with his METAFONT program, and was most recently updated in 1992. However, the family font was superseded by CM-Super , the latest release dating 2008...
typefaces (cmr, cmbx, cmti, etc.) used by TeX. Hardcover: ISBN 0-201-13446-2, Softcover: ISBN 0-201-60660-7
The set is also available as a hardcover boxed set with the latest editions as of the year 2000. ISBN 0-201-73416-8