My experiences installing and using tex4ht

Installation of the MiKTeX-own TeX4HT packages

My impression is, that the new (newer than 18. of August 2006) MiKTeX installation is running without further work. You just have to update the two “tex4ht”-pakages, one is the main part of the package tex4ht and the other are the MiKTeX-own binaries miktex-tex4ht-bin-2.5 for TeX4HT. I decided to install first the main part and afterwards the binaries. Than I used the MiKTeX-maintanance programm and refreshed the database and updated the installed packages.

Installation of the package from Philip A. Viton

First I updated ImageMagic, downloaded the file tex4ht.zip and copied it in the install-directory of the package tex4ht-miktex-install.zip. Now I edited the beginning of batch-file miktex-install.bat and saved it under the new name my_miktex-install.bat. I was unsure how to change the variable batdir, I choosed the Dir of the bat-files of the tex4ht-package. Here is the code of the beginning of my new install file:

@echo␣off  
::  
::␣Automated␣installation␣script␣for␣tex4ht␣under␣Miktex  
::␣April␣14␣2004:␣We␣no␣longer␣worry␣abou␣the␣GIF␣vs␣GIF87␣issue:  
::␣␣␣you␣should␣install␣IM6+␣which␣appears␣to␣solve␣it.  
::  
::␣tex4ht␣directory␣(for␣ht-fonts␣and␣the␣tex4ht.env␣file)  
REM␣Original:␣set␣t4htdir=c:\tex4ht  
set␣t4htdir=C:\Programme\Miktex\texmf\tex4ht  
::  
::␣miktexdir␣should␣be␣the␣top-level␣miktex␣directory  
REM␣Original:␣set␣miktexdir=c:\ProgramFiles\miktex  
set␣miktexdir=c:\Programme\miktex\texmf  
::  
::␣local␣miktex␣dir (may␣be␣a␣source␣of␣additional␣tmf␣files)  
REM␣Original:␣set␣locdir=c:\ProgramFiles\localtexmf  
set␣locdir=c:\Programme\localtexmf  
::  
::␣batch␣directory  
REM␣Original:␣set␣batdir=c:\ProgramFiles\miktex\test  
REM␣set␣batdir=c:\Programme\miktex\texmf\miktex\test  
set␣batdir=C:\Programme\Miktex\texmf\scripts\tex4ht\bat  
::  
::␣gs␣bin␣directory  
REM␣Original:␣set␣gsbindir=c:\ProgramFiles\gs\gs8.11\bin  
set␣gsbindir=c:\Programme\gs\gs8.00\bin  
::  
::␣imagemagick␣directory  
REM␣Original:␣set␣imdir=c:\ProgramFiles\IM6  
set␣imdir=c:\Programme\ImageMagick-6.2.9-Q16  

Then I checked the PATH-variable and added the path to the batch-files into this system variable of the operating system MS Windows:

(batdir=C:\Programme\Miktex\texmf\scripts\tex4ht\bat)

Now I opend a command line (cmd.exe) and changed into the install directory of the tex4ht-miktex-install.zip-package. In this directory are now my new my_miktex-install.bat-file, the tex4ht.zip-file and the files of the package. Now I started (as an administrator) my own batch-file from the command-line.

After I did all that, my MiKTeX-TeX4HT-Installation was distroyed. The error massage was:

!␣Undefined␣control␣sequence.  
\SaveEverypar␣...␣\expandafter␣{\the␣\ht:everypar  
␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣␣}}\expandafter␣\xdef␣\csna...  
l.18␣\begin{document}  
 
?

So I reinstalled the two TEX4HT-packages from the MiKTEX-distribution :-( and reinitialized the font- and style-database as decribed above. So I don’t know if it makes sence to install the package of Philip A. Viton, but his internetpage is never the less very helpful, if you need to know more about TEX4HT under MS Windows32. If someone can help, hints are appreciated.

Ulm, Germany, 18. of August 2006, Stefan Pofahl

P.S.: This is my first document made with TEX4HT. Not much encouraging :-(