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Text processors are similar to compilers, but instead of preparing a program for execution, they prepare a text file for printing. For example, this manual was created using a text processor. The authors created a text file and put in it both the manual's text and commands to tell the text processor how to format the text. Because of the commands they included, the headings are in bold-face type, the examples are indented, and so on.
There are two major text processors available: troff and TeX. LaTeX is a macro package for TeX and gets used more than Plain TeX at PSU (and many other places), so this section will go over LaTeX and TeX format text to be printed on a laser printer, although there are programs to give a "tty" approximation of the output. There are X-window based preview packages available for troff and TeX. Using them will save you time and paper.
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