X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil t nil]
	[nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil])
Date:         Thu, 22 Feb 90 18:07:56 CET
Reply-To: LaTeX-L Mailing list <LATEX-L@DHDURZ1.bitnet>
Sender: LaTeX-L Mailing list <LATEX-L@DHDURZ1.bitnet>
From: "Nelson H.F. Beebe" <Beebe@SCIENCE.UTAH.EDU>
Subject:      Re: \begin...\end interface
To: Rainer Schoepf <BK4@DHDURZ1.uucp>
Status: R
X-Status: 
X-Keywords:                  
X-UID: 18

>> Up to now the internal commands called by \begin{xyz}...\end{xyz}
>> are \xyz and \endxyz.  I propose to change this to something that is
>> not user accessible, i.e. has a @ in it.

I fully support the notion that ALL internal macros in style
files and macro packages should not normally be accessible
to the user, so as to avoid surprises when one is
unintentionally redefined.  [I once spent hours over an
apparent `bug' in the REDUCE algebra system which was traced
to the fact that I had innocently used an innocuous variable
name which was actually defined in the underlying LISP
implementation.]  Since TeX has no notion of `packages' or
`modules' to restrict visibility, the only choice for macro
writers is to protect themselves by inserting special
characters in internal macro names.

If this requires a rewrite of some style files, then so be
it.  The end result will be better for everyone.
-------