Received: by nummer-3.proteosys id <01C19443.4EE3E504@nummer-3.proteosys>; Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:42:15 +0100 Return-Path: <@vm.gmd.de:LATEX-L@DHDURZ1.BITNET> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.4EE3E504" x-vm-v5-data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil][nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil]) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5 Content-class: urn:content-classes:message Subject: @ in macro names Date: Sat, 16 Nov 1991 20:10:09 +0100 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: From: "Nelson H. F. Beebe" Sender: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" To: "Rainer M. Schoepf" Reply-To: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 464 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.4EE3E504 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dominik's comments on the use of macros with embedded @ signs to represent small constants to save TeX memory reminded me of a wishlist item I've had for years about TeX macros. I intensely dislike the sprinkling of @ characters throughout macro names; it makes them very hard to read. I would much prefer a systematic scheme that placed @ in only the initial position, so \@zero \@one \@two etc would be used instead. I agree with Dominik that literate programming expositions of macro packages would benefit from expansion of simple constants. If this is to be systematized, it may be necessary to adopt certain conventions for macro names, e.g. \c@xxx is a constant named xxx, so that only macros conforming to that syntax would be expanded. Compare the trend in modern programming languages and software systems to systematize names so as to avoid polluting name spaces, and introduce classifications into the names (e.g. VAX VMS LIB$SIGNAL() versus UNIX signal()). =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Nelson H.F. Beebe Center for Scientific Computing Department of Mathematics 220 South Physics Building University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA Tel: (801) 581-5254 FAX: (801) 581-4148 Internet: beebe@math.utah.edu =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.4EE3E504 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable @ in macro names

Dominik's comments on the use of macros with embedded = @ signs to
represent small constants to save TeX memory reminded = me of a wishlist
item I've had for years about TeX macros.

I intensely dislike the sprinkling of @ characters = throughout macro
names; it makes them very hard to read.  I would = much prefer a
systematic scheme that placed @ in only the initial = position, so
\@zero \@one \@two etc would be used instead.

I agree with Dominik that literate programming = expositions of macro
packages would benefit from expansion of simple = constants.  If this is
to be systematized, it may be necessary to adopt = certain conventions
for macro names, e.g.  \c@xxx is a constant = named xxx, so that only
macros conforming to that syntax would be = expanded.

Compare the trend in modern programming languages and = software systems
to systematize names so as to avoid polluting name = spaces, and
introduce classifications into the names (e.g. VAX = VMS LIB$SIGNAL()
versus UNIX signal()).


=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
Nelson H.F. Beebe
Center for Scientific Computing
Department of Mathematics
220 South Physics Building
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
USA
 Tel: (801) 581-5254
 FAX: (801) 581-4148
 Internet: beebe@math.utah.edu
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=

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