Received: by nummer-3.proteosys id <01C19443.985242DC@nummer-3.proteosys>; Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:44:18 +0100 Return-Path: <@vm.gmd.de:LATEX-L@DHDURZ1.BITNET> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.985242DC" 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: Validating LaTeX output Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1992 15:13:52 +0100 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: From: "Rainer Schoepf" Sender: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" To: "Rainer M. Schoepf" Reply-To: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 553 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.985242DC Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable With the trip and trap tests Don Knuth has given us a tool to validate TeX and Metafont. But up to now there is no similar tool to validate LaTeX (nor any other macro package). One might argue that one could use the same strategy (i.e. producing a dvi file and using dvitype to check its contents) but there are some problems: 1. It is difficult to see what the correct behaviour is. With TeX the test checks the working of the internals of the program. With LaTeX you have to check whether the output corresponds to the input and to the desired design. This is much more complicated. 2. The complexity of even one page of LaTeX output is much greater than that of the trip pages. 3. The output of dvitype slightly differs between different implementations. This makes it almost unusable, except for specialists. Given these problems, I'd welcome any idea how to do such a validation suite. Rainer Sch"opf ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.985242DC Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Validating LaTeX output

With the trip and trap tests Don Knuth has given us a = tool to validate
TeX and Metafont. But up to now there is no similar = tool to validate
LaTeX (nor any other macro package).

One might argue that one could use the same strategy = (i.e. producing a
dvi file and using dvitype to check its contents) but = there are some
problems:

1. It is difficult to see what the correct behaviour = is.

   With TeX the test checks the working of = the internals of the
   program. With LaTeX you have to check = whether the output
   corresponds to the input and to the = desired design. This is much
   more complicated.

2. The complexity of even one page of LaTeX output is = much greater
   than that of the trip pages.

3. The output of dvitype slightly differs between = different
   implementations. This makes it almost = unusable, except for
   specialists.

Given these problems, I'd welcome any idea how to do = such a validation
suite.

Rainer Sch"opf

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