Received: by nummer-3.proteosys id <01C19443.A82A196C@nummer-3.proteosys>; Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:44:44 +0100 Return-Path: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.A82A196C" 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: patching the pool file Date: Sun, 26 Apr 1992 20:05:00 +0100 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: From: "Frank Mittelbach" Sender: "Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project" To: "Rainer M. Schoepf" Reply-To: "Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project" Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 687 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.A82A196C Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dominik's extension question reminded me of some other solution, which may or may not be feasible. I would be interested in suggestions about this topic. As I said in the other message the default extension (i.e. .tex) is recorded in the pool file. This pool file will be produced when the TeX program is compiled. It also contains all the error messages and a few other things. You can change such things with a change file to the web source of TeX and in fact this is actually allowed for certain things like error messages and default extensions, etc. Alternatively one can patch the pool file directly,. Since this is an ascii file such a patch is not very diffcult. One could even write a TeX program that does the patch by reading the system pool file and outputs a different one. So one solution to the extension problem (i.e. making .ltx the default extension) would be a separate pool file for ltx3. Such a pool file could be automatically generated from an existing one if necessary. To install ltx3 it would then be necessary to use the ltx3 pool file instead of the usual one. This could be achieved by renaming the pool file for format generation. The advantage of such a pool file switch would be a much better error handling (beside the extension change). Internal TeX errors are tailored to the plain format and usually are not very instructive in the LaTeX context, e.g., you get informed about looking into the TeXbook or to remove offending \cr's or don't use \hbox'es etc. By using different error messages for LaTeX one would help the casual users very much. I'm not saying that this *is* feasible. There are many considerations that are not in favour of such a solution. But I think we should consider the idea at least theoretical and therefore like to invite comments. Frank ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.A82A196C Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable patching the pool file

Dominik's extension question reminded me of some other = solution, which
may or may not be feasible. I would be interested in = suggestions about
this topic.

As I said in the other message the default extension = (i.e. .tex) is
recorded in the pool file. This pool file will be = produced when the
TeX program is compiled. It also contains all the = error messages and a
few other things. You can change such things with a = change file to the
web source of TeX and in fact this is actually = allowed for certain
things like error messages and default extensions, = etc. Alternatively
one can patch the pool file directly,. Since this is = an ascii file
such a patch is not very diffcult. One could even = write a TeX program
that does the patch by reading the system pool file = and outputs a
different one.

So one solution to the extension problem (i.e. making = .ltx the default
extension) would be a separate pool file for ltx3. = Such a pool file
could be automatically generated from an existing one = if necessary. To
install ltx3 it would then be necessary to use the = ltx3 pool file
instead of the usual one. This could be achieved by = renaming the pool
file for format generation.

The advantage of such a pool file switch would be a = much better error
handling (beside the extension change). Internal TeX = errors are
tailored to the plain format and usually are not very = instructive in
the LaTeX context, e.g., you get informed about = looking into the
TeXbook or to remove offending \cr's or don't use = \hbox'es etc. By
using different error messages for LaTeX one would = help the casual
users very much.

I'm not saying that this *is* feasible. There are many = considerations
that are not in favour of such a solution. But I = think we should
consider the idea at least theoretical and therefore = like to invite
comments.

Frank

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