References: <v03110701b1bbd09a78ca@[130.237.37.112]>
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            <199806220631.QAA11602@ricetub.anu.edu.au>
            <v03110703b1b3df3f0cc6@[130.237.37.30]>
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Reply-To: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project
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In-Reply-To:  <199806281358.XAA16592@ricetub.anu.edu.au>
Date:         Tue, 30 Jun 1998 12:21:32 +0200
From: Hans Aberg <haberg@MATEMATIK.SU.SE>
Sender: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project
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To: Multiple recipients of list LATEX-L
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Subject:      Optimizing LaTeX
Status: R

  If LaTeX now is so slow one could pick up Richard Walker's idea, and
develop the docstrip facility into an optimizing compiler:
>  I'd like to push forward my earlier
>idea of docstrip writing out a file containing a list of macros defined,
>macro documentation or whatever, in a form that can be easily used by
>smart editors.

  So, for example, if the source file contains a command
\newcommand{\foo}[9]{def}, then the docstrip writes out
\define#1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9{def} in the sty file, plus perhaps a file
\newcommand{\foo}[9] with document processors can use. The command \define
would check that \foo has not been defined before, but perhaps one can
optimize further, so that this check is not done every time the file is
executed. (Say perhaps when a building format file: Then the check would be
done while building the format, but not when loading the format.)

  The idea of docstrip as an optimizing compiler would enable to do develop
with relatively high level commands.

  One could also think of a special file with online help: A command named
\foo has a command \foo: with information about the command which is put in
a special file. Then that command and its file need to be processed in the
usual typesetting, only when one needs say the online help, so it does not
burden the speed of LaTeX.

  Hans Aberg
                  * Email: Hans Aberg <mailto:haberg@member.ams.org>
                  * Home Page: <http://www.matematik.su.se/~haberg/>
                  * AMS member listing: <http://www.ams.org/cml/>