Received: from mail.proteosys.com ([62.225.9.49]) by nummer-3.proteosys with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.0.2195.5329); Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:53:27 +0100 Received: by mail.proteosys.com (8.12.2/8.12.2) with ESMTP id gBAFrPTp018979 for ; Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:53:26 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C2A064.471C3580" Received: from listserv.uni-heidelberg.de (listserv.uni-heidelberg.de [129.206.100.27]) by relay.uni-heidelberg.de (8.12.4/8.12.4) with ESMTP id gBAFldxK028501; Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:47:39 +0100 (MET) Received: from listserv (listserv.uni-heidelberg.de [129.206.100.27]) by listserv.uni-heidelberg.de (8.12.2/8.12.2/SuSE Linux 0.6) with ESMTP id gBA2Cht4018207; Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:41:39 +0100 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5 Received: from LISTSERV.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE by LISTSERV.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 1.8d) with spool id 6263 for LATEX-L@LISTSERV.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE; Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:41:39 +0100 Received: from relay2.uni-heidelberg.de (relay2.uni-heidelberg.de [129.206.210.211]) by listserv.uni-heidelberg.de (8.12.2/8.12.2/SuSE Linux 0.6) with ESMTP id gBAFVdTk026560 for ; Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:31:39 +0100 Received: from fsuj20.rz.uni-jena.de (fsuj20.rz.uni-jena.de [141.35.1.18]) by relay2.uni-heidelberg.de (8.12.4/8.12.4) with ESMTP id gBAFawc3010932 for ; Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:36:58 +0100 (MET) Received: from localhost.localdomain (ipc055.inf.uni-jena.de [141.35.12.200]) by fsuj20.rz.uni-jena.de (8.12.6/8.11.1) with SMTP id gBAFauqH029689 for ; Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:36:57 +0100 (MET) Return-Path: X-Mailer: Sylpheed version 0.8.2 (GTK+ 1.2.10; i386-redhat-linux-gnu) X-OriginalArrivalTime: 10 Dec 2002 15:53:28.0013 (UTC) FILETIME=[47B6C7D0:01C2A064] X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.11 (www dot roaringpenguin dot com slash mimedefang) X-Spam-Score: 1.1 (*) CARRIAGE_RETURNS,SPAM_PHRASE_00_01 Content-class: urn:content-classes:message Subject: Templates Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:36:47 +0100 Message-ID: A<20021210163647.73451db3.thomas.lotze@uni-jena.de> X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: Templates Thread-Index: AcKgZEfT4C9yMdXNTvKKAj+T7KH6nw== From: "Thomas Lotze" To: Reply-To: "Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project" Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 4384 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C2A064.471C3580 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi all, provoced by a discussion on de.comp.text.tex, I took a first look at the LaTeX3 experimental code, in particular the templates. Up until now I've only read the documentation coming with the xbase package, as well as the notes by Lars Hellstroem. So the following two questions are probably rather superficial, but anyway: - Why does the template name argument come after the instance name argument in \DeclareInstance? Wouldn't a sequence Template Type -> Template Name -> Instance Name be more logical and intuitive, the more general coming before the more specific? - If the number of arguments to a template is the same for all templates of any given type, why does it have to be specified in the template declaration, where it can be inferred from the template type? Two more things: - In the template documentation, the question is raised whether a template type declaration should expect an argument containing a description of the semantics. I'm strongly in favour of this idea and would even suggest that all declarations get a mandatory argument for storing descriptive information, i.e. also those for templates and instances. (Together with another one for a one-line short description this would make automatic documentation of designs possible and besides would encourage the programmer or designer to spell out their ideas to themselves before coding.) - The template documentation gives an example, caption formatting. At the beginning, the measure as an argument is discussed. I would suggest changing the semantics of that parameter to how much space is available, i.e. the maximum measure possible. Thus the decision about the measure actually used is made in the template and instance where it belongs IMO. Cheers, Thomas -- Thomas Lotze thomas.lotze at gmx.net http://www.thomas-lotze.de/ ------_=_NextPart_001_01C2A064.471C3580 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Templates

Hi all,

provoced by a discussion on de.comp.text.tex, I took a = first look at the
LaTeX3 experimental code, in particular the = templates. Up until now I've
only read the documentation coming with the xbase = package, as well as
the notes by Lars Hellstroem. So the following two = questions are
probably rather superficial, but anyway:

- Why does the template name argument come after the = instance name
  argument in \DeclareInstance? Wouldn't a = sequence
  Template Type -> Template Name -> = Instance Name
  be more logical and intuitive, the more = general coming before the more
  specific?

- If the number of arguments to a template is the same = for all templates
  of any given type, why does it have to be = specified in the template
  declaration, where it can be inferred from the = template type?

Two more things:

- In the template documentation, the question is = raised whether a
  template type declaration should expect an = argument containing a
  description of the semantics. I'm strongly in = favour of this idea and
  would even suggest that all declarations get a = mandatory argument for
  storing descriptive information, i.e. also = those for templates and
  instances. (Together with another one for a = one-line short description
  this would make automatic documentation of = designs possible and
  besides would encourage the programmer or = designer to spell out their
  ideas to themselves before coding.)

- The template documentation gives an example, caption = formatting. At
  the beginning, the measure as an argument is = discussed. I would
  suggest changing the semantics of that = parameter to how much space is
  available, i.e. the maximum measure possible. = Thus the decision about
  the measure actually used is made in the = template and instance where
  it belongs IMO.

Cheers, Thomas

--
Thomas Lotze

thomas.lotze at = gmx.net           =            http://www.thomas-lotze.de/

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