[tex-live] encTeX, 8bit encoding, ...

[Petr Olsak]

On Wed, 24 Mar 2004, Olaf Weber wrote:

> Staszek Wawrykiewicz writes:
> > On Wed, 24 Mar 2004, Olaf Weber wrote:
>
> >>>> - A "genuine" -8bit switch that installs the identity xord/xchr
> >>>>   mapping and makes everything printable.
>
> >>>> The last is effectively a shorthand for --translate-file=8bit.tcx
> >>>> where where 8bit.tcx implements this mapping (cp8bit.tcx does less
> >>>> than its name promises).
>
> >> Note that one reason I dislike this (somewhat) is that it is yet
> >> another switch where the interaction with TCX and encTeX has to be
> >> determined and spelled out.
>
> > I think that this switch is not needed (I also dislike that). We can have
> > a consent that 8bit.tcx is loaded by default if tcx or -enc is not used,
> > as it was done in TL2003. So Hans, Daniel and some other would be happy.
>
> Automagically loading a TCX is a hack I dislike:
>
> encTeX and TCX bite each other.  Automatically loading a TCX is a
> problem because it means that encTeX will always encounter a TCX
> unless the -enc option is given on each run.  But the -enc option
> otherwise only makes a difference for iniTeX, and I _don't_ think it
> is a good idea to force people to always specify it.

My first idea: implement the -8bit option with little different behavior
than -translate-file=8bit.tcx:
If -enc option in iniTeX or encTeXed-format is used then -8bit option is
ignored (only warning message in log may be printed).

Second idea: if -enc option in iniTeX or encTeXed-format is used then
printing to log+terminal is totally independent on locales.

Third idea: Storing of xord/xchr/xprn in non-encTeX-formats is unusefull,
IMHO. If user want this behavior then he can use encTeXed-format with all
encTeX primitives disabled (by \let\xordcode=\undefined etc.) This is
exactly the same as storing xord/xchr/xprn in non-encTeX-format. But I
don't insist on this idea.

Best regards

Petr Olsak