[texworks] Scripting and 0.4 (was: Windows builds)

[Stefan Löffler]

Hi,

Am 2010-10-12 00:01, schrieb Paul A Norman:
> Can we yet get script basic file handling into 0.4 if it has not come
> out yet please?
>   

0.4 is not out yet, and if we have some time, I'd like to have two
things in there: file handling and per-script permissions.
Note, however, that I haven't been adding more patches on GC to keep
things manageable. As Jonathan mentioned, there are some half-dozen or
so patches waiting for his approval/comment. If I continue posting
patches, at some point my code and Jonathan's official version will
differ so much it will be hard to stitch them together.

> Or can there be a wider discussion on what is really worth focussing
> on for 0.4 if your time is limited?
>   

There always can be a wider discussion, that's what open source is about ;).
But I can't see how 0.4 - which will be the stable variant of the
current 0.3 development series - can be about anything else but
scripting. That has been the major focus for the past year or so.
Assuming you meant 0.5 (the next development series), we can and should
have a discussion, IMO. There's essential one thing I'd personally like
to see: project support. This is especially handy if you plan on writing
a larger document, such as a book or a thesis, though admittedly it
doesn't help a new user to get to grasp with TeX. Regarding scripting,
there's also the wish to take this further, to arbitrary, callable
script functions, which would then allow custom toolbars, editing the
default menus, etc., as Jonathan outlined in his talk.
Anyway, I think this should be discussed in a separate thread (this has
drifted way too far off-topic, anyway) and probably at a later time,
when 0.4 is finally released.

> When I read Helge's question: "On the other hand I am curious too, if
> there is still development with TW?" - I thought well may be thats it
> then.
>   

No, Tw is not dead! :)
Just in some kind of summer-hibernation, maybe. This is not the way
things were planned, but sometimes life doesn't follow our plans.

> But then to hear that there had been a presentation on Tw scripting at
> TUG and no news at all here for so long, just  left me deflated and
> actually a bit confused about it all.
>   

Please note that the TUG meeting was back in June - at that time, the
plan was to bring out 0.4 before TL'10. Obviously, this hasn't worked
out, unfortunately.

> With out cultivation the Tw team flounders.
>   

Well, I'm trying to help cultivation - but code changes are up to
Jonathan, so we'll have to wait until he finds some time.

Cheers,
Stefan