[CHAA006@alpha1.rhbnc.ac.uk: RE: TDS and ISO9660]

[K. Berry]

Going through old TDS mail.
I'm not sure what to do about this.
I guess more information for implementors would be helpful,
but I'm not sure what to say.

Can anyone make a suggestion?

Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 19:40:09 GMT
From: Philip Taylor (RHBNC) <CHAA006@alpha1.rhbnc.ac.uk>
To: TWG-TAG@SHSU.edu
Cc: CHAA006@alpha1.rhbnc.ac.uk
Subject: RE: TDS and ISO9660

>> VMS: sees the ISO names only; you can force the system to map the
>>  file type to "stream lf", so TeX can see the files, but TFMS and PKs
>>  would have to be copied and mangled to make them work. It isn't clear
>>  if current TeX would search the TDS tree OK as it stands (is
>>  Christian Spieler here?). The bad news, of course, is that if TeX
>>  asks for "longtable.sty", it will not be found, as the CD has the
>>  ISO form "longtabl.sty". Face it, guys, your files are only going to
>>  be found by DOS and Unix people - why not shorten the name now?

In preparation for the public release of e_TeX Version 1, I have just
been building e_TeX 3.14159-1.01 for VMS, and I have therefore been able
to conduct some tests on on the VMS (e_)TeX implementation of file
handling.  I find that provided I define e_TeX_Inputs as
TeX_Root:[Common...] (the VMS syntax for `TeX_Root/Common and all
sub-directories thereof, both immediate and nested'), I am able to find
all files in that hierarchy.  Whilst this does not of itself guarantee
that VMS (e_)TeX would ``search the TDS tree OK as it stands'', it is
none the less a very hopeful sign.  Since the TDS draft document is
very complex, would someone like to summarise in a _few_ words what
other features (e.g. disjoint branches, one-level only tree traversal,
...) I need investigate before I could confirm that VMS (e_)TeX will be
compatible with the TDS recommendations? 

** Phil.