[latexrefman-discuss] \textascenderwordmark and \textcapitalwordmark and ligatures

[Vincent Belaïche]

Hello,

In node ``Text symbols'' there are these two control words
\textascenderwordmark and \textcapitalwordmark, which are by default
undefined in LaTeX. I could not find anything about them in the
Internet, except in the latexrefman project itself. I don't know what
they are for.

On top of that the description for \textcompwordmark is quite unclear to
me. I have read in the LaTeX2e user guide that it is to prevent some
ligature --- which is mainly useful in German, but you can also achieve
this effect by inserting a `{}' or `\relax'. Example:

  -\textcompwordmark-
  -{}-
  -\relax-
  {-}{-}
  etc.
  

Furthermore, I think that the manual lacks the following information
about ligatures:

- if the input is in UTF-8, then one can also directly use the right
  symbols, – or — for -- or ---. That is probably what a xelatex user
  would do.

- With xelatex engine ligatures are not enabled by default, so to get
  ---, ?`,  -- and suchlikes working, you need

  \setmainfont[Ligatures=TeX]{SOME FONT}

  or

  \defaultfontfeatures{Mapping=tex-text}

- Some fonts do not have the --, ---, and suchlikes ligature, and that
  is the raison d'être of macros like \textemdash.


Maybe a separate node on ligatures is needed, and we could just refer to
it in the ``Text symbols''

VBR,
	Vincent