[latexrefman] \protect

[Karl Berry]

Hi S.J. - thanks for writing. I've been pondering your message.

I mostly like your version "for users", but OTOH the underlying purpose
of latex2e.texi is to be a reference manual. Thus losing the extra
information in latex2e.texi now (definition of "fragile", "moving
argument", more explanation in general) does not seem right either.

I have a dream of setting up a TeX wiki(*) where information about any
given command is more readily available (and readable and updatable)
than the current Texinfo-based document. Maybe your rewrites would make
for a good starting point for that. I was going to use
latex2e[-fr,es].texi to seed the wiki, but it wouldn't have to be that
way. The wiki would be the master going forward, so have to get all the
info in there somehow. (Jim, Vincent, I think I've already mentioned
this wild speculation to you. If not, well, now you know. :) Just have
to see how things develop.

In any case ... I'd surely like to see all your rewritten sections,
either for updates to latex2e.texi, or the putative wiki, or who knows
what else. Did you write your changes in Texinfo? If so, that would be
the best format for me to work from. If not, however you wrote it is fine.

Also, are you ok with the "old-style GNU" license (which I inherited),
and/or just letting your changes be public domain?

BTW, there is no such command as \length, is there? I did not try
\protect with \setlength, etc.

Thanks,
Karl

(*) I've already created the wiki, technically. That's the easy
part. The hard point is figuring out the content to put in it, both the
organization and the myriad details.  I'm not going to be able to work
seriously on that any time soon :(.