[luatex] macros to invoke lua in LaTeX

[Hans Hagen]

Ulrike Fischer wrote:
> Am Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:19:15 +0100 schrieb Taco Hoekwater:
> 
>>> Not just right now, but at any time in the future: if a new primitive
>>> \foo is introduced, any existing package that happens to use \foo is
>>> potentially affected.  
>> This is the best argument ever -- for not developing luatex at all.
>>
>> Until version luatex 1.0, we reserve the right to make any change.
>> Because if we were to promise not to remove old primitives and to
>> avoid adding conflicting primitives, you get exactly what you have
>> already: pdftex. Which isn't going away.
> 
> Naturally luatex can add new primitives (and should do it) like 
> pdftex has done it. And you will never be able to avoid that such a 
> new primitive clash somehow. But nevertheless I think it would be 
> very useful if the names of the primitives would use an uniform 
> prefix -- even more as luatex is not stable and new primitives can 
> arise or disappear again. Prefixes like \pdf of pdftex and \XeTeX of 
> xetex create a simple namespace and enable package writers to avoid 
> _future_ conflicts with new primitives simply by not using the 
> prefix. 

there is no such problem:

- engine starts up with \newthing defined as primitive
- macro packagesis loaded and defines \newthing itself

so, how can there be a conflict? only if other packages expect \newthing 
to be the primitive which they can't because it was always a macro

now, nothing prevents a macro package core to provide \prefixednewthing 
as soon as \newthing shows up in the engine

so, instead of messing around with the engine's prefix (which is not 
robust either) a macro package can enforce its own policy

Hans


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