[luatex] macros to invoke lua in LaTeX

[Ulrike Fischer]

Am Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:39:52 +0100 schrieb Hans Hagen:

> Ulrike Fischer wrote:
> 
>> I have to know the exact names of the new primitive commands only if
>> I want to use them. To write a package that can be used with all
>> engines without a clash it is enough to know how to avoid the names.
>> That's easy with pdftex: simply don't use commands starting with
>> \pdf. It's also easy with XeTeX: avoid commands starting with
>> \XeTeX. But with luatex you are right. I will have to check
>> everytime a new version is released if there is a conflict.  
> 
> you'll have to check anyway since we can change names of primitives (or 
> function at the lua end) as we progress; however, we will declare some 
> of them stable with version 0.50 and more with 1.00

I do have the impression that you are thinking about packages or
documents that really use luatex commands. But this is not my
concern. Someone who is now writing a package which uses some of the
new commands should know that syntax and names can change.

I'm thinking about the large number of generic packages, some on
CTAN, some local, which don't do anything engine specific and whose
authors are trying not to define new user commands which will
conflict with some of the new engine primitives. 


>> Nobody is denying luatex the right to declare new primitives. The
>> only question is if the names of this new primitives should use some
>> namespace.
> 
> so, i suggest that you convince your fellow latex users to come op with 
> a definition file that is loaded early and maps primitives to prefixed 
> ones (for which you can use \lua if you can agree upon it); 

And I'm thinking about the not so large number of packages like pgf
which try to offer code for latex and context and plain. 



-- 
Ulrike Fischer