[OS X TeX] %&format under pdftex 1.20a/TL 2004

[Herb Schulz]

On 11/11/04 1:14 PM, "Ludger Hentschel" <hentschel at simon.rochester.edu>
wrote:

> I recently upgraded pdftex to "Version 3.141592-1.20a-2.2".
> 
> I have a large set of macros, which I precompiled under pdftex.
> 
> I like the option of saying %&format on the first line of my TeX
> file. This used to work just fine with my previous version of pdftex.
> After the upgrade, this fails. Is this a new "feature", or is there
> some way of regaining this functionality?
> 
> If I say "pdftex file" and file.tex has %&format as the first line,
> pdftex does not find the compiled format
> 
> This is pdfeTeX, Version 3.141592-1.20a-2.2 (Web2C 7.5.3)
> (format=pdftex 2004.11.10)  11 NOV 2004 13:32
> entering extended mode
> 
> and, understandably, chokes on the first macro defined by my format.
> 
> If I say "pdftex -fmt format file" on the command line, pdftex finds
> the compiled format
> 
> This is pdfeTeX, Version 3.141592-1.20a-2.2 (Web2C 7.5.3)
> (format=texet53 2004.11.11)  11 NOV 2004 13:21
> 
> and everything is fine.
> 
> My previous message stated in error that this does not work. (I have
> tinkered with this so much, I must have changed something since I
> last tried it.) In any event, the only copy of the compiled format is
> now in Library/texmf/web2c. As for Herb, this directory is the first
> item on the path returned by "kpsewhich -progname=pdftex
> -show-path=.fmt".
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Ludger
> 

Howdy,

The man page for pdftex has said, for a while now, that the '-fmt format'
version was prefered to the '&format' CL version or the '%&format' version.
I never understood why but I've always used it. Maybe now I see why!

Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest.com)

--------------------- Info ---------------------
Mac-TeX Website: http://www.esm.psu.edu/mac-tex/
           & FAQ: http://latex.yauh.de/faq/
TeX FAQ: http://www.tex.ac.uk/faq
List Post: <mailto:MacOSX-TeX at email.esm.psu.edu>