[OS X TeX] References across files

[Adam M. Goldstein]

On Jan 12, 2009, at 12:31 PM, Chris Goedde wrote:

> On Jan 12, 2009, at 11:22 AM, Peter Vamos wrote:
>
>> At 17:11 +0000 12/1/09, Alain Schremmer wrote:
>>> Suppose you are writing a novel about a family but you have not yet
>>> decided what the names of the various characters are.
>>>
>>> The obvious idea is to create a separate file with a genealogical
>>> tree, in which you would have, say, "Tom" so that, as you write the
>>> various included chapters of the novel, instead of typing "Tom", you
>>> would type the reference of "Tom" in the genealogical tree. Then, as
>>> you would typeset, all the occurrences of the reference would be
>>> replaced by "Tom".
>>>
>>> Now the equally obvious question: Is there actually a way to do  
>>> this?
>>> (in LaTeX)
>>
>> How about just creating for each family member/character a macro e.g.
>> \newcommand{\tom}{Tom}
>>
>> Then just change these macros at will e.g
>>
>> \newcommand{\tom}{Dick} or \newcommand{\tom}{Harry}
>> and all references will be changed at the next typeset.
>
> The only caveat with this is that in normal usage TeX will happily  
> eat the space after the command, so that
>
> See \tom run!
>
> will get typeset as "See Tomrun". This can be worked around by  
> adding braces after the command:
>
> See \tom{} run!
>
> Are there easier work arounds?


Why not:

\newcommand{\tom}{Dick{}}

the "{}" seems pretty good at putting in the space where it's needed,  
leaving it out where it's not. That's been my experience, at least.

-Adam

>
>
> -- 
> Chris
>
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Adam M. Goldstein PhD, MSLIS
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