[OS X TeX] New Macros, new Engines, new TeXShop versions, and all that

[Claus Gerhardt]

Your missing the point since currently TeXShop's macro file (.plist) contains both default macros as well as user defined macros and TS cannot replace specific macros like all default macros but only the .plist file in toto. This is the reason for the rather cumbersome replacement procedure outlined in the TS's Help.

Richard Koch's new proposition seems to accommodate naive users as well as educated ones: naive users are supposed to use only the default macros, then they could simply delete their macro file and restart TS. In case that they dared to install their own macros they have to follow the present procedure.

In summary, for naive users the new procedure would change nothing, but the educated user would win a lot. So what is all the fuss about?

Claus

On Feb 21, 2010, at 20:53, Gerrit Glabbart wrote:

> 
> 
> 2010/2/21 David Messerschmitt <messer at eecs.berkeley.edu>
> 
> Good point, but there is absolutely nothing inconsistent between (a) accommodating naive and power users differently and (b) allowing users to move from the naive to the power category. All you are saying is that naive users should not matter, because they dont stay that way. Such a perspective is commonplace in open source software, but I am arguing that naive users are important. For one thing, accommodating them will attract more new users to TexShop, whether or not they later turn into power users. I would argue that this is good, if we wish to maximize the impact of TexShop.
> 
> -dave
> 
> And doesn't OS X provide a mechanism for this? Default macros, engines, etc. could go into /Library/Application Support/TeXShop/ and could easily be upgraded automatically; the current directory in ~/Library/TeXShop would be the user's responsibility, should they see the need. This is the way it is handled for AppleScripts, PreferencePanes, Screen Savers -- all sorts of things really.
> 
> Or am I missing the point?
> 
> -- Gerrit.
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