[metapost] Re: all intersections between two paths

[Larry Siebenmann]

Taco Writes

 > In much the same way as in TeX:
 > 
 >    tracingstats := 1;
 > 
 > My executable reports the following:
 > 
 >    300i (input stack),
 >    300n (internals),
 >    1500p (param stack),
 >    200000b (buffer)
 > 
 > In MP, There are a number of other stack sizes that are not reported.
 > A portion of those are related to font making and reading, but not all.
 > Notable are:
 > 
 >    write_files (simultaneous "write" files)
 >    read_files  (simultaneous "readfrom" files)
 >    max_in_open (simultaneous "input" files)
 >    path_size   (maximum number of knots between breakpoints of a path)
 >    font_size   (fonts/font memory for labels)
 > 
 > There is a similar (but slightly different) list for MF, of course.
 > 
 > Greetings, Taco

Taco's TeX Workshop(?) (TW) is exemplary, but runs only on the
rapidly evolving Mac OSX.  Clearly it is time that other
implementations of TeX raise capacities to similar levels.
Current OzTeX gives:

This is MetaPost, Version 0.641 (mem=Plain 2003.6.7)
MetaPost's memory:
strings out of 2587
string characters out of 36413
words of memory out of 60001
symbolic tokens out of 9500
3i,62n,2p,80b stack positions out of 60i,300n,150p,1000b

For us today the key ratios Oz:TW are
        60i:300i   and 150p:1500p

Taco, what are your TW values for those 5 extra capacities
namely write_files etc.  Did you do the compilation for TW?
And what does a *breakpoint* in a path mean? maybe a corner?

To use convenient recursion in once-off programming of diagrams
for the broad scientific community, Taco's input and param
stack values of 300i and 1500p seem an adequate minimum. That's
a BIG MARKET to conquer. I hope other implementations follow
TW's lead.

Taco, could you guestimate the RAM cost of 300i and 1500p?

Cheers

Laurent S.

PS1. Does TW run OK under the early OSX.1 (10.1)?

PS2.  Hans suggests

 > boolean ThisIsMp ;
 > 
 > ThisIsMp := known miterlimit ;

Thanks Hans, I'll distinguish PM and MF that way.

PS3.  Maybe a blurb on TW availability would be appropriate here
Taco.