[pdftex] Could not open char translation file `cp8bit.tcx' (pdfetex 1.11a-2.1)

[Hans Hagen]

Gerolf wrote:

>
> (Remains one question: If pdftex is satisfied finding 'cp8bit.tcx', 
> and that file is just a 1:1 mapping, then why can't pdftex do this 
> trick by itself?)

you cannot imagine how much discussion that question can bring up on tex dev lists, so let's not repeat the arguments here 

8 bit in - 8 bit out is needed for some applications (e.g. verbatim, xml, pdf etc)

currently the only way to achieve this is by loading the cp8bit.cpx file; however, that file is not what its name suggest since it doe snot include the chars <32 (sigh)

a new vector is added, natural.tcx, which correct this problem

new in the coming pdftex's (and web2c programs that use this mechanism, like metapost) is that the vector specified at ini time, ends up in the format (this saves redundant loading, which in the case of runs-insiode runs [think of a tex run with some 500 mpost calls] saves time

there is now also a switch -8bit that does the same as natural.tcx, but older binaries quit on that switch, so (for me) that switch will become usable next year (when i know that all binaries support it); 

(programs that don't use tcx, like aleph, will ignore the command line args concernign tcx/8bit) 

Hans  

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
              Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
     tel: 038 477 53 69 | fax: 038 477 53 74 | www.pragma-ade.com
                                             | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------