[pdftex] pgf and tikz

[Bob Howlett]

Geoff Russell wrote:
> Dear pdftexers,
> 
> I just started reading the pgfmanual after seeing reference to it on
> this list.
> 
> Unfortunately, the first example failed using pdftex (but works if I
> use LaTeX version and run pdflatex), so I'll keep reading:
> 
> \input tikz.tex
> \baselineskip=12pt
> \hsize=6.3truein
> \vsize=8.7truein
> We are working on
> \tikzpicture
> \draw (-1.5,0) -- (1.5,0);
> \draw (0,-1.5) -- (0,1.5);
> \endtikzpicture.
> \bye
> 
> Output from TeXLive 2005 is:
> 
> This is pdfeTeXk, Version 3.141592-1.30.4-2.2 (Web2C 7.5.5)
> (format=pdftex 2006.3.17)  8 APR 2006 20:39
> entering extended mode
> %&-line parsing enabled.
> **ttikz
> (./ttikz.tex
> (/home/TeXLive2005/texmf-dist/tex/plain/pgf/frontendlayer/tikz.tex
> 
> .... % similar stuff omitted.
> 
> (/home/TeXLive2005/texmf-dist/tex/plain/pgf/basiclayer/pgfcore.tex)
> (/home/TeXLive2005/texmf-dist/tex/generic/pgf/basiclayer/pgfbaselayers.code.tex
> Runaway definition?
> #1->\expandafter
> ! Forbidden control sequence found while scanning definition of \pgfdeclarelayer.
> <inserted text>
>         }
>         <to be read again>
>                           \newbox
> l.20   \expandafter\newbox
>                           \csname pgf at layerbox@#1\endcsname%
> 
>

This was because \newbox is defined to be \outer in plain.

> Cheers,
> Geoff Russell
> 
> 
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> 

When I upgraded from the version of pgf that came with TeXLive2005
I was able to use pgf successfully with plain, and successfully
converted a few dozen diagrams from pstricks to tikz. The one problem
was that they haven't bothered to fix graphics inclusion for the
case that \pdfoutput=0 (so I could run pdftex OK, but tex followed
by dvips would not work on the same file).
I found it a bit more cumbersome than pstricks, in that each
diagram required more lines of code, but nevertheless it seemed
pretty good for my needs. One annoying feature is that it reads in
so many files that you get a screenful of messages that might
obscure important messages like overfull boxes.

Bob Howlett