[tex-k] Bug-report for the TeXbook: Not all non-primitive control-sequences are defined, ultimately, in terms of the primitive ones.

[Reinhard Kotucha]

On 2022-12-09 at 04:51:56 +0100, ud.usenetcorrespondence at web.de wrote:

 > Probably this has not yet been reported.
 > 
 > TeXbook, Chapter 3: Controlling TeX  says:
 >  
 > | About 300 of TeXÕs control sequences are called primitive; these
 > | are the low-level atomic operations that are not decomposable
 > | into simpler functions. ***All other control sequences are 
 > | defined, ultimately, in terms of the primitive ones.*** For
 > | example, \input is a primitive operation, but \Õ and \" are not;
 > | the latter are defined in terms of an \accent primitive.
 > 
 > I doubt that ***all other control sequences*** are defined,
 > ultimately, in terms of the primitive ones.
 > 
 > For example, with
 > 
 >    \def\mymacro{word}
 > 
 > the control sequence \mymacro is not defined in terms of "the
 > primitive ones" at all. 

\def is a primitive.

Regards,
  Reinhard

 > The control sequence \mymacro is defined in terms of explicit
 > non-active character tokens only while explicit non-active
 > character tokens are not considered primitives.
 > 
 > Sincerely
 > 
 > Ukrich Diez
 > 

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