[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 12:35:06 -0500, Don Hosek wrote:

 > I think that Ukrich was thinking that because word doesnÕt have any
 > control sequences itÕs a contradiction of the statement on 300, but
 > I would say that this comes down to semantics and is unlikely to be
 > revised to change the highlighted sentence to read ÒÉin terms of
 > the primitive ones and character tokensÓ

Hi Don,
I must admit that I don't understand what's unclear.  As far as I
understand Knuth's statement there are primitives which allow you to
write your own macros (other control sequences).  You can't write
your own macros without primitives like \def, \edef, \csname, etc.

Regards,
  Reinhard


 > On Dec 9, 2022 at 10:00:42, Reinhard Kotucha <reinhard.kotucha at gmx.de>
 > wrote:
 > 
 > > 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
 > > >
 > >
 > > --
 > > ------------------------------------------------------------------
 > > Reinhard Kotucha                            Phone: +49-511-3373112
 > > Marschnerstr. 25
 > > D-30167 Hannover                    mailto:reinhard.kotucha at gmx.de
 > > ------------------------------------------------------------------
 > >
 > >

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Reinhard Kotucha                            Phone: +49-511-3373112
Marschnerstr. 25
D-30167 Hannover                    mailto:reinhard.kotucha at gmx.de
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