[tex-live] [XeTeX] Random number primitives

[David Carlisle]

On 14 November 2016 at 09:22, Apostolos Syropoulos
<asyropoulos at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> Changing the source isn't the issue, are you offering also to help
>> with user support to manage the change
>> and explain to people why it's not possible to re-create documents
>> that they created before they updated
>> their tex system?
>>
>
> By following this conservative line of thought, we should
> not use OpenType fonts and stick to plain old but good Type 1
> fonts!

No, not at all. There is a big difference between offering new functionality
and offering existing functionality. when implementing existing tex features.

xetex (far more than luatex) follows tex very closely, so that in the
main, if you are
not using the extended features it works exactly like tex. All I am
suggesting is that
design philosophy should apply here.

> In fact, I would recommend dropping support for Type 1
> fonts from XeTeX. If you want Type 1 fonts, use the ancient
> engines.

>  Also, each TeX destribution comes with all these
> TeX-based engines. So these people can always use their
> ancient files with no problem!

Er no, That was entirely the point of my message.
I was replying to your offer to change the sources of pdftex. If that were done
people would _not_ be able to use their ancient (or even not ancient)
files and get the same results.

David


>
>
> A.S.
> ----------------------
> Apostolos Syropoulos
> Xanthi, Greece