[texworks] Drop of Python scripting support

Paul A Norman paul.a.norman at gmail.com
Wed Nov 2 06:05:56 CET 2011


P.S. Incase it caused any confusion, when I wrote:

'   In TeXworks, your "error log " ''

 is actually labelled "LaTeX errors" on its tab in TeXworks.

Paul

On 2 November 2011 12:06, Paul A Norman <paul.a.norman at gmail.com> wrote:

> If I could add just a little to what Rheinhard has already explained
> really really well, everything is script, its just whether it is OS order
> script compiled into making a binary .so .exe etc or script
> being interpreted on the fly when that exe is being run.
>
> As already shared, when script can be interpreted on the fly, it does not
> have to be incorporated into the main exe which is extremely efficient for
> project development cycles and requires less main code to be maintained.
>
> So your web browser will show you web pages that likely sit on the bedrock
> of the Java or C/C++ code but in a ginormous number of cases, your web page
> would not work unless interpreted -(out side the .exe)- script code was
> running for you behind the scenes.
>
> Intelligent careful design of compiled script allows valuably for less
> overall/longterm C++ development work, when that design allows
> extensions through non-compiled run-time built plug-ins
> (additional windows, toolbars, menus, and other features) as well
> as  scripting engines which can even interact with the host OS- which often
> lets other code be re-used as well.
>
> In TeXworks, your error log  is actually produced by a script when the
> typesetting is finished, and that is one of the features you listed as
> being valuable to you Phil, and it is done by a QtScript!
>
> In TeXworks a non C++ developer  was able to make a very small help
> towards the eventual advancement of sorting out a problem with the log
> window, because it is written in script.
>
> It all allows for the grand concept of distributed development
> workload, and recycling instead of the new-writing of code and a wider set
> of libraries.
>
> So Scripts are already working for you in TeXworks whether you know it or
> not :)
>
> Paul
>
>
> On 2 November 2011 11:26, Reinhard Kotucha <reinhard.kotucha at web.de>wrote:
>
>> On 2011-11-01 at 09:12:42 +0000, Philip TAYLOR (Webmaster, Ret'd) wrote:
>>
>>  > I have never found the need for scripting in any environment other
>>  > than the underlying operating system, and even then very rarely.
>>  > Even in WinEDT, which I have used for many many years and which I
>>  > prefer in many ways to TeXworks (but which is not yet UTF-8
>>  > compatible,) I have never found any need for scripting.
>>
>> Hi Phil,
>> it seems that you assume that scripts are supposed to be written by
>> end users.  Of course, advanced users can do that, but in the first
>> place scripting is meant as an easy way to extend TW without the need
>> to change the core program.  Ideally the end user doesn't notice
>> whether a particular feature he's using is written in C or QtScript.
>>
>> TeX is quite similar in this respect: The program contains only the
>> low level stuff, everything else is provided by scripts (for instance
>> plain.tex).  Similarly, a C compiler only provides the low level
>> stuff, most of its functionality comes from external libraries.
>>
>> This approach has significant advantages:
>>
>>  * It's easier to make the core program robust if it's kept as small
>>   as possible.
>>
>>  * If most of the functionality can be provided by scripts, more
>>   people can work on extensions without the risk to break the core
>>   program.
>>
>>  * Scripts are platform independent, the core program isn't.
>>
>> Another point is that there are several flavours of TeX (plain, LaTeX,
>> ConTeXt).  In order to support them all it makes more sense to me to
>> have distinct scripts for each format and load them on demand rather
>> than to hard-code everything in the core program.
>>
>> Thus I'm convinced that providing a scripting language is unavoidable
>> in the long term.  It allows more people to contribute.
>>
>> Well, if you say that you never found the need for scripting in any
>> environment other than the underlying operating system, you probably
>> forgot that you do scripting in TeX all the time. :)
>>
>> Regards,
>>  Reinhard
>>
>> --
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Reinhard Kotucha                                      Phone:
>> +49-511-3373112
>> Marschnerstr. 25
>> D-30167 Hannover                              mailto:
>> reinhard.kotucha at web.de
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Microsoft isn't the answer. Microsoft is the question, and the answer is
>> NO.
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>
>
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